2 54 LEPIDOPTERA. 



First noticed as British in the year 1875 by Dr. F. 

 Buchanan-White, who, with Sir Thomas Moncrieffe, took 

 specimens on the side of a mountain near Athole, Perth- 

 shire. Soon after it was found to inhabit Glen Tilt in the 

 same county, and it has since been found in some plenty iii 

 the mountainous districts of the middle of Scotland, though 

 the published records are few. It is weak on the wing, and 

 flies in grassy places, near the ground, having when alive 

 very greatly the appearance of a Crambus ; indeed, its like- 

 ness to Crambus 2}e)iellus is such as strongly to suggest pro- 

 tective resemblance. This has been illustrated in a strange 

 manner recently, for Mr. Arthur Cottam captured, between 

 Norwich and Cromer in Norfolk in July 1902, eight speci- 

 mens flying along with that species which when examined 

 are distinctlj' and certainly A. argentana. Since these speci- 

 mens were recognised, Mr. Cottam has endeavoured to find 

 the insect again in the same place, but without success, and 

 the capture of this mountain species in Norfolk remains 

 inexplicable, unless some one should have possibly obtained 

 eggs and thrown them out here. With this exception the 

 mountain districts already mentioned remain its only home 

 in these Islands. Abroad it has a wide range in mountain 

 districts through Central and Northern Europe, North Italy. 

 Bithynia, North-east Siberia, North-west India, Japan, and 

 in North America, California, and Nevada. 



Genus 2. SPHALEROPTERA. 



Antenna' simple, thickened; palpi porrected yet divergent, 

 moderately thick ; fore wings without a fold, elongated, 

 smooth-looking; in the middle of the base of the hind wings 

 is a small tuft of hair-scales ; sexes very different. 



1. S. ictericana, .&<«-.; longana, Haw. ? ; loewiana, 



Hdn. — ExDanse f to ^ inch (18-22 mm.). Fore wings of 

 the male shining pale ochreous, without markings; of the 

 female marbled with irregular brown markings. 



