230 [March, 



This species varies considerably : the liead and thorax are some- 

 times quite white ; at other times only the head is white ; some 

 specimens have the centre o£ the head brownish ; and others have the 

 thorax pale grey or whitish. The fore-wings are generally paler on 

 the inner margin, but some specimens are of a uniform grey colour. 

 It is because this species varies so much that I would quote the de- 

 scriptions of the above authors, although they refer to the wrong 

 figure in Hiibner's work. 



The following is the arrangement I have adopted in my collection, 

 and it appears to me to reconcile the different classifications, and 

 render to each species its particular food plant : 



FOEE-WINGS WHITISH OR VERY PALE GEET. 



1. alternans, Stgr., Frey. Larva unknown. Switzerland. 



2. aljpicella, H.-S. Larva unknown. Alpine Q-ermany. 



3. conspersella, Tngst., Wk., Nolcken. Larva on Mmpetrum nigrum. Russia, 



Norway, and Lapland. The larva is " of a dirty pale greenisli-yellow colour, 

 ■with the head, a fine dorsal, and two broad sub-dorsal sti-ipes, of a brown-red 

 colour" (Nolcken). 



Fore-wings geey. 



Head and thorax tvliite. 



4. spiniella (Hb., Gesch. larva), Zeller, 1871, = ccesiella, Hb., fig. 3G0, Stainton 



in part (the $). Larva on Prunus spinosa. Europe. I have a specimen 

 bred from Cratcegus oxyacantha which I also refer to this species, distinguish- 

 able by its two white costal spots. [These two costal spots are well seen in 

 Hiibner's figure 360. — H. T. S.] The larva is " reddish-brown, with a broad, 

 ill-defined, pale dorsal line, and a broad yellowish-white spiracular stripe " 

 (Barrett) ; head pale ochreous-yellow. 



5. nanivora, Stn. The larva feeds on Betula nana, and is " pale reddish-brown, 



with dark red-brown slender dorsal and broad sub-dorsal stripes ; head black " 

 (Stainton). Scotland and Esthonia. 



6. ? variegata, Tngstr. Unknown to me. Livonia. 



7. lutarea, Hw., Stn., Hein., = compuncteUa, H.-S., Hein. Europe. The scapulae 



are grey, and sometimes the head and thorax are yellowish. The larva feeds 

 on Sorbus aucuparia ; it is " greenish with a whitish-orange, posteriorly 

 brownish-orange, dorsal, and reddish-brown sub-dorsal, stripes, and whitish 

 spii'acular line J head pale brownish-yellow " (Nolcken). 



Head white, thorax darJc. 



8. oxyacanthella (Mann.), Dup., H.-S., Frey, Hein., Zeller, ^ ccesiella, Stn. (in 



part $ ). The larva feeds on Cratcegus oxyacantha, and I have reared it from 

 Pgrus nialus. The larva is " dark red-brown with no dorsal stripe, but with 

 a broad yellowish, posteriorly reddish, spu'acular stripe " (Barrett), head 

 pale brown. 



