55 



family by adding inae to the stem of the name of its type genus." ; "The name 

 of a family or subfamily is to be changed when its type genus is changed."; 

 the authors suggest the name Phalaenidae to be used in place of Noctuidae. 



In the division of the family Phalaenidae into subfamilies, one of these 

 subfamilies must obviously be named Phaljeninae. Here a difficulty presents 

 itself. Phalcena typica is placed by Hampson in the subfamily he called Agro- 

 tinae because of the spined tibiae. It almost appears as if Linnaeus deliberately 

 selected a species for the name typica which would represent, as nearly as pos- 

 sible, the great group of Nocturnals, Sphinx omitted; for typica while having 

 spined tibiae possesses the genitalia, habitus, and general external structure of 

 those moths assigned by Hampson to the subfamily "Acronyctinae" in Volume 

 VII of the Cat. Lep. Phal. B. M., 1908, i. e., Hadena, Auct. = Parastichtis, 

 Trachea, Oligia, etc. of Hampson. 



While, therefore, the authors are cognizant of the fact that Phalcena typica 

 is an intermediate form, best placed with Hadena, Auct. ; they, nevertheless, 

 adhere to their decision expressed in Cont. Nat. Hist. Lep. N. A., V. #1, 

 pp. 24-25, to disturb the true context of Sir George F. Hampson's admirable 

 work as little as possible, and still follow the present International Rules of 

 Zoological Nomenclature. 



Following this course, the name Phalaeninae must be substituted for the 

 name Agrotinae of Hampson. Should Phalaeninae eventually take the place of 

 either the first part or all of Hampson's Acronyctinae then Agrotinae may be 

 restored for the bulk of the trifed Phalsenidae possessing spined tibiae, with 

 the generic type Agrotis segetis (Hbn., 1806, Tentamen). 



Naenia Steph., possessing typica as type becomes synonymous with Phal- 

 aena and Noctua. 



The lengthy bibliographies under the name Phalaena and Noctua are by 

 no means complete, and are only of historical interest. They are printed merely 

 to show how some of the more noted authors regarded these genera; and are 

 set in small type, as being unimportant. 



Phal^na, Linn. 



Type Phalcena ("Noctua") typica Linn. 

 1758, Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. X.^ 



1767, Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. XII, Vol. II, genus 233. pp. 808-900, typica n. 

 sp. named, #186, p. 857, no other typ^ designated or implied and hence type. 



1761, Linn., Fauna Svecica, p. 291-371, lists 360 species. 1762, GeoflFroy, Hist., Ins. 

 Paris, makes no use whatever of Noctua, simply using Phalaena with unnamed subdivisions: 

 (vide Auct., et Grote 1902). 1763, Scopoli, Entomologica Carneolica, pp. 191-258, lists 

 194 species; name used as a genus with subdivisions Bombyces, Geometrae, Tortriees, 

 Pyrales, Tiniae, and Alucitae, but no Noctua; the species Linnaeus placed under Noctua that 

 are mentioned are placed under Bombyces which are subdivided into A. Elingiies," "B. 

 Spirilingtves", under the latter heading libatrix, pronuba, quadra, etc., are listed. 1764, 



1 Same as the 1767 edition, in this respect, except for pagination. 



