NEW BRITISH SPECIES IN 1855. 41 



near Bexley, where I was aware that Vicia Senium grew 

 abundantly by the edge of a wood. In half an hour Mrs. 

 Stainton and I had collected about thirty leaves contain- 

 ing larvae or pupae, and Mr. Douglas nearly as many — a 

 striking instance of the ease with which new species may be 

 added to our Fauna, if we coach up the subject, from those 

 who are already skilled ! On the 30th of September a speci- 

 men of the imago appeared from the leaves collected on the 

 28th, and this I exhibited at the Entomological Society the 

 following evening ! Mr. Douglas has since bred many speci- 

 mens, having revisited the locality and collected the larvae by 

 hundreds! ! 



The species is double-brooded, the larvae feeding in July 

 and September; many of the latter brood appear in the per- 

 fect state in October, while other specimens remain pupae all 

 the winter. 



Nepticula cryftella, Frey, n. sp. 



Alis anticis angustulis albidis, saturate-griseo-squamatis ; 

 capillis ochreis, fusco-mixtis. Exp. al. 2h lin. 



Head' and face dark ochreous, mixed with fuscous ; palpi 

 whitish ; antennae fuscous, basal joint whitish. Anterior 

 wings with coarse dark grey scales upon a whitish ground ; 

 cilia pale grey. Posterior wings pale grey, with paler cilia. 



Most nearly allied to Nepticula Septembrella and Trifur- 

 cula pulverosella ; from the former it is distinguished by the 

 longer and narrower anterior wings being of a paler colour, 

 and more coarsely scaled, and by the absence of the con- 

 spicuous pale spot at the anal angle ; from T. pulverosella it 

 is distinguished by the much narrower anterior wings and 

 the darker colour of the head. 



Mr. Douglas took three specimens of this insect in Head- 

 ley Lane, at the end of last June, by sweeping the grass ; 

 Professor Frey (the most promising Micro-Lepidopterist in 



