MELIT.EA PHffiBE VAR. OCCITANICA, STDGR. 105 



noticed in 1905, on trunks of Popnlu^ alba. (Joleophora juncicolella, 

 Stt., in the damper spots where the heath grows in scattered patches. 

 C. littipennella, 7i., abundant on the oaks. C. Hniosipemiella, Dup., a 

 few larvfe taken oft" birch. C. snlitariella, Z., some colonies noticed in 

 lanes near the Common. C. viniinetella, Z., the larvfe feed here on 

 Sali.v repens, close to the ground, as well as on ordinary sallow. C. 

 bicolordla, Stt., larvse common on birches. C.fascedinella, Z., abundant 

 on birches. C. alhieosta, Hw., on furze. C ibipennella, Z., also on birch. 

 This is Stainton's ibipennella, but is it really that of Zeller ? It may 

 be betuldla, Hein. C. /leinerubiella, Sc, on hawthorn and I'l/riis 

 <iHCHparia. C. iniirinipennella, Dup., and ( '. cacspititicUa, Z., I have 

 also noticed. Klachista rufocinerea, Hw., is sometimes abundant. It 

 was in plenty, May 7th, 1906. Lithucolletis Klinifoliella, Hb., occurs 

 on birch. L. sorbi, Frey, one specimen from Fyrus axcuparia, May 

 7th, 1906. This specimen was submitted to Mr. E. R. Bankes, who 

 kindly confirmed its identity. L. einherizaepennella, Bouche, occurs on 

 honeysuckle. L. comparella, Z., the mines are not rare beneath the 

 leaves of Populns alba. Opostef/a salacidla, Tr., one specimen on the 

 herbage, August 2nd, 1906. Tinea doacella, Hw., two very dark speci- 

 mens on a birch-trunk, August 2nd, 1906. Adela ririddla, Sc, 

 abundant flying over the hawthorn bushes. Kriocrania iiniinaculella, 

 Zett. and E. seinipurpnrdla, Stph., were both common on birch, 

 April 10th, 1906. These thirty odd species of micros are as a drop 

 in the ocean to the number which might be obtained, especially if the 

 Tortricids be also taken into account, many species of which I have 

 noticed on the Common. 



Melitaea phoebe var. occitanica, Stdgr. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



A note recording (antea p. 55) the capture of M. phoebe var. occi- 

 tanica, in the Vai d'Anniviers, leads me to suggest that the var. 

 occitanica is surely a purely Spanish form. The original description 

 (Staudinger, Cataloy, 2nd ed., p. 18) is, of course, vague — " forma 

 magis variegata. It.," the " It." (Italia), being evidently a misprint for 

 " lb." (Iberia), since, in his Cataloii, 3rd ed., p. 29, Staudinger repeats 

 *' forma magis variegata," but adds " Iberia " in full, and does not 

 mention " Italy." It is true that my friend, Mr. Wheeler, records 

 {Butts, of Switz., p. 84) var. occitaiiica from various parts of the Rhone 

 Valley, and its southern lateral branches, and further notes that, "on 

 the south side of the Simplon the specimens are much finer than from 

 Granada," but Ave are not concerned with this; what is of importance 

 is that the large single-brood examples from moderate elevations in the 

 Alps of Central Europe, are apparently not of the Iberian type, of which 

 we have a fine and extensive series taken at different times, and in various 

 parts of Spain, by Dr. Chapman, and the alpine examples, of which we 

 have also a very long and varied series, certainly should not, we think, 

 be referred to this name. It is hard to believe that this Central 

 European var. alpina has not been previously described under some 

 name or other, and we are too busily engaged with other entomological 

 puzzles just now to work out the variation of the species in detail, but 

 the forms of this, and some of the allied, species, do want careful 

 revision, with full reference to the original descriptions, aided by 



