168 THE ENTOMOLOGISt. 



greenish yellow instead of brown ; but the difference is not 

 important. He also says that L. nigrum belongs to Signoret's 

 4th series, with L. coffece and L. hihernaculorum ; but this is 

 certainly due to his considering its cells as oval, whereas, being 

 polygonal, the insect goes with L. depressum into the 5th series. 



With regard to the antennae, I do not find any difference 

 between L. nigrum and L. depressum ; the figures given by 

 Signoret and Douglas agree, and so do my own specimens ; both 

 have eight joints, of which the third is the longest. In L. 

 hegonics there appear to be only seven joints ; but Mr. Douglas 

 specially remarks that in the fourth joint there is *• a con- 

 striction simulating a joint " ; and this " false joint " (as I have 

 called it in other Lecanids) seems quite enough to raise doubts 

 as to any definite separation of this insect from the others. 



As regards the feet, Signoret says of L. depressum that the 

 digitules of the claw are dilated and " one larger than the other." 

 Douglas says nothing of the foot of L. depressum ; as to L. 

 nigrum, he says : — "Digitules long, broad, much dilated " ; and 

 of L. hegonice, " digitules normal." I have not myself been able 

 to detect any valid difference in the three, nor can I see the 

 unequal digitules of L. depressum. 



Taking therefore these important features, — the epidermis, 

 the antenna, and the foot, — it seems fairly clear that there is no 

 real difference between the three insects named, at least as far 

 as concerns the adult female. The females of the second stage 

 appear to be equally similar. I have not observed the larvae or 

 the males, nor, I think, has anybody except Mr. Green, who 

 gives figures (without description) of the adult male of L. nigrum 

 and its waxy pupal test. Possibly L. hegonice might be looked on 

 as a variety on account of its antenna, and L. depressum on 

 account of unequal digitules ; but these are doubtful differences, 

 and the three must be taken as really one species. Priority of 

 nomenclature, as above mentioned, determines this as L. nigrum, 

 Nietner. 



Wellington, New Zealand, Oct. 12, 1893. 



THE CONFUSION IN THE NAMES APPLIED BY 

 WALKER TO GENEEA OF MOTHS. 



By a. G. Butler, Ph.D. 



It would appear that the late Francis Walker must have 

 kept a list of names by him to use for his new genera, and that 

 he did not by any means invariably remember to cross off a 

 name after he had used it. This has been a source of endless 

 trouble to his successors ; and inasmuch as the corrections 



