132 THE entomologist's record. 



stages * 64, 7-10 (osseata), representing the species discovered by Mr. 

 Hodges ; 64, 11-14 (interjectaria), our long-known "Bone Wave." 



The osseata of the Vienna Catalogue, may of course have been either 

 or both of the species in question, for we have merely the indication 

 " bone-coloured, brownish-striped geometer." Fabricius (Mant., ii., p. 

 211, No. 221), diagnoses it as " Phalaena seticornis : alis albis obscurius 

 undatis : puncto medio nigro, anticis costa ferruginea," and further 

 describes it in such general terms as to leave it doubtful which species 

 he had before him. " Albis " certainly better denotes interjectaria, 

 Boisd., than osseata, Boisd. ; but " costa ferruginea " would rather lead 

 to an opposite conclusion ; at any rate, that character would prevent 

 our setting up osseata, Fab., as a prior name for the former insect. 

 Nor is Borkhausen (NaturgeschicJite, &c.. vol. v., p. 326, No. 154), much 

 more definite, though he likewise mentions the rust-coloured costa. 



Hiibner's figure 100 (dihitaria) is, as Mr. Tutt says, a puzzle, and I 

 am half inclined to agree with him that it does not represent either of 

 our British species ; but there is certainly no " Continental species 

 which we do not get " to which it could be referable ; Treitschke and 

 Duponchel took it for a variety of virgularia, Hb., and Geyer (Hb.-Gey., 

 fi.g. 589) ap2:)ears to have figured a virgularia under this name (dihitaria). 

 Boisduval no doubt recognised Hiibner's dilutaria, but re-named it in 

 order to avoid its being confounded with his own dilutaria = dilutata, 

 W. v., and all subsequent Continental writers agree that it is simply 

 the form of his interjectaria without the dark costa. Hence Staudinger 

 has sunk interjectaria before dilutaria, Hb.. and perhaps we cannot do 

 better than bow to his decision. 



But our new s^jecies with the red costa is perfectly easy to deal 

 with synonymically. It seems to be common, though local, in central 

 Europe, and to be well known to Continental writers. Some of the 

 specimens from the Zeller collection agree precisely with our small 

 Isle of Wight form,t whilst a glance down the long series will convince 

 anyone that all the specimens belong to the same species, and that a 

 different one from Zeller's dilutaria. Besides, nearly all the Continental 

 figures and descriptions point to the same conclusions. Hufnagel 

 describes his humiliata thus : — " Hmniliata, the red border ; dirty yellow 

 with pale grey, waved transverse stripes ; the other margin reddish ; 

 third size; in the woods in grass; June; rather rare." Werneburg 

 (Beitr., I., 266) first resuscitated this name, pointing out that "other" 

 (" andere ") in Hufnagel's description must be a clerical error and 

 should read " anterior " (" vordere "). As for osseata, Hb. 100, I am 

 compelled, after careful comparison, to differ from my friend, Mr, Tutt, 

 and to refer it to htimiliata, Hufn. (Mr. Hodges' species) and not to 

 osseata, Haw. If I am wrong in this I at any rate err in good 

 company, since Staudinger, knowing the two species better than we in 

 England have until quite recently had the chance of doing, takes the 

 same view. I admit that the ground colour of Hiibner's figure is a 

 little paler than in really good specimens, but the red costa extending to 

 the tip (in interjectaria, Boisd., even when bred, the brown of the costa 



*Mr. Tutt {I.e., p. 1 24), treated the larvse as unknown, whereas MiUiere's 

 breeding experiments confirm the specific distinctness of Guenee's osseata and 

 interjectaria. 



t ivir. Tutt tells me that he found exactly tlie same form at Bourg St, Maurice, 

 last summer. 



