218 [October, 



and not unfrequent rain. The first three or four months were emi- 

 nently disheartening, and long excursions were impossible, but my 

 hostess was an excellent cook, and managed to give a relish to every- 

 thing that found its way into the kitchen, including Ibis and Hoopoes. 



Light, which had been so productive in the previous season, was 

 but a poor attraction, and collecting could be successful only by hard 

 and persistent work among low scattered plants, on which it was often 

 exceedingly difficult to recognise traces ol" the minute larvse expected 

 to frequent them. Qelechice, of the sucedella-gvoxx^ , feeding upon 

 many crassulaceous plants, proved to be easily distinguishable in the 

 larval stages, although hopelessly mixed in my series of the previous 

 year. Salsola tetragona, Trarjanum nudatum, and Zygophyllum cornu- 

 tum yielded additional material in aid of persistent efforts to clear 

 up the muddle, but there is still more to be done in this direction, 

 several larvae having failed to feed up to maturity. A successful 

 search for the unknown larva of Teracolus nouna [see Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 XL, 99 (1904)] was a rather laborious distraction, involving several 

 long walks with much climbing on high rocks, and an almost too in- 

 timate acquaintance with Cerastes and other dangerous snakes, some 

 of which were abundant even within a few yards of the little hotel ; 

 but fortunately the only victim during my stay was a fine St. Bernard 

 dog belonging to the establishment. 



In looking back to these two short seasons spent in trying to 

 find out what Microlepidoptera occur at and about Biskra, it no 

 longer surprises me that the casual visits of those collectors who pre- 

 ceded me should have produced so few additions to previous lists. 

 The somewhat rich harvest now to be recorded consists in great 

 measure of species by no means easy to observe, including many to 

 be critically distinguished from their near allies only by a knowledge 

 of their life-histories, and which would almost certainly have other- 

 wise escaped recognition. 



There are still some undetermined larvse of which I know the 

 habits and food- plants. 



The months of June, July, and ])robably up to October, could 

 not fail to produce much additional material. My own too limited 

 opportunities have enabled me to do little more than indicate the 

 probable wealth of the Saharan fauna by so far supplementing the 

 scanty Algerian lists. 



In the descriptions which follow are included the species taken 

 by Mr. Eaton, as above mentioned, some of which I failed to meet 



