The Scottish Natitralist. 115 



37, six 38, three 40, one 41. The average size is rather larger 

 than in dlhitata. 



Aiitiuntiaria varies sometimes with the ground colour of the 

 front-wings infuscated, the markings remaining however 

 tolerably distinct. 



O. FiLiGRAMMARiA. — Very like autunutaria, but smaller ; 

 f.-w. with hind margin apparently more concave near anal angle 

 (where it is slightly concave in all the species), and hence the 

 tip more produced ; markings more suffused ; h.-w. with 

 marginal band often more distinct and darker. 



Expanse of the wings in the $ 32-36 mm. (15-17 lines), 

 in the ? 28-33 mm. (13-15}^ lines). A series of measurements 

 gives two specimens 28 mm., one 30, four 31, one 32, three 

 33, one 34, two 35, and one 36. F'digraminaria appears thus to 

 to be a smaller species than autu7?maria, with, especially in the 

 9 , narrower wings. In autmnnaria the sexes are nearly equal in 

 size, in filigrammaria the females are usually much smaller 

 than the males. In variation of colour there is a tendency 

 to a somewhat greater suffusion of the markings. 



Regarding the lai*vje of these species much remains to be 

 discovered. That of dilutata is well known, but oi filigram- 

 maria scarcely, and of autuj?maria, not at all. I hope there- 

 fore that any one who can obtain eggs will send them to Mr. 

 W. Buckler (Lumley House, Emsworth, Hants), that the larva 

 may be described and figured. 



Regarding the time of appearance of the moths, it has been 

 said that autuvinaria appears in Aug\i?,i, filigraf?unaria at the 

 end of August and in September, and dilutata at the end of 

 September and in October. In my own experience I have 

 never seen any Oporabia till well on in September, but Sir T., 

 Moncreiffe has shown me specimens oi autumnaria taken at the 

 very beginning of September, so that it is very possible for it to 

 appear in August, and it is probable that it always appears 

 earlier than dilutata, though both fly together. 



As to the distribution of the species, autumnaria seems to 

 be, in the north at least, almost as common as dilutata, but 

 filigranwiaria appears to be much less widely distributed, and in 

 Scotland, as far as my experience goes, rather a scarce species. 

 When collectors however have learnt to know them better the 

 range of the various species will be more accurately ascertained. 



Of the figures of the species that I have seen, Hubner's fig. 

 188, is dilutata, but the central spot too distinct ; Wood's 639 



