IS95.J Ql 



times, indeed, I think it docs, because I have had the eggs of Bombyx quercus liatcli 

 when they could not have been fertilized, for I had but one moth, and that a female. 

 You are probably aware that, in the allied genus CEceticus, the male is known to 

 enter the pupa-case to the entire ruin of his wings." " I find the larva of P. 

 villosella prefer the alpine strawberi-y to heath j I have both in my largo case, and 

 few are found on the latter." 



I have here combined and arranged the remarks contained in more than one 

 letter. In any respect in which previous remarks of my own appear not to be in 

 accord with Mr. Weir's statements, I desire to defer to him, his opportunities of 

 actual observation having been far superior. 



The species was described and figured by Curtis as Pentophora nigricans from 

 specimens taken by the late Mr. J. C. Dale at West Parley Coppice, in June, 1824. 



39, Linden Grove, Nunhead, S.E. : 

 January, 1895. 



OCCURRENCE OF TINEA VINCULELLA, II.-S., AT PORTLAND, 

 WITH NOTES ON ITS LIFE HISTORY. 



BY NELSOX M. RICHAEBSON, B.A., F.E.S. 



Between June 26th and July 1st, 1894, I bred eigbt specimens 

 of a moth not hitherto recorded as Britit^h, which were kindly identi- 

 fied for me by my valued correspondent Major E. Ilering, as Tinea 

 vinculella, H.-S. (Herrich-Schaffer, v, p. 75, fig. 275), a rather rnre 

 species, found in July at Glogau, Vienna, Ratisbon^and in the Taunus 

 Mountains near Frankfurt a/M. and Wiesbaden. I first found the 

 larva at Portland in 1S92, when trying to discover that of T. suhti- 

 lella, which I thought might feed on lichen, but bred none till last 

 year, though one or two pupa? developed sufficiently for me to ascer- 

 tain by dissection that I had not the larva of suhtilella, but something 

 new to Britain. 



The following is a description of the imago : — 



Exp. al., 4'". Fore-wings blackish olive-brown, nearly black when fresh, rather 

 glossy, with a slight golden reflection. The costa is divided into four nearly equal 

 parts by silvery-white markings ; (1) a narrow curved fascia, generally of regular 

 width, but sometimes a little narrower towards the costa, slightly oblique in position, 

 the costal end being nearest the base ; (2) costal and anal triangular spots, also 

 obliquely placed, the latter extending through the cilia, occasionally (according to 

 Heinemann) uniting to form a fascia ; (3) a crescent-shaped costal spot concave pos- 

 teriorly. Cilia like the wing, except that the outer row of scales is silvery-white in 

 the apical region. 



Hind-wings and cilia dark grey, with slight golden reflections, especially in the 

 cilia. The thorax and the extreme top of the head are in colour like the fore-wings ; 

 the abdomen more like the hind-wings. The front part of the head is pale ochreous. 



