84 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xvi. 



or inwardly diffuse so as to lighten a part of the median space. The fringes are paler 

 gray, outwardly tipped with white and narrowly cut with gray on the veins. Orbic- 

 ular small, oval, concolorous, more or less obviously outlined in black. Reniform 

 oval, obscure, more or less darkened by a blackish median shade which extends 

 obliquely from the costa to the reniform and is rarely traceable below that point. Sec- 

 ondaries very pale smoky gray, tending to whitish. Beneath smoky gray, varying in 

 tint, with a dusky discal spot on all wings and an indicated common extra-median 

 line. 



Expands 1. 40-1. 64 inches — 35-41 mm. 



Habitat. — St. Louis, Missouri, June 9, July 21, August 12, 21, 

 23, Mr. H. McElhose. 



Altogether unlike any other of our species by the soft smoky color 

 and the strongly denticulated outer line. From the single female in 

 my collection I had taken it to be similatia of which I had only males 

 from Chicago. Mr. A. Kwiat, however, who had both sexes of simi- 

 latia received also both sexes of the St. Louis species from Mr. 

 McElhose, demonstrating their specific difference at once. Similana 

 as appears now, from better material, is more ashen gray, powdery, al- 

 though the lines are much the same in course. Above the anal angle 

 the black line is more distinct in tonitra and traceable across the t. p. 

 line. Two males and five females are under examination as co-types. 

 One pair in my collection, the others with Messrs. Kwiat and McEl- 

 hose, the specific name being a suggestion from Mr. Kwiat. 



Noctua bairdii, new species. 



Pale gray, a little lustrous. Head concolorous. Collar, basal one third black, 

 contrasting. Thorax powdered with black atoms. Abdomen more yellowish, dull, 

 not lustrous. Primaries powdered with blackish atoms which are somewhat more 

 dense outwardly and toward the inner margin. Basal line single, broken, blackish, 

 a little diffuse. T. a. line incomplete, marked by a blackish spot on costa and traceable 

 as a diffuse, broken band to the sub-median interspace. T. p. line marked by a 

 black spot on costa, then continued as a brown, thick, denticulated line which is not 

 much relieved against the light ground : in course it bends widely from costa over 

 reniform and is almost evenly oblique below that point. There is a vague dusky 

 median shade, well marked on the costal area; but lost beyond the cell. S. t. line 

 a diffuse brownish shade parallel with the outer margin, and hardly traceable below 

 the middle of the wing. There is a pale line at the base of the fringes. Orbicular 

 vaguely traceable as a moderate round spot. Reniform narrow, lunate, the sides 

 marked by black scales. Secondaries whitish with a slight yellowish tinge, costal 

 region apex and outer margin darker, fringes white. Beneath whitish, primaries 

 with a smoky suffusion, both wings with a punctiform extra- median line. 



Expands, 1.72 inches — 43 mm. 



Habitat. — High River, Alberta, Canada. 



