Sir,—I am in receipt of a communication from A. Radcliffe Grote, M. A., Hildesheim, Germany, anent the determination of Hydrœcia stramentosa for Canadian collectors. He points out to me that the fact of its being under Apamea in our list indicates the source from whence the name was obtained, as he was the only author that ever used that generic term for the group to which stramentosa belongs, proving that he knew of its being taken in Canada, having received specimens from collectors there to name; which is more than likely, as Mr. Grote was at that time the recognized authority on North American Noctuidœ.

There has just come into my hands (April, 1900) the paper on this genus by Osborn and Ball in the Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci., Dec., 1898. As some of my conclusions regarding the species of this genus do not coincide with those of the above authors, it may be of interest to present another view.

Verticis, ramentosus and Striola are in the same condition Deltocephalus Melsheimeri used to be in: different authors might readily find many different forms that possibly fit the descriptions. Perhaps the types ramentosus and striola are in existence. I think more harm than good will come of attempts to identify these three forms without further data then the mere descriptions.

The Pyralid genus Dichogama has not yet been reported from United States territory on the mainland, but at least three species occur in southern Florida. The following notes were made on the larva of one of them, D. Redtenbacheri.

Stage II. (?)—Head flat before clypeus high, mouth pointed; luteous, ocelli black; width .4 mm. Body a little flattened, translucent, yellowish, a geminate lateral brown stripe. Cervical shield large, colourless, brown dotted on the tubercles and on lateral edge; anal plate small, not marked. Tubercles small, brown; setæ long, stiff, pale. Skin sparsely granular; segments scarcely annulate.

In the January number, Prof. Slingerland proposes a new common name for the “forest tent-caterpillar,” and proposes “forest tentless-caterpillar.” The objection would be, that “tent-caterpillar” is an English equivalent for Clisiocampa, and need not be altered whether the particular species makes a tent or not. What is needed in names is fixity, not relevancy. Another objection is, that tentless is not the antithesis to tent, but to tented.

Pulvinaria Tinsleyi, n. sp.

Shriveled adult female scales on the twigs, light brown, elliptical, convex. Ovisac, clear white, texture as in P. innumerabilis. After boiling in K. O. H., derm colourless, not pitted or tessellate. Legs and anal plates tinged with yellow. Spines of lateral cleft in threes, one long and curved; 76 μ long, two quite short, 28 μ long. Margin with one row of stout blunt spines 40 μ long, 6 broad. Anal plates heart shaped, each 100 μ broad and 136 μ long, Antennæ 7-jointed, width quite constant, but the length of the joints seems to be quite variable. I have examined ten, with the following results in μ: Joint (1) 24 to 40, (2) 40–60, (3) 68–80, (4) 52–64, (5) 28–36, (6) 28–40, (7) 44–52. Formula 3472651. Joint 3 is always longest, while 4 is nearly as long, but never equal; 1 is always the shortest, 5 and 6 are next and sometimes nearly equal. Joints 2 and 3 have two long hairs each; 5 and 6 have 3 each; 7 seems to have 9, the terminal one very long.

In my examination of the types indicated by Mr. Scudder I have been quite unable to separate Acidalia niphe, Scudd., Gen. 101, from the type of Argynnis. This latter type, A. aglaia, L., is characterized by the second radial branch of primaries running so close to the main vein, for a distance beyond the median cell, as to form a minute false accessory cell above the angle of the radius which the crossvein joins. Since this, as well as all other features, are repeated in the wing of niphe, I conclude the genus Acidalia of Hübner, as founded on this species, must be dropped. Another type, Dryas paphia, can hardly be retained as distinct from Argynnis from the neuration. The only difference is, that the second radial branch, in running propinquitous, leaves the main vein at somewhat before the point chosen in aglaia and niphe. Indubitably paphia is a species belonging to the same phylogenetic group, a trifle isolated. On the other hand, neither Issoria lathonia nor Brenthis hecate share the character of the appressed second radial branch of Argynnis and should be separated from this genus. The differences in the neuration between Issoria and Brenthis are very small and comparative; in both the second radial branch is not appressed and leaves the main vein above the median cell before the point of juncture of the crossvein. The point of departure in Issoria is a little outwardly removed and the propinquity is so great that one can see that it requires but little to make the branch decumbent. Issoria differs further by the angulate papery wings and by the fact that the crossvein on hind wings is but a faint scar between second median branch and cubitus.

This species was described from material collected by Prof. Snow in Douglas Co., Kansas, and the type is in Coll. British Museum. It is now suspected that Gortyna erepta may be the same species with Hydrœcia lunata, and it is to be regretted that an opportunity of examining the type in British Museum Coll. has been passed over. The appearance of the reniform is characteristic in this genus. In erepta it is described as “small, a white half-moon in a blackish shade.” In lunata, “narrow, white oblique lunule, margined by black scales.” The reniform spot thus seems to be identically described in both cases. In erepta the lines are described as fuscous, simple. In lunata as single and whitish. I never saw a noctuid in which the lines were white or paler than the wing, but there is a following pale shade which sometimes persists when the dark line itself becomes obliterate. It seems as though this discrepancy might be explained away.

This is a word in season to collectors of aquatic insects, who may be afield during the months of spring and early summer.

Among the nymphs of Odonater occurring in the North-eastern States and Canada, there remain a number of good discoveries to be made. In any locality where these nymphs are common their discovery will not be a difficult matter.

Melitœa Chalcedon, ab. fusimacula.— Variations of Chalcedon are very common, but the ones I now describe are so striking that they are certainly worthy of a varietal name, especially as they do not seem to be so very uncommon. In the first of these, to which I have given the name Fusimacula, there is a tendency to obliteration of the spots on discs of both wings, and to a fusion of the three outer rows of spots in a horizontal direction. The ground colour of the upper surface is of the same rich black as Chalcedon. There is a complete absence of the spots in the cells of both fore and hind wings in males, and there are but faint traces of them in the females. On the fore wings the fusion takes place as follows: The two outer rows unite to form a yellow band, which is joined at about its middle by a yellow demi-band from the costa, which is composed of the fusion of the two inner rows.

The object of the present list is to bring together all the published records found by me to treat of, or give any reference to, Coccids known to inhabit Massachusetts up to August, 1899. Since then others have appeared and will be published when sufficient material is collected.

Cockerell, Theo. D. A., 1893.—Insect Life, Vol. VI., p. 103, he lists Pinnaspis pandani, Comst., from Mass. under glass.

Male.—Head, palpi and thorax entirely black. Abdomen black with a very narrow white ring at the posterior edge of the second and fourth segments Anal tuft black. Legs black, with the hind tarsi dirty white. Fore wings transparent, with black borders and a broad black transverse mark. Hind wings transparent, with a narrow black margin. Under side of fore wings washed with golden yellow, basally. Hind wings same as above. Expanse, 20 mm.

Nothing is more aggravating than to be compelled, soon after completing a monographic work, to make changes in the nomenclature and synonymy; yet this is the purpose of this paper concerning the genus Acronycta, which was monographed by Dr. H. G. Dyar and myself in Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXI., pp. 1–194, 1898.

It was explained in the introduction to this paper that, because of its interesting early stages, the late Dr. C. V. Riley had been, for years, accumulating material for a thorough study of Acronycta; therefore I had made no effort to become closely familiar with the species. Some time before, Dr. A. G. Butler, of the British Museum, attracted in the same way by the larval difference, had divided the species among several genera, referred to several families; allowing superficial and secondary characters to mislead him, as be has since admitted. In 1886, while arranging the Grote material, Dr. Butler made comparisons with other types in the Museum, the results of which were published in 1887 in “Entomologica Americana.”

Bombomelecta larreœ, n. sp.

♀.—Length 12½ mm.; general build and structure of B. thoracica, but the scutellum is convex with a central depression, and wholly without spines; while the claws have the inner division short and broadly truncate. The maxillary palpi are 6-jointed, and the mandibles have a strong tooth on the inner side. Black; pubescence of the face and vertex pale brown; of the occiput, labrum and clypeus, black; of the pleura, metathorax and scutellum, black; of the post-scurtellum, yellowish, especially noticeable at the sides; of the mesothorax, orange-fulvous, short, dense and conspicuous in front, thin behind. Abdomen with broad but inconspicuous ochreous bands on segments 2 to 4, more or less interrupted in the middle on 2 and 4, represented on the first segment by lateral patches, and a few ochreous hairs even in the middle; fifth segment with black hairs. Antennæ entirely black, apex truncate, the corners of the truncation rounded. Legs black, with black pubescence; spurs black, hind spur of hind tibia larger than the other, and somewhat bent. Wings dark fuliginous, with hyaline patches on the third transverso-cubital and second recurrent nervures; venation resembling that of B. thoracica, var. fulvida, except that the first recurrent nervure joins the second submarginal cell almost at its apex.

Pyrgota Chagnoni, n. sp.

♂.—Head reddish, vertex reticulated with brown, cheeks and occiput yellowish, antennal foveæ brown; antennæ yellow, thorax and scutellum red; numerous fine brown specks are so arranged as to form two obsolete dorsal lines and two spots on each side divided by the suture; this character is especially noticeable when looking from the head toward the scutellum, and gives the disc of the thorax a rugose appearance. Abdomen narrow, brownish, shining, posterior margins of the second, third, fourth and sides of the fifth segment more or less blackish. Halteres yellow. Legs variable in colour, with thick black hairs, especially on tibiæ, anterior and middle coxæ, basal half of all the femora and tibiæ, and all except the terminal joint of the tarsi yellow; posterior coxæ and the terminal portion of the femora reddish; outer half of all the tibiæ and the terminal joint of the tarsi blackish; the outer portion of the posterior tibiæ is intensely black, while the black of the anterior tibiæ is due largely to long thick hairs. The wings can best be described by reversing that of P. valida, Harris, given by Loew (Monog., Pt. III., p. 75).

On the 14th June, at one of the excursions of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club to Cumberland, Ont., I was fortunate enough to find beneath an elm tree (Ulmus americana), a full-grown larva of Grapta J.Album, of which the following is a description:

Length, one and one-half inches. Shape slightly fusiform, gradually tapering to the end from fourth segment. General colour, a delicate glaucous green, or white washed with green—with black spines, which from the size of the body appear to be rather sparsely distributed. The three dorsal series of spines black, springing from a bright yellow field, which is three times the diameter of the base of the spine.

The ten species included in the present paper are all from the collection of Dr. Wm. M. Wheeler, under whose management this work was performed. As a slight token of my appreciation of his generosity and kindness, it pleases me greatly to dedicate one of the forms to him.