SERICORIDA£—RETINIA. 37 



here, in the larva state by Ichneumons, as to be, almost 

 always, scarce, but known to occur about fir woods; and 

 especially among the young trees springing up in adjacent 

 heaths, in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Somerset, Bucks, 

 Norfolk, and formerly in Lancashire ; also in Scotland in 

 Renfrew and near Aberdeen. I find no other record in the 

 United Kingdom, but abroad it is widely distributed — 

 Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Scan- 

 dinavia, Finland, Western Russia, and Japan ; and even in 

 North America in Nevada. 



4. R. posticana, Zctt. {turionana, var. ?). — Expanse 

 f to h inch (10-12 mm.) Darker in colour than the last 

 species, and less than one-half its size, otherwise similar — 

 possibly not distinct. 



Antennae dnll black ; palpi, head, and thorax orange- 

 brown or dull yellow ; abdomen black-brown, dusted with 

 white. Fore wings narrow, costa nearly straight, apex 

 almost angulated, hind margin obliqne ; dark silvery-grey, 

 thickly dusted and dappled with dark brown ; but shading 

 about the middle into dull tawny ; the whole faintly sprinkled 

 with silvery-grey lines : no definite markings ; cilia dark 

 grey. Hind wings blackish -brown, with dull white cilia. 

 Female similar. 



Underside of the fore wings leaden-black with three or 

 four whitish costal dots. Hind wings leaden-white. 



Occasional specimens have a cloudy brown band or cross. 

 stripe on the fore wings before the tawny cloud ; others are 

 dark and devoid of distinct shades or markings. 



On the wing in May and June. 



Larva apparently not described. Zetterstedt says : 

 " living entirely in the manner of B. turionana in the buds 

 of young fir trees; but always emerging one week earlier." 

 Mr. Warren says : "I began by examining the central buds 

 of terminal shoots, bnt found no trace. . . . While col- 



