fHE TEPHKOSIA tANGLE. 77 



tact in hand for eighteen months past (excepting his citation from 

 Illiger, which he attributes to the " authors" of the Vienna Catalogue), 

 and I only regret that I had not gone far enough to save him the 

 trouble and delay of six months in connection with his researches. 



Mr. Briggs' results, as regards our I'ritish authors, seem to be 

 incontrovertible, except that he has made out that the July insect is 

 the second brood of the May (and June) species, which all breeders, or 

 careful observers of localities, etc., will admit is most certainly 

 erroneous. But, as Mr. Briggs points out, we must go back to the 

 German authors in order to establish the correct synonymy. Now, I 

 venture to suggest that Mr. Barrett, while he has brought forward 

 much that is important, has nevertheless left things in somewhat of a 

 tangle, has not given us any clue as to the months of appearance, etc., of 

 Borkhausen's biundidaria, and has not shown us by what name we may 

 know the "larch-frequenting early yellower species." It is well 

 known that ]\Ir. Barrett has long been firmly convinced that the two 

 insects are not specifically distinct (r/r/c, K.2L.M., xxiii., p. 85), and, 

 therefore, these matters are not important from his point of view ; but 

 many close observers have held, and do hold, a very different opinion. 

 I have, therefore, taken in hand to work out the nomenclature very 

 fully in the following notes. 



I should recommend all who are interested in the subject to refresh 

 their memories of the " Trphwsia controversy" in the Kntomoloi/isttov 

 1886 (vol. xix.). As that is so readily accessible, I shall not quote 

 from it, but will merely state that we have two species or sub-species 

 to deal with: — No. 1. — Double-brooded, first brood generally brown, 

 March and April ; second brood generally grey, July. No. 2. — Single- 

 brooded, white or whitish, May and June. 



No. 1 is the " cirpiisrularia'' of writers in the Kntomologint, and of 

 Doubleday's Second Cataloijue ; and I fancy most of us so understand 

 South's L/.sf, though Mr. Briggs interprets it otherwise. No. 2 is the 

 " hiundxdaria " of the same authorities. The latter alone occurs in 

 Epping Forest, or at least in the southern parts thereof, and is most 

 certainly single-brooded, notwithstanding the southerly locality. My 

 friend, Mr. A. F. Bayne, who knows the Forest well, once took a 

 crippled female in Xoretnher, but it is needless to say that that is 

 entirely abnormal. 



Throughout this note the two forms shall be distinguished as 

 "No. 1" and No. 2," and I propose to insert those numbers in 

 parenthesis wherever they can possibly assist to elucidate my meaning 

 to those readers who may care to wade with me through the intricacies 

 of the subject. I therefore reiterate that No. 1 is the rarh/ double- 

 broodfd insect. No. 2 the pale species of Mai/ and June. 



Siinilana, Hfn. [17G7] , must certainly be rejected as doubtful. 

 It is generally cited to crepuscularia or hinndularia, but Werneburg is 

 confident that it is — luridata, Bork., "whitish yellow, with brown 

 bands, and many dots of the same ; on oaks. 2nd size ; June and 

 July ; rare," will not assist us very much. Nor does Rottemburg 

 [1777] add much further light, though he calls the colour " dirty white, 

 yellowish dusted," and hence I cannot help thinking we really have 

 T. crepuscidaria or T. hiundidaria (or both) in the question, rather 

 than T. luridata, 



Crepuscnlaria, W.V. [1776] , is a mere catalogue name, and has 

 been effectually disposed of by Mr. Barrett. 



