266 [December. 



because this is described as having all the wings darker (especially 

 the hindwings) than pellionelln itself, and as having only the discoidal 

 spot (no others). The only description, founded on British speci- 

 mens, with vrhich it can be compared is that oi flavescentella, Hw., 

 Stph. {nee Stn.), and with this it is quite in agreement, noticeably as 

 to " punctis obsoletissimis," and " costa basi absque atra." 



There is however another description from which I am at 

 present unable to separate it. viz. : — that of Tinea tristigmniella, 

 Costa [Fn. Nap. Lp. Tinea 20-1, no. 20. PI. IV. S (1S3G)]. Costa's 

 figure does not give the idea conveyed by his description, chiefly on 

 account of the use of gold or other metallic colouring, which his 

 artists habitually employed to represent a shining surface, but, with 

 this exception, there is nothing to prevent it from fairly agreeing 

 with the insect before us. In England the species with which we are 

 dealing has been confused with nifrdella, and it is at least a curious 

 coincidence that the first description by Zeller (Tsis 1847. S08-9) of 

 the specimen which ho subsequently [Lin. Ent. VI. 162-3 (1852)] 

 separated as merdeUa, was a comparative description referring to dif- 

 ferences between it and tristigmatella, Costa, these being precisely 

 the differences which we now recognise as separating merdella, 7i., 

 from *merdella, Stn., and therefore, vmless any one able to refer to 

 Costa's type, can point out in what it differs from *merdella, Stn. 

 («ecZ.), as figured by Morris [NH. Br. Moths IV. 24. PI. 99. 14 

 (1870)], this species should sink as a synonym oi flavescentcUa, Hw. 

 Sixty years have passed since Zeller wrote, and trisfigmafeUa, Csta , 

 has disappeared from the European lists, but it must certainly be 

 resuscitated, if only as a synonym. With regard to the larva, Morris 

 writes (/. c. 24), that "It feeds on grain," after mentioning that the 

 moth occurs in " wool- stores." It is probable that the grain-feeder 

 he referred to was fuscipunctella, Hw., for Horton [Ent. Wk. Int. 

 VI. 109-110 (1859)] gives a very carefully detailed account of the 

 case-bearing larva of the species identified by Stainton as merdella., 

 and as it fed on an old pen-wiper, this is consistent with its occur- 

 rence in wool-warehouses. 



The best account however is by Lafaury [Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 

 LIV (6 s. V: 1885), 410-11 (1886;], who shows conclusively that it 

 cannot be a mere variety of pellionella, L. (with the larva of which 

 he was also well acquainted), although, like it, this also feeds on old 

 woollen fabrics, making a somewhat similar case. 



The synonymy oi Jiavescentella, Hw. (= *merdella., Stn.), Tineola 

 merdella, Z. {nee Stn.), and other species of Tinea studied in this 



