>• variety of 2nd brood thereof. 



18!>6.J 37 



Westwood, 1845 (I omit extersaria and punclulata, on which no question arises), 

 gives five species, viz., tetragonaria, crepuscularia, consonaria, strigularia, and 

 ahietaria (this ahietaria must not be confounded with the species now known as 

 ahietaria, and then known as Alois sericearia). 



In the last edition of Westwood (1860) is a synopsis comparing the names 

 adopted in the work with those of Stephens. From this synopsis, and from the 

 letter from Mr. Doubleday (Ento., vol. i, p. 162), we find that — 



A — crepuscularia of Westwood's work = crepuscularia, Stephens. 

 B — consonaria „ ,, 



C — strigularia „ „ 



D — ahietaria „ „ = laricaria, Stephens. 



E — tetragonaria ,, „ = consonaria of our day. 



B, C and E we need not pursue, but of D (ahietaria) Westwood says, " wings 

 grey and atomose," found in woods in March and April. Syn. : ahietaria, W. V., 

 Treitschke, Haworth, Stephens, Wood, fig. 516. 



But of A {crepuscularia) he says, " wings almost white and atomose," found in 

 woods in May, June and July. Syn.: cre/>M*(?M^arJa, Hiib., Haw., Treitschke, Ste- 

 phens, Wood, fig. 517 ; hiundularia, Esp. ; similaria, Huf. 



So far all is clear, but Doubleday, in his 2nd edition of his Catalogue, gives — ■ 



1. Crepuscularia, W. Y., = ahietaria. Haw., var., = laricaria, Dbl. Cat. 



2. Biundularia, Esp. (? prcBc var.), = crepuscularia, Haw. (var. ver.), = 



crepuscularia var. Grn. 



Newman, every sheet and column of whose book passed through Doubleday's 

 hands, of course followed his nomenclature. 



Staudinger doubtfully refers Haworth's ahietaria and Doubleday's laricaria to 

 hiundularia, Bork. 



It would seem, therefore, that while there is no doubt that crepuscularia is the 

 proper name for the paler later species, there is a little uncertainty whether our 

 larcli-frequenting early yellower species should be called hiundularia, or whether the 

 name ahietaria should not still prevail. This can only be settled by careful reference 

 to the figures and descriptions in Esper, Borkhausen, Hiibner, and Hufnagle, whose 

 works I do not possess. Esper I understand only recognises one species occurring in 

 May and June. Doubleday's error was corrected in Mr. South's list, and it would 

 be a great pity if it were accidentally revived again by so leading an authority as 

 Mr. Barrett. — 55, Lincoln's Inn Fields: August 2nd, 1895. 



[By the kind forbearance of Mr. Briggs I have been allowed to hold over this 

 paper for a time for further investigation of the earlier nomenclature. Unfortunately, 

 circumstances have delayed this far beyond my intention, and even now it is only 

 through the knowledge of entomological literature and kind help of my friend 

 Mr. W. F. Kirby, and the valuable library at South Kensington, that it has been 

 possible to arrive at any definite conclusion. 



The earliest existing description which appears to be of the smallest value is 

 that by Borkhausen (1794) of biundularia. It is full and accurate, and evidently 

 includes all the forms. He says that the ground colour is a tohitish-grej, sometimes 

 more, and sometimes less, dusted with brown dots ; and going more closely into 

 detail, he clearly describes the common whiter form which is found in June ; then 



