TEN MINUTES’ NOTICE OF 
“A Check List of North American Noctuid/K, Part 1 . — by a. r. grote, a. m., 
Containing Notes and Descriptions, Bemarks on Structure and Geographical Distribution of the Group, and one Photographic Plate, 
illustrating the Species from California and the East. The Species (790) are numbered for convenience of students. The list 
will be mailed free on receipt of price.” 
This tempting advertisement allured us into remitting the price, and in due time we were the recipient of a small octavo of 28 
pages, title page, preface and index included therein, which, on opening, discovered to us that we had paid our dollar for the intense 
gratification of possessing twenty-eight pages full of Mr. Grote’s name, printed in every imaginable variety of type, pica, long primer, 
brevier, etc., etc. 
The names of the species are in double columns ; no citation of place of original description of species, or statement of locality 
are given — the same old story over and over until the heart sickens at the low egotism which displays itself in everything this com- 
piler does ; it is Habrosyne Scripta, Grote, not Thyatira Scripla, Gosse ; i t is not Harrisimemha Sexguttata, Harris, but H. Sexguttata, Grote, 
nor Acronycta Clarescens, Guenee, but A. Clarescens, Grote , and so on. Such a tearing away of the old landmarks never was seen. 
In some instances the name of the true author of the species is placed below Mr. Grote’s ; in others he appropriates unblushingly 
the proprietorship of another’s species without giving the poor author a chance between brackets, or even in small type, as in the case of 
Mamestra Imbrifera, boldly it stands out “31. Imbrifera, Grote, Aplecla Tmb., Grote; v no hint that Guenee was the author of the species 
(Noct. II, 76, 768), but a bare-faced piece of pirating. To make up for it he has, however, given Pachnobia Carnea as Guenee’s species, 
when it really was described by Thunberg (Mus. Nat. Acad. Upsal, p. 72, f. 1, 1788), before M. Guenee was born. “Hadena Lateritia, 
(Hub.)” happens to be Hufnagel’s species, published in 1767, when Ilubner was about six years of age; of this species Apamiformis, 
Guen., is a synonym, though given as distinct by Mr. Grote. Glabellas, Morrison, which he has placed with Amphipyra Pyramidioides 
and P. Tragopoginis in the genus Pyrophila, is a true Agrotis, allied to A. Baja. 
The synonyms are by no means always given, though it is stated that they are. 
The Catocalse are not embraced at all in the present list. 
Some species are entirely omitted, others are so disguised that their own fathers would never suspicion them ; and thus, with new 
names for old genera, and very antique, obsolete genera — long disused, or scarce ever used — resurrected, the compilation can be of no 
value to the beginner ; and to the advanced student can serve but to excite a smile at the wholesale way in which the fathers of our 
science have been invited to step to the rear, whilst Mr. Grote and his friends stand forward in boldest relief, all duly Latinized, as 
Badcliffe-i, Harvey-ana, Harvev-i, Glenny-i, Hayes-i, Chandler-i, Day-i, Stewart-i, etc., etc., etc., including the officers and the whole 
board of directors of the Buffalo Society, wbo will doubtless be grandly carried down to posterity on the wings of these unfortunate 
little moths. 
The foot-notes on each page might be condensed into one, which would take in the full meaning of all, to this effect: That none 
of Mr. Walker’s, or Mr. Morrison’s, or anybody else’s names can be identified from published data, except Mr. Grote’s. 
“The “remarks on structure” and “geographical distribution” occupy two entire pages : three and one-fourth pages more are de- 
voted to describing eight new noctuids and in showing the author’s superiority as a scientist over Mr. Morrison and "everybody else. 
There are also a few more new genera ground out in these pages. 
The last If pages are taken up with the index of genera, where we seek in vain for the old familiar names ; all here is new ; 
varnish and veneer glare on every page. 
The “photographic plate illustrating the species from California and the East,” illustrates in a gloomy, shadowy sort of way ten 
whole species by ten whole figures, (save the antennae of some,) of which the Hadena Badistriga and Agrotis Fwnercdis are recognizable ; 
two others, Acronycta Lithospila and Xylina Thaxteri may perhaps be ; the remaining six, like the rural artist’s drawing of a horse, re- 
quire the names to be written beneath them to insure identification. 
The whole thing is scarcely worth the time devoted to this review, but as the advertisement would lead us to expect quite a differ- 
ent production, than that really furnished, we have given this cursory warning because the price demanded is entirely too big to pay for 
trunk paper. 
Jan., 1876. 
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