In the formation of genera there cannot be a more difficult 

 task tlian to detect sound characters to distinguish groups of 

 Lepidoptera, especially those of the Nochiadcc: that the struc- 

 ture of the mouth will divide them naturally thei'e can be no 

 doubt, but we suspect not sufficiently. The next character we 

 should select would be the antennae: but here the greatest care 

 is necessary ; for it cannot be denied that the pectinated or 

 simple antennae of the males will not separate the Noctuadce 

 into two primary divisions : but although this may be true, we 

 never can admit that a species with strongly pectinated an- 

 tennae can naturally come in the midst of a genus where those 

 organs are characterized by having each joint, at most, but 

 slightly lobed. This however has been done in the Schnidtcr- 

 linge von Eurojia, by the introduction of Bombijx olcagina 

 Fab. into the genus Miselia, which for the above reasons we 

 shall exclude, and only enumerate the following as British 

 species. 



1. M. compta Fab., Hilb., Haiv. — X-scriptum Sowerbj/'s 



Br. Mis. tab. 55. — comta Oc/i. 

 The larvae feed I believe upon Lychnis dioica [pi. 54). The 

 perfect insect is found upon paling the end of June at Darent 

 Wood, near Dartford. 



2. M. concinna Hilb. — conserta Hiib. — albimacula Och. — 



compta Esp. 

 Not before recorded as British. 



3. M. Oxyacanthee Linn., Haw., Don. Brit. Ins. 5. 165. 

 The larvee feed upon white-thorn in June, and the imago 



flies in the evening about hedges and woods, from the end of 

 September to the end of the following month. 



4. M. bimaculosa Limi., Nob. 



The only indigenous specimen of this fine moth is preserved 

 in the British Museum. For the figure of the caterpillar, 

 which feeds upon the elm, we are indebted to Hiibner. 



5. M. aprilina Linn., Ha-do. — runica Fab., Don. 10. 35^. 1. 



—Sepp. 2. 20. 

 "This (says Mr. Haworth) is at once a plentiful, well known 

 and beautiful insect ; but it is remarkable that none of our 

 collectors ever take it in the winged state, and very rarely in 

 that of a Larva. The usual mode of procuring it being by 

 digging about the roots of oaks an inch deep for the pupae, 

 which are annually found in that manner in considerable 

 numbers." The middle of April and of October the moths 

 are hatched. 



