i88e.] 237 



I noticed that all the aspen leaves on some young trees had, at the bases of their 

 footstalks, the little commencing mines of this insect. How much earlier the larvae 

 really begin to feed is anotlier matter, as it has to mine up the greater part of the 

 leaf stalk before appearing in the leaf ; and if it makes no better progress then than 

 afterwards, it probably begins at the end of June or beginning of July. I never 

 find any mines empty until the beginning of November, and very few then. The 

 mine does not appear to be enlarged much until after the middle of October. Of 

 course in November the aspen leaves have all been off some time and are quite brown, 

 and many of them half rotted. The great bulk of the larvae remain in the leaves 

 until the middle of November (some even a month later) before entering the ground, 

 so that they will have most likely from five to six months of larval life, as the summer- 

 laid eggs of NepticulcB hatch quickly. 



There is another matter connected with this species to which, at Mr. Stainton's 

 request, I wish to draw attention. In volume seven of the Nat. Hist. Tineina, the 

 life-history, food-plant, and description of the larva of iV^. apicella are given ; but, 

 most unfortunately, the name, figure, description of imago, and the (Beckenham) 

 locality, are those of argyropeza, a very different insect and quite distinct from 

 apicella. I believe the larva of N. argyropeza is totally unknown both here and on 

 the Continent. This error has caused great confusion in many cabinets ; many 

 specimens of apicella having been distributed, both by myself and others, as the 

 much rarer argyropeza, before the error was detected. In all probability the great 

 biilk of the captured, and all the bred examples extant, are apicella. It would be 

 well if gentlemen having specimens of argyropeza in their cabinets, would rectify 

 the error at once where it exists. — J. Sa^g, 33, Oxford Street, Darlington : February, 

 1886. 



Nepticula argyropeza and apicella. — The error of confusing these two insects 

 in the 7th^volume of the Natural History of the Tineina was brought before me by 

 Professor Fritzsche in some manuscript notes which he placed in my hands when 

 we met at Stettin in September, 1803, at the Meeting of German Naturalists at that 

 place. Immediately on my return home I wrote to Professor Fritzsche on the 2nd 

 October, 1863, as follows : — 



" Having safely reached home the day before yesterday, I write to-day about 

 Nepticula argyropeza. To my great regret I must confess that in the last volume 

 of the Natural History of the Tineina a serious error has occurred. 



" The larva of my therein mentioned argyropeza belongs to my apicella (the 

 argyropeza, a, Zeller), the imago, however, is really my argyropeza ! The question 

 now arises on what does the larva feed which produces my argyropeza with the 

 costal spot nearer to the base than the dorsal spot ?" 



Professor Fritzsche replied to this November 5th, 1863 : — 



" Your note as to argyropeza has much interested me. Now that we have 

 come to a clear understanding as to this species, one matter is still needed, that is, a 

 new name for your argyropeza of vol. 7 of the N. H. Tineina, since, according to 

 the rules of priority, Zeller's name of argyropeza (var. a) must be retained for 

 apicella, Stainton. Please, therefore, to name your argyropeza afresh, and to let 

 me know the new name, in order that I may introduce it in my short paper." 



