1883.] 141 



Crambus ramosellus : change of nomenclature. — The name ramoselliis, applied 

 by Zeller in his Monograph to a species of Crambus from Sicily, cannot stand, as 

 there is another Crambus ramosellus, from New Zealand, described by Doubleday 

 some twenty years previously. Both species are truly referable to Crambus ; and as 

 Zeller's Sicilian species has not, so far as I am aware, been described under any other 

 name, it becomes necessary to rename it. I called the attention of Prof. Zeller to 

 the case in a letter written to him shortly before his death, being desirous that ho 

 should himself make the requisite alteration, but he had not replied to me, nor am I 

 aware that he had suggested any name. I therefore propose the name of Cr. 

 epineurus for the Sicilian species. — E. Meyeick, Ramsbury, Hungerford : October 

 6th, 1883. 



Panorpa germanica, var. borealis {Leach), Steph. — Towards the end of last 

 July I captured at Tongue, Sutherlandshire, examples of a Panorpa, which differed 

 from anything with which I was acquainted. They are, on an average, smaller than 

 P. germanica, and the wings are without dark spots, save that in the females there 

 is sometimes a small pterostigmatic spot, and a few minute dark dots. I submitted 

 specimens to Mr. McLachlan, who informed me that it was described as P. borealis, 

 by Stephens, and that, in his opinion, it was a variety of P. germanica, L. It is in- 

 teresting to note that the type-form of P. germanica does not occur in the district, 

 nor does any other species of the genus, so far as I could discover by diligent search 

 during nine weeks' sojourn. 



If any Neuropterist requires specimens, I will be happy to supply him with 

 them.— J. J. King, 207, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow : October 8th, 1883. 



[P. borealis was described by Stephens in the "Illustrations," Mandibulata, vi, 

 p. 53 (1835). With regard to the wings, he says, " hyaline, with the nervurcs and a 

 spot on the costa towards the apex brownish," adding, " this may probably be a 

 Tariety of the preceding species (apicalis). Found in the neighbourhood of Edin- 

 burgh." In Curtis' " British Entomology," pi. 696 (dated 1838), we find "borealis, 

 Leach., MSS. ; wings hyaline, stigma and nervures fuscous. In the British Miiseum : 

 it was found by Dr. Leach, near Edinburgh." Stephens does not allude to Leach., 

 but there can be no doubt that both notices refer to the same insect. The locality 

 given, viz., " near Edinburgh," may, or may not, be precise ; half a century ago 

 entomologists did not attach so much importance to these matters as they now do. 



It appears to me impossible to discover any structural differences between 

 " borealis " and the ordinary form of germanica (and in Panorpa, structural cha- 

 racters ai-e of primary value). But Mr. King's observations are of real importance, 

 because they prove that at a point on the extreme north of the mainland of 

 Scotland, this form " borealis " alone occurs, and I believe he found nearly 100 

 specimens of it. The form is well worthy of retaining its name, as a variety. 

 Presumably it is the same form that Wallengren (Skand. Neuropt., p. 71) indicates 

 as var. A of germanica, with the remark, " Vingarne nastan utan alia flackar." 



P. apicalis, Steph. (referred to above), is a form oi germanica, in which the 

 markings of the wings are absent, excepting an apical dark border ; this is found 

 (rarely) with the typical form, irrespective of locality. — R. McLachlan.] 



