1879.] 259 



Feeds in the dried stems of thistle, eating neat circular holes through to enter a 

 fresh stem, or to quit an old one. When full-grown spins a net-like cocoon of white 

 threads in the cavity formed by having eaten away the pith in the stem, and in this 

 changes to a pupa. This is about five-eighths of an inch long, slender, and of the 

 ordinary shape ; the eye-, leg-, and antenna-cases prominent, the last especially so, 

 being raised quite on the top of the thorax, and extending from the head to the base 

 of the wings ; there are also two slight prominences extending over the base of the 

 wings in front. Ground colour almost uniformly bright glossy pale brown, the 

 upper side of the thorax, segmental divisions, and side tubercles, rather darker 

 brown. The imagos began to appear on July 6th. — Geo. T. Pokeitt, Highroyd 

 House, Huddersfield : March 5th, 1879. 



On the Australian CEcophoridce. — The extraordinary specific development of this 

 group in Australia affords a remarkable parallel to the similar excessive multiplication 

 of species in the genera Eucali/ptus and Acacia amongst plants in the same region. 

 Out of about 800 species of Micro-Lepidoptera, which I have classified, 210, or more 

 than one-fourth, are referred to this family, placing it first on the list; the QelechidcB 

 being just short of 200. Those few which have as yet been described by Walker, 

 Zeller, and others, have been indiscriminately cast into CEcophora, Z. ; but it is not 

 a little curious that I find, on examination of the venation and other characters, that 

 there is amongst them not a single true CEcophora (or perhaps one only), except 

 the imported pseudospretella. All alike (excepting a single genus of about fifteen 

 species, characterised by the excessively long basal joint of the antennae, but possessing 

 the venation of CEcophora) differ from CEcophora in that vein 7 of the fore-wings 

 runs to the hind margin, or in one group to the apex, never to the costa. The only 

 European genera represented are HarpeJla, by seven species, and Blastobasis, by 

 two : Endrosis lacteella has also been imported. The other genera are probably 

 wholly endemic, as the group appears hardly at all represented in other main regions. 



Some progress has been made towards a knowledge of the larvae, which do not 

 seem to have the taste of CEcophora for dried material. The larvae of the genus with 

 elongated basal joint of antennae all feed in spun leaflets of LeguminoscB, chiefly 

 Acacia. Others live rather gregariously, several together amongst a good deal of 

 web, on Eucalyptus and other trees. From the crambideous habit of one large group 

 of handsome species, it is tolerably certain that their larvae must live in the roots of 

 grass, but I have not yet succeeded in finding them. Those of another smaller genus 

 feed beneath the fibrous bark of trees. One very abnormal insect has a case-bearing 

 larva, the case consisting of a stout piece of sti-aight twig, hollowed out into a 

 cylinder ; it feeds on the Eucalyiytus. Probably the more remarkable modes of life 

 remain yet to be discovered. — E. Metbick, 243, Macquarie Street, Sydney : January 

 20th, 1879. 



Elachista perpJexeUa double brooded. — Last spring, at the end of March and 

 beginning of April, I found small yellow larvae in Aira ccsspitosa, at the same time 

 as those of E. apicipunctella. Thinking that they must be young larvae of that in- 

 sect, I did not examine them closely at the time ; but found, when they left the 

 grass, that they were still yellow. One of them fortunately pupated, and emerged as 

 E. perplexella, previously only one brood (feeding in June b, and emerging in June e) 



