GA[.LERTIDA':-MEfJSSOnLAPTES. 143 



any numbers, it is apparently abundant throughout the 

 Southern half of England, becoming less common in the 

 North, and even rare in Durham and Northumberland, while 

 I find no record for Cumberland or Westmoreland. Never- 

 theless, it is more plentiful in some parts of Scotland, espe- 

 cially in Aberdeenshire; being also found in Midlothian, 

 Roxburghshire, Ayrshire, and Perthshire; and it was taken 

 by Mr. Cheesmau in the Orkney Isles. In Wales it 

 has been found in Denbighshire, Glamorganshire, and Pem- 

 brokeshire ; in Ireland more particularly in the northern 

 portions— Fermanagh, Armagh, Down, Antrim, and Derry. 

 Abroad its range extends throughout Europe and Northern 

 Asia Minor, and it is widely distributed in North America. 



Genus o. MELISSOBLAPTES. 



AntennjB simple, thick at the base ; palpi depressed and 

 concealed by projecting scales in the male, longer in the 

 female ; tongue rudimentary ; head furnished with a thick 

 projecting blunt mass of scales ; thorax moderately stout ; 

 abdomen tapering; fore wings oblong, expanded between 

 the basal nervures, rounded behind, having a tuft of scales 

 in the discal ceil. Hind wings ample, the cell open, and 

 vein 5 absent. 



We have only one species. 



1. M. bipunctanus, Cz/ri-.— Expanse 1 to \). inch. 

 Bead and thorax almost white ; fore wings elongate^ mode- 

 rately broad, brownish white, faintly reddish toward the 

 costa, second line just perceptible ; two blackish spots are in 

 the discal cell. Hind wings shining silky white, tinged 

 behind with brown. 



Antennas of the male simple, thick toward the base, 

 mealy-white ; palpi very short and concealed bv a thatch of 

 long scales which projects from the face, brownish-white ; 

 head creamy-white; thorax robust, and abdomen rather 



