62 



Fitch shortly after commenced the publication of yearly reports on injurious insects. So 

 far as the butterflies and moths are concerned, these reports are much less interesting 

 to the student than Dr. Harris's ; although the descriptions of the species are, longer, 

 they are also clumsier, and the literary resources of Dr. Harris in Cambridge and Boston 

 were probably wanting to Dr. Fitch. In these New York reports we have the first 

 descriptions of Prionoxystus querciperda, Tulype laricis and Rhododipsa volupia. The 

 species of Nolaphana are described as Tortricidce and Hiibner's Pangrapta decoralis figures 

 as Hypena elegantalis. There is everywhere great pains taken to be exact and explicit, 

 and so far as many noxious species are concerned much valuable observation is brought 

 together. In making an index to these reports Dr. Fitch's successor, Prof. James A. 

 Lintner, has performed an acceptable work. 



With the year 1857, the late Dr. Brackenridge Clemens commenced the publication 

 of descriptions of North American moths. His synopsis of the Sphingidse (1858) is- 

 characterized by great care in describing the species and genera, but the main defect of 

 the work is the absence of independent literary research, the synonymy being taken 

 from the British Museum lists of Mr. Walker. Dr. Clemens describes for the first time 

 the rare Sphinx luscitiosa, the genera Deidamia and Ellema, and includes the West 

 Indian forms, some of which have been more recently found in South Florida. A 

 " Synonymical Catalogue of the Sphingidse" was published in 1865 by the late Coleman 

 T. Robinson and myself, in which Hemaris gracilis, Eicproserpinus phceton and the genera 

 Cressonia and Dihtdia were described, the literature of the group being thoroughly gone 

 over since 1758, and henceforward the nomenclature of this family at least, takes on a 

 more permanent shape. It is -one hundred years from Linnaeus to Dr. Clemens, but in 

 North America, in 1858, there were but ver3 r few species of moths then named in 

 collections either public or private. Commencing to publish my own studies with the 

 beginning of the year 1862, I can say truthfully that there were then probably not one 

 hundred species named and determined in any collection. The principal difficulty lay in 

 ascertaining what had been described in Europe. For this purpose Mr. Robinson and I 

 made one trip to England and France, and afterwards another was made by myself. 

 The results of the examinations of Mr. Walker's and M. Guenee's types were published 

 and material was determined by us from all parts of the county, in collections both public 

 and private. There are now (1888) probably more than five thousand species of moths 

 described from North America, and this result is due to the large and increasing number 

 of students, and the facilities offered by serial publications, the most reliable of which 

 has been the Canadian Entomologist, which has survived many similar undertakings, 

 Each family of moths has enjoyed the attention of one prominent specialist, thus Dr. 

 Packard has studied the Spanners, Geometridos ; Mr. Hy. Edwards the Clearwings, 

 Sessiida? ; Mr. R. H. Stretch the Spinners, Bombycidce ; Prof. 0. H. Fernald the Leaf 

 Rollers, Tortricidaz ; my own studies having been principally on the Owlet Moths, 

 NoctuidcE ; the Sparklers, Pyralidas, and the Hawk Moths, Sphingidoe. 



Very soon we shall know all about our moths and popularly written works will 

 supersede the stiff and formal descriptive sources for our information which now exists. 

 May we all be kindly remembered and our faults forgiven by the coming generation, 

 who will catch our species and discuss our, no doubt, often defective views based upon the 

 scantier information now at our disposal. 



Of some of my contemporaries I confess I would like to say a word here, but I may 

 not. I would like to recall the long ago when Mr. Saunders, with his kind and thoughtful 

 and then youthful face, came to see me in New York ; when Packard, on his way to 

 "the front" during the war, called upon me in Brooklyn; when Mr. Tepper and Mr 

 Graef before that, collected and discussed these "little beauties" with me. And then 

 I remember Mr. Calverley, who was very old and very good to me, and Mr. Harvey 

 J. Rich, who died so young. In Brooklyn there are now a number of new writers, 

 among whom my new friend, the Rev. Mr. Hulst, is working steadily and cheerfully 

 along. But now I must think of my good friend Coleman T. Robinson, who was killed 

 by being thrown from his carriage. An accident, equally deplorable, deprived us of Mr. 

 Walsh. I remind me also well of Mr. Angus, of West Farms, a tall Scotchman with 

 curious, white and black in bunches, parti-colored hair, very intelligent, kindly but 



