670 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [VoL. XXXVI. 
Madrepores and Astræidæ common in more southerly waters and 
carried northward in the eastern Pacific by the Japan current do 
not characterize these northerly reefs of Hawaii and Laysan. The 
reef-building corals of this region show more affinity to those of 
lower California and the Mexican coast, to the Panamic fauna, due 
in the author’s opinion to the weak westerly current in which the 
islands in question lie. This not only tends to establish Panamic 
influences here but prevents the access of the southern fauna, 
eg., the Madrepores. ECAR 
The Lepidopterous Genus Depressaria. — The tineid moths of 
North America, owing to their great number, small size, and the 
difficulty of preserving them in good condition, have not received 
the attention they deserve. Yet there are few groups which offer 
such good opportunities for original research, our country being 
full of undescribed forms, many of interesting habits, remarkable 
form, or exquisite colors; while not a few are destructive to culti- 
vated plants. Under these circumstances we rejoice to find that 
Mr. August Busck, of the Department of Agriculture, has taken up the 
study of these insects with remarkable energy and enthusiasm. Our 
pleasure in Mr. Busck’s studies is the greater because the material 
he works upon is in our National Museum, where it can always be 
found and examined by the student. It is to be hoped that collect- 
ors in all parts of the country will contribute material and biological 
notes, all of which will be carefully acknowledged by Mr. Busck in 
publication, if we may judge of his methods by the paper before us. 
This paper (Proc. U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXIV, pp. 731-7 49) is 
arevision of the North American species of the genus Depressaria, of 
which thirty-nine are recognized as valid. It is not necessary in 
this place to enter upon any detailed discussion of the paper, but we 
may be permitted to point out that two of the specific names are 
wrongly spelled, owing to the erroneous spelling (so common among 
entomologists !) of the food plants from which the names are derived. 
Depressaria psoraliella Wlsm. (p. 740) should be 2. psoraleella, the 
plant being Psoralea. D. senicionella Busck (p. 742) should be 
D. senecionella, the plant being Senecio. The food plant of D. arnt- 
cella, from Mt. Shasta, is said to be A. angustifolia (i.e. A. alpina); 
but it seems that this species does not occur on Mt. Shasta, and the 
plant was more likely 4. /ongifolia Eaton. T. D. A. € 
