36 FuWniiii'y, 



It is stated in " Insect Life," vol. vi, p. 3G2, that while the origin 

 of A. perniciosus is uncertain, the probability is that it came to America 

 from Japan. I believe that Mr. Koebele is in Japan at present 

 studying the Goccidce of that country, and he has perhaps discovered 

 the native home of this injurious pest. But, in a letter which I re- 

 ceived from him a few months ago he says that the Japanese will not 

 permit any specimens of insects to be sent thence by post ; and we 

 must wait till Mr. Koebele himself leaves the country to learn more 

 about this scale. Mr. Benson, of Sydney, however, tells me there 

 have been many fruit trees imported into Australia of late years 

 from Japan. 



Wellington, New Zealand : 



October Uh, 1895. 



TEPHROSIA CREPUSCULARIA. 

 BY C. A. BRIQGS, F.E.S. 



In the August number of the Ent. Mo. Mag., p. 199, Mr. C. Gr. Barrett speaks 

 of " Tephrosia crepuscularia and its paler form biuiidularia." Now apart from the 

 question of specific identity, which I will not raise now, is not Mr. Barrett reviving 

 the error made by Doubleday in the 2nd edition of his Catalogue and transposing 

 the names ? For crepuscularia is really the pale species (or form), and biundularia 

 the darker. 



The whole difSculty with these names seems to have arisen from Mr. Doubleday's 

 unfortunate 2nd Catalogue, and I have always thought that to the confusion he made 

 in these names we owe much of the doubt that still obtains as to the specific dis- 

 tinction of the two species. 

 Doubleday, in his first edition (1850), gives these species as — 



(I) Crepuscularia, W. V., = biundularia, Esp., ^ consonaria, Haw., var., = 



strigularia, Steph., var. 



(II) Laricaria, = abietaria, Haworth, non W. V. 

 Haworth's species (p. 277), 1809, are — 



14. Abietaria, Hiib., which he tells us occurs at the end of March ; and 



15. Crepuscularia, occurring in July, and easily distinguished by its white 



wings and smaller size. 



Wood's Index gives — 



516. Abietaria, " Coombe and Birch Woods, March and April." The figure is 



an unmistakeable laricaria, i. e., the earlier yellower species. 



517. Crepuscularia, " Coombe and Birch Woods, Epping, &c.. Middle of May 



and in June." The figure is equally unmistakeably our light or late 

 species. 

 Stephens, Haustellata, vol. iii, gives— 

 Abietaria, Haw., March and April. 



Crepuscularia, W. V., " smaller and whiter than the preceding," beginning or 

 middle of May or in June. 



