It will be only necessary to state that the genus Fidonia of 

 Ochsenheimer contains PlialcEna heparata, Geometra aiiro- 

 raria, limharia^ Piniaria^ atomaria^ defoliaria, &c., to show 

 how difficult it is to determine, especially without the cha- 

 racters, which is to be considered the type in such a hete- 

 rogeneous mass ; this will be a sufficient reason for my con- 

 stituting a distinct genus of the two insects hereafter recorded, 

 which are remarkably characterized by the protuberance at 

 the base of the upper wings of the males, which is visible to 

 the naked eye. From Alcis our genus may be distinguished 

 by the equal size of the two sexes and the simple hinder tibiae, 

 and from Bupalus and Fidonia by the want of pectinations 

 towards the apex of the male antennae. 



I can find only two species that will associate with the genus. 



1. S. sylvaria Nob. 



This insect was unknown to Entomologists (unless the 

 G. Pinetaria of Hiibner be the female) until Mr. Dale and 

 myself had the good fortune to discover it in Scotland. We 

 saw the males flying in some abundance on the 14th July in 

 the heat of the day, over the high heath which covers the hil- 

 locks amongst the pine-trees in Black-wood, near the shores 

 of Loch Rannoch : the only female taken I brushed out of 

 the heath at the same time. 



2. S. limbaria Fab., Syst. Ent. 624. 24'.—Ent. Syst. 3. pars 2. 



141. 46.— /Zaw. 286. ^0.— Harris, Expo.pl. 5,f. 4. — 

 conspicuaria Hilb. pi. 22. 117. 118. 

 There are certainly two broods of this moth in a year, as I 

 have taken specimens in Birch-wood the beginning of May 

 and the end of July, and it is found as late as August. It is 

 attached to broom-fields, and like S. sylvaria, flies during the 

 day ; and the female is the rarer sex. 



The plant is Melampyrum pratense (Meadow Cow- wheat), 

 which 1 believe was in flower in Black-wood at the time. 



