76 
CATOCALA NEBULOSA. 
none of these bands are connected with each other. On secondaries the mesial and marginal bands extend to 
abdominal margin. Fringes on all wings yellow. 
Habitat. Middle, and Western States to the Mississippi ; rather rare. 
In the original description of this species 'we have another instance of how utterly valueless, aye, worse 
than valueless, are such things unaccompanied with figures; Mr. W. H. Edwards’ description (in Proc. 
Eut. Soc., Phila., 1864,) is better than nine-tenths of such things generally are, and, moreover, is written in 
language that can be understood, nevertheless, after a lapse of two years, so little had this description been 
recognized, that Messrs. Grote & Robinson re-described this, one of the largest of our Catocalse, and one so 
prominently unlike all others, as a new species, and even made remarks comparative concerning the difference 
between Edwards’ Nebulosa and their Ponderosa, but I had better quote their own words literally and in full, 
which follow their technical description : “ Several specimens examined. Resembles the description of C. Nebu- 
losa , Edwds., but differs in several important particulars, the color of the ordinary spots, conformation of the 
median baud on the under surface of the secondaries and the general aspect of these on the upper surface seem 
to be different, while some of the minor details, such as the color of the scales clothing the nervules, etc., will 
not apply properly to C. Ponderosa, nobis.”* I believe Mr. W. H. Edwards published no protest, perhaps 
he cared nothing about it, or it may be that their description was as unintelligible to him as his was to them, 
for theirs was a third longer and infinitely more abstruse and grandiose, and, in consequence, he may not have 
been aware of the identity of his Nebulosa and their “Ponderosa, nobis.” Six years later Mr. Grote again 
described it under the name of Ponderosa, giving Nebulosa as a synonym ; after his technical description comes 
the following (quoted in full): “ Mr. Edwards compares the secondaries quite wrongly with those of C. Cero- 
gama,| which C. Ponderosa in nowise resembles. The specific name chosen by Mr. Edwards had already 
been used five times in the family;”); by this we understand that he has at last became acquainted with the 
fact that Nebulosa, Edwds., and Ponderosa, Grote & R., are the same; but in this instance, it appears that the 
law of priority must succumb, in order that the G. & R. may still obtain, at all events the G., for were that 
stricken off in all instances where it is attached to synonyms, the taint of synonymy would be removed from 
the great bulk of N. American Heteroceres. No! Ponderosa must stand because Nebulosa “ had. already 
been used five times in the family.” Now, how has it been used five times'? it has been applied to an Agro- 
tis,§ a Mamestra,|| a Hadena, Tf a Dryobota ** aud a Taeniocampa,ff the latter, however, is Nebulosus, not 
Nebulosa, and in these five the name only holds for one, Mamestra Nebulosa , Hufnagel ; as regards the others, 
they are only synonyms, and no longer used to designate the species. The connection between Mamestra 
Nebulosa, Hufn., and Catocala Nebulosa, Edwds., is about as intimate as between Papilio Philenor, L.,|); and 
Parnassius Clodius, Men.,§§ and they resemble each other about as much as do those twodiurnals. Mr. Grote’s 
own words will, however, support me in retaining Mr. Edwards’ prior name of Nebulosa, for he says, (in 
speaking of another species, C. Marmorata,) “ with regard to the specific name, this is already used in the 
Noctuidse for a species of Hadena. It has been hitherto the custom to reject such names, but this should not 
be done where, as in the present case, there is no danger of confusion. ”|||| The Hadena alluded to is a small 
affair found in N. E. Labrador, Greenland, Iceland and northern Scotland; it is a little smaller than Mames- 
tra Nebulosa, has brownish primaries and smoky secondaries; its true name, however, is not H. Marmorata, 
but H. Exulis,^ the former title was bestowed on it by Dr. Herrich-Schseffer much later; but, in either case, 
to object to a species of the large, brilliant, semi-Geometrid genus Catocala, occupying a position at the ter- 
mination of the great family of the Noctuidse, being designated by the same name as one of the small obscure 
moths comprised in the widely different genera of Mamestra or Hadena which stand near the head of that 
family, seems to be as useless as it is inconsistent. 
*Proc. Ent. Soc., Phila., Vol. Yf, p. 23, i 1866). 
f This incorrect statement of Mr. Grote’s, regarding Mr. Edwards comparing C. Nebtdosa to C. Cerogama, he corrected about nine- 
teen months later, in the Canadian Entomologist, Vol. V, p. 162, (Sept., 1873). 
| Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., Vol. IV, p. 12, (Jan., 1872). 
i Agrotis Decora, Hub., 45; Nebulosa, Hub., 402, Sam. Eur. Schmett. 
|| Mamestra Nebulosa, Hufnagel, Berlinisches Mag., Vol. Ill, 418, (1767); Bimaculosa, Esper. 
If Hadena Basilinea, Fab. Mantissa, ins. 183, (1787); Nebulosa Vieweg, Tab. Verz., T. I, (1789) ; Sordens Werneburg, Beitrage zur 
Schmett., I, 251, (1864). 
** Dryobota Protea, Borkh., Nat. Ges. Eur. Schmett., IV, 386, (1792); Nebulosa Walch, Naturforscher, XIII, p. 29, (1779). 
ff Taeniocampa Incerta, Hufn., Berlin. Mag., Vol. Ill, 298, 424, (1767). Nebulosus Haworth, Lep. Brittanica, p. 120, (1803-1820). 
ft Linnaeus, Mantissa, 1, p. 535, (1771). 
Menetries, Cat. Mils., St. Petersburg, Lep. I, p. 73, (1855). 
IHI Grote, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., Vol. IV, p. 7, (1872). 
Iff Hadena Exulis, Lefebvre, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., 392, (1836). Marmorata, Herrich-Schseffer. 
