All the described species of Balaninus in habiting America north of mexico when larvæ live in the fruit (nuts and acorns) of the various species of Quercus, Castanea, Corylus, and perhaps Fagus of the order Cupuliferœ and Carya of the Juglandaceœ. Acorns, somewhat largely used in this country in the arts and in the manufcture of certain dietetics, are mostly imported, the native production being rendered almost worthless by these larvæ; and our chestnuts as soon as collected must be kiln-dried or otherwise treated, which renders them greatly inferior to those of foreign countries.

The typical genus of the family—a general favorite with collectors and the source of a good deal of worry and uncertainty to describers. I have seen very large series of specimens of many species, and have seen nearly all the species. From a rather careful study of the species I can see no reason why they should not be as easily recognizable or limited as those of any other Lepidopterous genus—indeed, the problem strikes, me as a remarkably easy one, the key to which lies in the fact that no amount of obsolescence of maculation authorizes a species, while change of pattern can be easily detected even in speciments with the markings much broken.

In my “Hawk Moths of North America,” I have assumed that the caudal horn is a prolongation of the skin itself, stiffened by chitine (p. 41). It supports a bristle, or pair of bristles, and Dr. W. Müller, whose valuable work on the Nymphalidœ of South America in their larval stages (Zoologischen jahrbuchern, 1886.) I have noticed in these pages, figures the horn of Dilophonota, p. 249, and regards it as a prolongation of the base supporting the two normal bristles of the eleventh segment.

Mamestra lorea, Güen.

Head black, with dirty, whitish, irregular markings, antennæ pink. Body of a dirty, creamy, brown color, except the first three segments blackish. Along the dorsum is a series of lozenge shaped blackish patches, one on each segment; on the dorsum are also two rows of minute piliferous spots and two rows along each side, where there is also on each segment an ill-defined, oblique, blackish stripe. Underside semitranslucent whitish, with a number of minute piliferous spots which bear a short pale brown hair, as also do the spots above.

Readers of Mr. Smith's papers will have noticed the frequent critical remarks at my expense, and it may have appeared to them that I have been often most culpable. But, in every case, although I have not the pleasure of knowing all of Mr. Smith's publications, these criticisms can be shown to be perversions of the case.