1880 .] 
83 
p. 8). I then expressed an opinion that these specimens were identical 
with cemulana , Schl., and this view was corroborated by Prof. Zeller ; 
hut in the meantime cemulana had been reared by Mr. Mach in from 
Solidago virgaurea, and the specimens presented constant, though 
slight, distinctions from the coast specimens, and my friends, the 
captors of the latter form, repeatedly and urgently pressed its claims 
to be regarded as a distinct species. Specimens were again sent to 
Prof. Zeller, side by side with those from Solidago, but he still held 
that they formed hut one variable species, and I, therefore, urged my 
friends to discover and rear the larva, and thus provide positive 
evidence on one side or the other. This has now been done, and the 
larvae of the two species prove to be abundantly distinct, indeed, that 
of cemulana from Solidago (described ante, vol. xvi, p. 242) is very 
different from all the other Catoptria larvae that I am acquainted with, 
in having distinct longitudinal stripes, while that of the Aster species 
closely resembles them, having no stripes. 
The question then arises,— Which is the true cemulana ? The 
type which I have from Prof. Zeller does not satisfactorily solve this 
doubt ; indeed, it does not agree perfectly with either species, and 
it is evident that both are confounded together on the continent, since 
Gartner, after giving a description which agrees very well with the 
larva upon Aster tripolium, gives both Aster and Solidago as food- 
plants. 
Heinemann, however, describes cemulana, Schl. : “ Fore-wings 
brownish-grey-yellow, with numerous paler dots (flecks) on the inner 
margin, the basal half with white-yellow and dark brown cross waves, 
the ocellus with longitudinal black lines encompassed with shining 
silvery.” He does not mention any food plant, but says, “ in leaf- 
woods, rare.” But this is not very material, as Aster t7'ipolium is a 
sea-side and salt marsh plant, while Solidago constantly occurs in 
“leaf-woods” (woods of non-coniferous trees). Moreover, it is the 
insect reared from Solidago which has the “ cross-waves ” in the basal 
portion of the wing. I think, therefore, that I am right in considering 
the species reared from Solidago to be the cemulana of Heinemann, and, 
probably, of Schlager also. Also, it appears to me that though this 
group, rich in species, is still richer in synonyms, there is not one of 
these that can be reliably applied to the species reared from Aster, 
and that less confusion in the future may arise from my conferring a 
new name on it, than misapplying an old one. I, therefore, propose 
to describe this species as : — 
