1891.] 163 



PLUSIA BUIACULATA, STEniENS, = P. VERTICILLATA, GUENfiE. 

 BY P. B. MASON, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., &c. 



lu the collection of the late Mr. Edwin Brown I found an insect 

 with the printed label, " bimaculata,'' and a reference to its reception 

 from Carter of Manchester. This had been placed under P. iota, and 

 I have never closely examined it until the other day, when I received 

 a specimen of P. verticillata, Gn., from Dr. Staudinger. This re- 

 minded me of the old specimen, and on comparing them I found them 

 to be examples of the same species. On reading Stephens' description 

 of P. bimaculata, there is no doubt that it is a good and sufficient 

 description of the species named verticillata by Gruenee. 



To make sure of the correctness of the identification, Messrs. 

 Kirby and Warren kindly examined the Stephensian collection, and 

 discovered that the type specimen was not there, and Mr. Kirby told 

 me that they did not possess a great many of the reputed British 

 specimens of this collection, and suggested that my specimen might 

 possibly be the type. Can any one put on record the fate of these 

 reputed British specimens ? ; the box or drawer containing them did 

 not go to the British Museum with Stephens' British collection. 



Stephens' type specimen came from the Marsham collection, and 

 w^as without locality. 



Now, there is one record of the capture of P. verticillata, Gn. 

 (ac?ita. Walker) in England, viz , that by Mr. H. P. Jiobinson, of 

 Tunbridge Wells, in May, 1S70. 



The synonymy of this species must, therefore, be corrected as 

 follows : — 

 Plusia bimaculata, Steph., 111. Brit. Ent., Haust., vol. iii, p. 102. 



P. verticillata, Guenee, Sp. Gen. NoctucL, t. ii, p. 344, No. 11G8, 



1852 (Knaggs, Ent. Annual, 1871, p. 79). 

 P. <7CMfff, Walker, B. M. Cat. of Noctua?, p. 922, 1857 (Eobinson, 



Ent. Mo. Mag., vii, p. 138). 



This species seems, like others of the genus, to have a very wide 

 distribution, and there are specimens in the British Museum from 

 many parts of Asia, from Africa, and from Australia. 



Burloii-ou-Trent ; Ma if, 1891. 



