PERONEA CRISTANA, FAB., AND ITS ABERRATIONS, 263 



to their real origin. The forms represented by these ]\ISS. names, are 

 first described in Stephens' Illustrations in 1834, and are referable to 

 this author. Wood {Inde.r KntoDi.) comes next. The work here is mode- 

 rately clear, but Humphreys and AVestwood {British JJatlis) give trouble, 

 for their work, published 1841-184.5, and bearing an 1841 preface, is 

 bound with a title-page bearing date 1851, and treated as a 2'nd 

 edition, although one suspects both editions to be identical and printed 

 at the same time, and Stephens in his List gives 1844 as the date of 

 the second volume. Curtis' llritish Kiitoniohjiii/, 2nd ed., was published 

 by 1839, ti'str Stainton, J':nt. Mn. Maij., xxiii., pp. 221-223, and 

 reprinted in 1862, and there for the first time one finds descriptions to 

 names that had been in current use in some instances for nearly 20 

 years. I simply make this explanation in order to draw attention to 

 the possibility of errors in the synonymy, although all possible care 

 has been taken. 



I should here like to call attention to some remarkable synonymy 

 in which Rebel has indulged in the recently published 3rd edition of 

 the ( 'ataliKj der Lcpidojiti'iTn ties Pahrairtisc/ien FaunciKjehicti's, pt. 2, p. 79. 

 Among other things Rebel sinks the ab. siibrittana, Stphs., as a 

 synonym of ab. alhi/nuirtana, Stphs., the ab. alhorittana, Stphs., as a 

 synonym of ab. siriaiia, Stphs., ah. fiilrncristana, Stphs., as a synonym 

 of ab. (h'sf(inti(i)uina, Stphs., ab. rittana, Stphs., and ab. bninncana, 

 Stphs., as synonymous with ab. spadiceana, titT^ha. , a,h. fHlrnvittana, 

 Stphs., with ab. cristnlana, Stphs., and ab. siihstriana, Stphs., and 

 ab. consiiiiilana as synonymous with ab. [irofanana, Stphs. This is, of 

 course, a ready way of reducing the number of aberrations in the list, 

 but does Dr. Rebel consider this a scientific niethod of dealing with a 

 confessedly difficult subject, rji., his action leads one to suppose that 

 Stephens' descriptions of suhvittana and albijn/iictana are identical, 

 and ^^'ood's figures also identical, since his synonymy reads : 



ab. (dhipiiiiclana, Stphs. 152 ; Wd. 10()1 ; suhvittana, Stphs. lo2 (ab.) ; Wd. 

 1059 — Al. ant. fuscis, puncto medio albo. 



Will Rebel say that albipnnrtana, Stphs., and subriitana, Stphs., 

 are identical, i.e., that Stephens described the same aberration under 

 two names, and that Wood figures the same '? If not, why sink them as 

 synonymous V The same argument applies to all the forms, in my 

 opinion, sunk erroneously. 



Ferouca cristana, [Schiff., " Sys. Verz.," p. 129 (1775)] ; Fab., "Mantissa," 

 &c., pp. 233-234 (1787); Haw., " Lep. Brit.," p. 412 (1811); Curtis, "Brit. Ent.," 

 expl. pi. xvi., 1st ed. without descr. (1824); 2nd ed. {'tntr 1839) ; reprinted (18G2) ; 

 Tr., "Die Schmett.," viii., p. 253 (1830); x., p. 129, pro 2>arle {l»-d5) ; Bennic, 

 "Conspectus," p. 175 (1832); Stphs., "III. Haust.," p. 152 (18.34); Wood, 

 •'Ind. Ent.," 1st ed., p. 15(i, no. 10(50 (1839) ; H. and Westd., "Brit. Moths," 

 ii., p. 15G (?1841); Desv., " Zool.," iii., pp. 840-1 (1845); Schlag., " Stett. Ent. 

 Zeit.," 18.54, pp. 02-07 (1854); Wlk., "Brit. Tort.," p. 173 (18-59) ; Sta., 

 "Man.," ii., p. 233 (1S59) ; Stav.d. and Wocke, " Cat.," 2iid ed., p. 232 (1,S71); 

 3rded.,p. 79 (1901); Wocke, " Bresl. Ent. Zeit.," 1874, p. 14 (1S74) ; xMeyrick. 

 "Handbook," I'Cc., p. 521(1895). Cristainnii, Wall^rn., "Ent. Tidsk.," ix., p. 104 

 (1888). — ryralis alis anticis luscis : niargine interior! albo punctoque medio 

 fasciculato elevato. (I'halucna cristaiia, " Wien. Verz.," 129, 10.) Habitat in 

 Austria. Mus. Doin. Schiefferniyller. Magna. Aloe anticaj fusca) niargine tenuiori 

 late {ilbo. In medio punetuni album e t'asciculo pilorum elevatorum fuscorum. 

 Posticas cinereffi. Caput et thorax albida (Fabrieius). 



1. ab. niiiroci-ixtaiia, n. ab. (1*1. vi., tig. 1.). — Head, thorax and palpi white. 

 Anterior wings deep fuscous, with a large tuft of black scales in the centre ; on the 

 inner margin is a broad white vitta tapering towards the hinder angle, posterior 

 wings brownish, a little deeper in colour towards the anal angle. The difference 



