84 
PRONOCTUA; PROTAGROTIS. By Dr. M. Deatjdt. 
sigmoides. 
perattenta. 
attenta. 
hwtfcnta. 
typica. 
pyrophiloi- 
des. 
peabodyae. 
niveivenosa. 
nichollae. 
extensa. 
oibscura. 
vcnipieta. 
E. sigmoides Grt. (13 a) is a large, fine species, of a deep red-brown colour with an ochreous-whitish 
costal-marginal stripe, a black basal ray, the cell filled up with black and with grey or brownish maculae in 
it; transverse lines double, dentate; undulate line light, dentate, with a dark spot before it at the costal margin. 
Canada, North-Eastern and Central States. — The brown larva with a narrow light dorsal line and dark sub¬ 
dorsal spots lives polypliagous on low plants. 
E. perattenta Grt. (13 b) is much smaller, more grey, dusted with a purple brown, the posterior trans¬ 
verse line single, distally bordered with grey; the subterminal area behind it is purple brown. Hindwings darker. 
Canada, Northern and Eastern States to Mississippi, Texas and New York. 
E. attenta Grt. (13b) differs by the cell not being filled up with black; the ground-colour is a dull 
reddish brown, the markings are otherwise the same, but the area behind the undulate line is more grey. Hind- 
wings grey, tinted brown. Canada, Northern and Eastern States. 
E. inattenta Sm. is likewise allied to 'perattenta (13 k), but it is larger, darker and very equable in 
the ground-colour, without the intense strewing; the marginal area is not lighter than the ground; the marking 
is but very feebly marked, only the deep black ground of the cell is prominent. Hindwings smoky grey, towards 
the base somewhat yellowish. Expanse of wings: 33 to 38 mm. Canada (Alberta), Washington. 
3G. Genus: Pronoctua Sm. 
The 2nd palpal joint is in front long-haired, the 3rd obtuse, porrect; the $ antennae are ciliated; head 
and thorax are clad with hair and scales, the thorax with loose tufts in front and behind, the anterior tibiae 
like in the preceding hairy and unarmed. Forewing broad with a rounded apex and finely undulate distal margin. 
Only 2 species: 
P. typica Sm. (13 b). Brownish-ochreous, strewn with black, with double dentate transverse stripes 
and darker pupilled maculae in ochreous rings and surrounded with black, in the darkened cell; marginal area 
darkened. Hindwing ochreous-brownish. Colorado. 
P. pyrophiloides Harv. (13 b) is smaller, more yellowish-grey, otherwise very similarly marked, the 
cell not blackened. Hindwings much darker greyish-brown with whitish fringes. From California. — peabodyae 
Dyar, from Arizona, described according to 1 §, has a pinkish-reddish instead of grey ground-colour. 
37. Genus: Protagrotis Hmps. 
Allied to the preceding genus, but distinguished from it and all the others by the unspined middle tibiae, 
and also the posterior tibiae only exhibit one or two spines between the middle and terminal spurs. Head and 
thorax purely clad with hair. All the rest as in Pronoctua. 
P. niveivenosa Grt. (= viralis Grt.) (13 a) is light red-brown with white veins and a short black 
basal ray; maculae whitish in the brown-dusted cell; transverse lines quite extinct. Hindwing whitish, brownish, 
at the margin darkened. The $ is darker with blacker markings. Nebraska, Colorado. 
P. nichollae limps. Forewing blackish-brown, mixed with greyish-white, with indistinct, single trans¬ 
verse lines being on the averted sides bordered with white; the ring-macula is marked by single small whitish 
scales, the reniform macula distally marked white, between them a very indistinct median line; the whitish 
undulate line is proximally shaded with a blackish brown. Hindwing greyish-brown with a dark discal luna 
and white fringes. Expanse of wings: 44 mm. Canada (Alberta). 
P. extensa Sm. (13 b) is described as Luperina, but owing to a spine between the pairs of spurs of 
the posterior tibiae it belongs hereto; it is very closely allied to niveivenosa, but it is darker and has no white 
veins. Colorado. " 
P. obscura B. & McD. (13 a) has 2 spines on the posterior tibiae and in its exterior entirely resembles 
Agroperina indela Sm., but it also resembles niveivenosa (13 a). The ground-colour is very variable from light 
ochreous to reddish brown, mostly with hardly any or without any markings; in darker specimens we notice 
the traces of a red-brown basal ray, the maculae are somewhat whitish, the posterior transverse line is some¬ 
what lighter than the dark ground; occasionally a scarcely lighter undulate line is pronounced by a somewhat 
darkened subterminal area. Hindwing light reddish, at the margin smoky. Nevada. 
P. venipicta Schs. Head and collar dark brown, the thorax steel-black; forewing dark brown, 
iridescent, with steel-grey veins strewn with a bluish white, and darker blackish-brown markings; 
