CONTRIBUTIONS TO HISTORY OF THE BRITISH PTEROPHORI. 33 



the bands. Hind wing golden brown ; fringes of third feather whitish at 

 base, and with a tuft of black scales just beyond the middle. June 

 and July. 



On the Continent the larva of Icetiis has been found on 

 Andryala sinuata, one of the Compositae, but not a British plant. 

 Dr. Jordan suggests that probably the larva might be found on 

 some species of Hieracium in this country. The Oxyptilm, 

 occurring at Folkestone and in North Devon, is identical with 

 Icetus, and I have considered it to be distinct from distans 

 (Entom. XV. 35), but examination of an extensive series of 

 O. distans has convinced me that I was wrong in my conclusion. 

 The points of difference I relied on will not hold, and Icetus must 

 sink as a species. 



Oxyptilus pilosellce, Zell. 



Imago. — Expanse, 8-10 lines. Fore wing ochreous-brown clouded 

 with darker, an ill-defined whitish fascia traverses the outer digit, but is 

 scarcely traceable on the inner digit, beyond this is a whitish line crossing 

 both digits, the enclosed area appearing darker than rest of wing ; costa 

 from line to apex with some white cilia ; fringes brown, variegated with 

 whitish along the inner margin, at external margin of inner digit, and 

 edges of digital junction. Hind wing dark brown ; fringes slightly paler ; 

 third feather with some black scales on each side of the shaft near the tip. 



Oxyptilus hieracii, Zell. 



Imago. — Expanse, 8-11 lines. Fore wing dark brown, a white fascia 

 traverses the outer digit, but is not distinctly traceable on inner digit, 

 beyond this is a whitish line crossing both digits ; fringes brown, variegated 

 with white or whitish along inner margin, at external margin of inner digit, 

 and edges of digital juncture; costa from line to apex with some pale 

 yellowish cilia. Hind wing dark brown ; fringes slightly paler, with a 

 prominent tuft of black scales near tip of third feather, occupying both 

 sides of the shaft. 



The foregoing description of 0. hiei'acii and also that of 

 0. pilosellce are taken from continental specimens obtained from 

 Dr. Staudinger. I am quite unable to refer to any character by 

 which the one may be separated from the other. Hieracii is a 

 darker insect, and the markings are consequently better defined ; 

 in other respects it does not appear to materially differ from 

 pilosellce, and I cannot consider it to be specifically distinct 

 therefrom. I have no British example of either insect. Speci- 

 mens of 0. teucrii have sometimes been sent me as hieracii, and 

 large examples of 0. parvidactyliis for pilosellce. Teucrii may be 

 readily known by the additional black spot at the tip of third 

 feather, separated from the usual tuft of black scales by some 

 white cilia. 0. parvidactyliis has the patch of black scales 

 covering the tip of third feather, whilst in both hieracii and 

 teucrii the black scales are before the tip, and in distans nearer 

 the middle than tip of third feather. 



