— 113— 



1S63, but Prof. J. B. Smith kindly loaned me his copy for examina- 

 tion, and this contains the rest of the work. So conclusive did the 

 e\-idence appear that Zeller's paper antedated Walker's, that I pub- 

 lished an account of it in Ext. Amer. vol. v, ]). 215, along- with 

 the correct dates of publication of several of Walker's works. 



Mr. Mevrick wrote me soon after that he had seen a copy of 

 Zeller's paper with " ed. July, 1863," on the title page in Zeller's 

 own hand writing. I had previously seen a copy in Berlin with the 

 same words, said to be Zeller's hand writing, but the evidence from 

 Prof Smith's copy was so conclusive that I felt sure there must be 

 some mistake in the Berlin copy. 



In the "Entomologist's Monthly Magazine" for April, 1890, 

 p. Ill, Mr. Meyrick has published a note in which he expresses- 

 doubts of my conclusions because of the date given in the copy 

 mentioned above. I am free to confess that I felt quite uncertain 

 about the matter when I learned that two copies, at least, contained 

 the same date of publication — ^July, 1863, but Mr. Stainton has 

 added to the above note of Mr. Meyrick some extracts from letters 

 received from Zeller which settle the matter beyond all doubt. I 

 give here the last two : 



" Meseritz, 21st June, 1863. — Next week the printing of my 

 Crambiden will be finished. I am now busy with the Index and list 

 of Errata." 



"Meseritz, 21st July, 1863. — Herewith you will receive some 

 separate copies of my Crambiden. The reason for the date of pub- 

 lication being written is that the year appears on the title of the 

 ' Schulnachricht,' which remains here." 



I hasten to correct the error into which I had fallen, and thank 

 Messrs. Meyrick and Stainton for calling my attention to the matter, 

 and for giving us the real facts in the case. This information is 

 certainly very opportune, for it comes before the issuing of my work 

 on the N. A. Crambidse. 



Mr. Fletcher has sent us a slip from an Australian paper in which 

 is treated at some length a little Capsid, thought to be undescribed, 

 and very injurious to vegetation. Among other characteristics — 

 " when the insect is in repose the antennae are doubled under the 

 body betweeen the legs, but when piercing the fruit they erect and 

 straighten out the serrated weapons, which are sharp pointed, and 

 exert their strength in piercing the stem or fruit. The attacking 

 antennae are covered at intervals with a very minute capillary sub- 

 stance, the use of which we are unable at present to define, though 

 it may aid in the process of suction," 



