NEW BRITISH SPECIES IN 1854. 63 



collection of Mr. Hodgkinson. Allied to Cassinea, but 

 larger and darker, the anterior wings being "brown grey, 

 mixed with reddish grey," according to Treitschke, who 

 says, that " the larva feeds in May and June on birch and 

 elm," and that " the perfect insect is found on the trunks of 

 trees, in early spring, simultaneously with Ceropacha fla- 

 vicornis." 



SPiELOTIS VALLESIACA, H.-S. (fig. 80; not of 

 other authors); (see frontispiece, fig. 2*), has been taken by 

 Messrs. Carter, Evans, N. Cooke, C. S. Gregson, &c, in 

 Wales, at the end of July. Mr. Carter informs me, this 

 Noctua is found " all along the coast of North Wales, com- 

 mencing in Flintshire, near the Yale of Chvyd, and thence 

 in Denbighshire, adjoining Carnarvonshire, in Llanrwst, 

 also at the foot of Snowdon." Mr. Carter "found it 

 stretching itself on stunted plants, and also sitting upon the 

 face of rocks." 



There appears to be some confusion with regard to this 

 species amongst the Continental writers; hence I am unable 

 to quote it as the Vallesiaca of Boisduval. The Vallesiaca 

 of Freyer and Guenee it most certainly is not, for their spe- 

 cies has in the male pure white underwings. 



The insect is not very nearly allied to any of our previ- 

 ously known British species. 



MIAN A EXPOLITA, Doubleday, n. sp. ; taken by 

 Messrs. Law and Sang near Darlington. Mr. Law writes — 

 "We observed it in great numbers flying in the hot sunshine 

 about the middle of July, but did not take many." The 

 species may be readily known, being much smaller and 

 darker than fasciuncida, and extremely glossy ; the posterior 

 wings are unicolorous gi'ey, with pale grey cilia ; the shape of 

 the anterior wings is also very distinctive, the hinder margin 

 not being elbowed as in fasciuncula and s trig His. 



* Expands l-£ inch : the figure is slightly magnified. 



