NOTES FROM THE PYRENEES. 51 



He Siiys " about 60 M. lanacdacti/la, some bred, some caught, have been 

 ixsed for the comparison. 



To my eye, M. tuttodactijla differs from its ally in the following 

 points: — 



(1) Its ground colour is apparently more variable in tone, appears to be much 

 less uniform owing to points 2, 3, and 4. 



(2) It has an oblique whitish bar across the outer half of the upper lobe, and 

 often a similar, though less well-defined, bar across the outer half of the lower 

 lobe of the forewing. If ever present, these markings are exceedingly rare in 

 M. lunaedactyla, I have only one reputed M. Inuaedactyln that shows them ; it 

 stood in a British collection, but without data, and I now suspect that it came 

 from the continent, and is M. titttodactt/la. It has been repinned. 



(3) The dorsal margin of the forewing tends to be strongly, though irregularly, 

 marked with white from below the end of the cleft inwards. This tendency is 

 much stronger than in M. lunaedactyla. 



(4) Both lobes of the forewing have the outer half of the upper cilia more or 

 less distinctly whitish. This is not the case in M. lunaedacti/la. 



(5) It has the antenntE rather lighter and more conspicuous than M. liinae- 

 dactyla, owing to the white rings being broader than in the latter species, and the 

 dark ones consequently narrower." 



One might readily set down these differences as the peculiarities of 

 a pale southern race were it not for the remarkable distinctness in the 

 appendages. 



At Gavarnie its foodplant is Ononis natri.c, and it does not touch 

 an Ononis that I could not distinguish from our common O. anrnsis. 

 M. Eondou says, nevertheless, "larva on Ononis repmts'' (but printed 

 rcptans) (a synonym of arvensis, and, doubtless, the species I observed). 

 I fancy, however, that the record is not from his own observxitions, 

 but quoted from accounts of M. p/iaeodacti/la. In Dauphiny, Mr. Tutt 

 found it amongst Ononis cenisia. It is clearly a comparatively southern 

 and hill form, whilst ^1/. lunaedactyla is a more northern species, afi'ecting, 

 however, lower ground. 



The precise relationship of Marasmarcha tuttodactijla will be more 

 clearly appreciated by a reference to the figures of the ancillary 

 appendages of all the species of Marasmarcha 1 have so far been able 

 to examine. 



The genus Marasmarcha, entirely apart from these appendages, 

 occupies a special position amongst the plumes; whether its larval, 

 pupal or imaginal character be taken as guides, it is difficult to say 

 whether the genus belongs to the Platyptiliid or Alucitid (Aciptiliid) 

 divisions, to one or other of which nearly all other genera (Agdistids 

 apart) are easily referred. There can, in fact, be no doubt that it 

 occupies an intermediate position between the divisions. This 

 determination is amply confirmed by a reference to the ancillary 

 appendages. 



The Platyptiliids have these organs symmetrical, and the clasps are 

 simple. The Alucitids (Aciptiliids) have the clasps on either side 

 different from the other, and an armature usually somewhat like a hair 

 or bristle. In the figures of Marasmarclia herewith, it will be seen 

 that all have a hairlike armature, and, of the six, three are symmetrical 

 and three are asymmetrical. The asymmetry affects, however, only 

 the bristles (the especially Aciptiliid feature) and not the bodies of the 

 clasps. 



The appendages of M. lunaedactyla are the most difficult to mount 

 fully displayed of any I know, the one photographed is perhaps as 



