NOVITATES ZOOLOOICAE XXIV. 1917. 355 



63. Notolophus trigotephras transiens Stdgr. 



Orgyia trigotephras var. transims Staudinger in Cat. Lipid. Palamrc. Staud. and Rebel, p. 114. 

 No. 888 b. (1901) (Mauretania). 



This is the most widely spread of the Mauretanian forms of trigotephras, 

 being found in the Provinces of Alger and Constantino and also in Tunisia. 

 1 c? Hussein Dey, June 1908, Captain Holl. 

 5 c?(J Bhda les Glacieres, July 1908, Captain Holl. 



1 cJ Tala Rana, July 1910, Dr. Nissen. 

 3 ,J<J Batna, Nelva. 



2 (J Oued Hamidou, June 1912, Faroult. 



3 (J(J Hammam Meskoutine, W. R. and K. J. (ex larva, larvae May 1914, 

 emerged at Tring). 



13 (J (J Ain Draham, July 1911, Faroult. 

 The Tring Museum series comprises 28 <?<?. 



63a. Notolophus trigotephras hoUi Oberth. 



Orgyia trigotephras holli Oberthiir, Etud. Lipid. Gomp. Faac. XII. p. 276 (description), p. 278 (name 

 in explanation of figures) (1916) (El Biar). 



This form has also been taken at Hussein Dey. 



04. Notolophus trigotephras sebdouensis Oberth. 



Orgyia trigotephras sebdouensis Oberthiir, Elud. Lipidop. Comp. Fasc. XII. p. 276 (description), 

 p. 278 (explanation of plate) (191G) (Sebdou). 



This is the largest of the Mauretanian races of trigotephras. It i.s nearest 

 to i. auceps in respect to its ground-colour, but differs much by the white supra- 

 tornal white patch being almost or quite absent and in the discal transverse 

 hnes being more prominent. Mr. Oberthiir states that this insect is somewhat 

 smaller than N. panlacroixii, but the drawing of that insect shows forewing 

 16 mm. in length and expanse 3.5 mm., and my specimen of t. sebdouensis from 

 the Grum-Grshimailo collection shows exactly identical measurements. 



1 5, 1 $ Sebdou, June 1886, Austaut. 



1 (J Mauretania, Grum-Grshimailo coll. 



[Arctornis chrysorrhoea (Linn.) and Nygmia phaeorrhoea Don. 



It has hitherto been accepted that our famiUar " Goldtail Moth " should 

 be called Porthesia similis Fuessly (Verz. hekannt. Schwerz. Ins. p. 35. No. 662 

 (1775)), because this ante-dated Tabricius's name auriflua [Mant. Ins. 125 (1787)) ; 

 moreover, this name auriflua was itself ante-dated by Esper's auriflua (Schmett. 

 vol. iii. p. 207. pi. 39. f. 6 (1785)), applied to a different insect. 



Mr. Oberthiir draws attention {Etud. Lepidop. Comp. Fasc. XII. p. 281 (1916)) 

 to the fact that Linnaeus's description of his Phalaenia chrysorrhoea says "ab- 

 dominis apice barbato luteo," and that this applies to the " Goldtail " and 

 not to the " Brown tail Moth," to which this name has been applied practically 

 universally for the last hundred years. 



But true to his obsession as to figures alone giving validity to a name, he 

 refuses to discuss the question, and calmly adopts the name Euproctis chry- 

 sorrhoea Hiibn., which is undoubtedly the Browntail, and treats Linnaeus's name 



