Jrote.] 136 [June 16, 
males, which is divided (not ‘‘double’’) in the females. The wings may 
be said to be short and narrow ; they broaden in the lower genera and 
again in some genera may be said to be long in comparison with the body 
(i. e., Ouceullia, ete.). The ocelli are almost always present, while in the 
Geometridw they are almost always absent. The palpi lengthen as we de- 
scend to the lower genera, where they assume unusual shapes as in Palthis. 
The male antenn are ciliate, bristled, brush-like or toothed and pectinate, 
the female antenns being almost always simpler in structure ; Renia, Zan- 
clognatha, and other genera have them furnished with tufts, coils of hair or 
nodosities. The ‘‘front,’’ or clypeus, isbroad and square as compared with 
either the Geometrida or Pyralide, The maxillary palpiare short and con- 
cealed. The tongue is equally stout, but occasionally short, weak or rudi- 
mentary. The eyes are full, and may be either naked or hairy, the hairs 
being weak and short in Zrichocosmia, but usually prominent as in Mames- 
tra, The orbit of the eye is furnished with a more or less complete circle of 
hair in some genera, and there is often a circie of discolorous scales lying 
back from the orbit. The vertex of the head is sometimes clothed with scales, 
differing in shape and position from those on the ‘‘front,’’ which are often 
short and converge mossily about a central protuberance varying in char- 
acter. The thorax is short and stout, thickly scaled and often tufted on 
the dorgal line, with the tufts divided in some genera, and more or less 
lengthy and peculiar. The metathorax is short ; the middle region of the 
body is well developed as compared with the other families and muscular, 
the base of the wings and their framework of veins being usually stout and 
stiff; the flight is most often strong and rapid, and approaches that of the 
Sphingide. The habit of hovering over flowers is characteristic of certain 
genera such as Plusia. The abdomen is conical, and usually exceeds the 
hind wings, the contour is definite ; it is variously tufted, or again smooth 
or with a carina on the dorsal line; again. if is flattened, seldom weak or 
short. 
The colors are brown and gray. The hind wings are quite highly 
colored, but, as a rule, simple and slight in their markings as com- 
pared with the fore wings; oftenest they are quite plain or with one 
or two cloudy lines parallel with the outer margin and a discal 
spot. The fore wings are usually distinctly lined. They have a basal 
half-line (b. h. 1.), an inner median or transverse anterior (t. a.) line, 
a median shade (m. s.), an outer «median or transverse posterior 
(t. p.) line, a subterminal line (s. 1.), a terminal line (t. 1.) at the 
base of the fringes. There are three stigmata: the orbieular, a rounded 
anterior spot on the cell; the reniform, a usually kidney-shaped spot out- 
ward the cell; the claviform, a pointed spot attached to the t. a. line below 
the orbicular. In the genus Catocala there is also a subreniform spot, 
while the claviform is absent. The typical ornamentation is displayed in 
such genera as Hadena and Mamestra. Almost always it can be made out 
and its presence renders a description recognizable if drawn up with care, 
and the different lines and spots, which are thus easily executed, fully and 
