1913.] 159 



interrupted, lower short and terminated by a small spot of white suffusion ; 

 some irregular whitish suffusion in disc between and beneath these spots, and 

 towards costa in middle and at -§ ; second line slender, white, indented at i and 

 f , curved outwards between these, thicker towards dorsum ; an almost terminal 

 fascia of white suffusion, followed by a terminal series of large blackish dots : 

 cilia ochreous-whitish with two fuscous lines. Hindwings 1^, without long hairs 

 in cell, upper half of termen markedly sinixate ; pale greyish-ochreous, paler 

 towards base ; cilia ochreous-whitish, with grey subbasal line. 



One example, in good condition, without label, bnt included amongst 

 a number of specimens of Scoparia sent to me for identification (with 

 other insects) by Dr. H. Dobie of Chester, who informs me that it was 

 taken some years ago in the neighbourhood of that city, probably at 

 the electric light, at which the genus Scoparia was numerously 

 represented. It is a very distinct and quite peculiar species, probably 

 most allied to alpina, but very much shorter-winged, the forewings 

 being little more than half as long in j^roportion to the breadth, with 

 the termen more sinuate and oblique. The possibility arises of a foreign 

 introduction, but I know no European or exotic species approaching 

 it. From superficial appearance I judge it to be a frequenter of open 

 ground (not tree-trunks) , and think it should be looked for on sand- 

 hills or dry hillsides. 



Marlborough, Wilts : 



June 4th. 1913. 



SOME NOTES ON PLATYPTILIA M I AN T D A C T TL A. 

 BY THE HON. N. CHARLES ROTHSCHIIiD, M.A., F.L.S. 



This interesting moth is fairly common at Puszta Peszer in Hungary, 

 and, as I secured several examples last year, I submitted a male to my 

 friend Dr. Chapman, who very kindly examined it for me. He says that 

 the species is not a Stenoptilia (under which genus Staudinger and Rebel 

 place it in their catalogue No. 1398) but is a true PlatyptiUa, very 

 close to our English pallidactyla. Dr Chapman fui-ther points out 

 that miantodadyla agrees with the other members of the genus 

 PlatyptiUa in having the tip of the uncus sharp, but the uncus is more 

 slender and prolonged than in pallidactyla. 



P. miantodadyla frequents the rare and local Achillea ocliroleuca, 

 W.K., and can be disturbed from this plant during the day. 

 Miss Wertheimstein found a pupa which duly emerged among some 

 grass close to 'he roots of this plant, and I therefore have no hesitation 

 in recording this rare species of Yarrow as the food plant of P. mianto- 



