134 OBSERVATIONS ON TINEINA. 



The larva, when younf^er, is almost transparent, with the 

 dorsal vessel reddish ; the head black, and a black plate 

 on the posterior half of the second segment. 



When at Huddersfield in June I visited Storthes Hall, 

 and there Mr. Inchbald introduced me to an interesting 

 colony of Petasites alb us, but the season was then too far 

 advanced to admit of a successful search for the larva of 

 JDepressaria Pttasitis. 



In 1863 Herr Lederer despatched from Vienna some living 

 larvge of this species, but they did not succeed in reaching 

 me in a healthy state. 



*Gelec]iia lutafella, Herrich-Schaffer. To my great de- 

 light I received on the 18th June from Professor Zeller some 

 larTPS of this insect found at Meseritz feeding on Calama- 

 groatts Epigejos. The larvae were so similar to those of 

 Gelechia rufescens that it was necessary to place larvae of 

 that species beside them for comparison ; but when the com- 

 parison was carefully made it proved the distinctness and not 

 the identity of the two species. The difference consists in 

 the markings on the 5th and 6th segments ; the anterior 

 brown portion of the 6th segment is of a different shape in 

 the two species, and in the larva of G. lutatella, there is also 

 a narrow brown band in front of the 5lh segment, which is 

 entirely v.'anting in the larva of G. rufescens. 



Perhaps the most singular thing is, that though these 

 larvae are so similar externally, their digestive apparatus 

 should be so different; for whereas the larva of G. rufescens 

 is not at all particular, and eats readily a great variety of 

 grasses, the larva of G. lutatella seems entirely restricted in 

 its diet to Calamagrostis Epigejos, and though, in default 

 of that, I offered my specimens Arunclo Phrag^nites and 

 various other grasses, they preferred starving. 



Those who have an opportunity of collecting amongst 



