Entomological Contributions. 159 



ment, eleventh segment superiorly, and under side of body, black. 

 Two dorsal pencils of black hairs one-third of an inch long, on the 

 fourth segment, two on the sixth segment, and one on the eleventh; 

 the pencils have a black spot at their base. 



Another larva feeding on the linden {Tilia Ainericana) had the 

 bod}' pale green, with yellowish hairs dorsally and white laterally. 



When confined in a box, the larva spins a firm cocoon in one of 

 the angles, in which it interweaves bits of the material bitten from 

 the space inclosed by the cocoon. 



Harris describes the cocoon {Aj)atela Ameincana, in Insects of 

 New England, second edition, p. 338) as having "the half-oval web 

 of silk, intermixed with the hairs of its body." Of six cocoons con- 

 structed by larvae collected by me, only one contained intermixed 

 hairs. 



The female moth has the upper surface of the wings darker, and 

 the under surface less shining than in the other sex. 



Acronycta obliiiata (Sm.-Ahh.), 



Larva feeding on the blossoms of smart-weed {^Polygonum jpunctatuin 

 Elliot), September 15th. Length one inch and one-fourth. Velvety 

 black, with a tawny red substigmatal stripe. Segments with tuber- 

 cles, from which clusters of short hairs radiate, which are red on the 

 upper part of the first four and last two segments, and white on the 

 intermediate ones; from the tubercles on the terminal segment, long 

 hairs proceed. Stigmata white. 



Spun a cocoon between some leaves which it drew together. 



Agrotis tricosa nov. sj>. 



I have for some time had set apart in my collection, three distinct 

 forms of " Agrotis suhgothica Haworth." Kow that Mr. Grote, in 

 correction of some former determinations, has recently pointed out, 

 beyond qnestion, the true Agrotis suhgothica^ and shown it to be 

 the species redescribed by Guenee as A. jaculifera^ and has also 

 described as A. herllis a second form which Guenee had regarded 

 as a variety of the former (var. B, not A), it only remains in order 

 to clear up the confusion so long existing among these forms, to 

 indicate the third species, which is easily to be distinguished from 

 the other two. 



A. tricosa is between suhgothica and hcrilis, approaching nearer 

 to the former in its antennal pectinations, the general coloring of its 



