OREOrSYCHE. 119 



Hirsntella. It is asliy-yrey, tliinly scaled, the back and abdomen darker, with fine whitish wool, 

 and the abdomen scarcely extends beyond the inner margin. Expands three-quarters of an inch. 

 It inhabits South-Eastern Europe. P. Zcllcri, Mann, from Hungary and Dalmatia, has much 

 shorter and rounder wings in the male than Opacclla, and the female is reddish-}-ellow.) 



GENUS II. — OREOPSYCHE (SPEY.). 



Wings with extremely fine, scattered hairs, fore-wings rounded behind, hind-wings rather 

 narrower, with the discoidal cell simply divided ; fringes rather long. Antennae with very long 

 and slender pectinations, lying irregularly over each other ; head tufted in front, and abdomen with 

 shaggy hair. Most of the species are mountain insects. This genus may be divided into two 

 sections ; in the first, comprising the bulk of the species, the body is stout, and the wings are 

 nearly transparent ; and in the second, to which the four last species belong, the body is slender,' 

 with much shorter hair, and the wings are opaque. 



1. 0. Albida (Esp.). — Head and body black, covered with white silky hair; wings transparent 

 with a whitish lustre ; the veins and costa dark brown, the hind margin blackish. (A variable 

 species ; variety Pliimosclla, Ramb., is blackish). Expands about three-quarters of an inch 

 Female pale ochreous. The case is covered with fragments of moss, leaves, &c., and the perfect 

 insect appears from March to June, according to the locality. It is common in France and Spain. 

 {P. Tabanivicinclla, Bruand, appears to be a variety from South France, with shorter antennae 

 and j'ellowish-brown hairs on the body, diverging towards the tip of the abdomen. P. Pyrcnaclla 

 Herr.-Schaff., is rather larger than Albida, and the body is densely covered with black hair; the 

 antennae are black and very plumose, and the wings are smoky-brown, semi-transparent, with 

 the costa and hind margin black, and the veins narrow.) 



2. O. Vesubiclla (Mill). — Wings vitreous, shining black, with the costa deep black, and the 

 fringes narrow, and darker than the ground colour. Body wholly covered with long black hair, 

 tinged with grey on the head and thorax. Antennae large, deep black, with very large lamcllas. 

 Expands nearly \\ inches. The case resembles that of O. Atra. The larva, which must pass the 

 winter under a thick covering of snow, is full-grown towards the end of July. It feeds on the 

 scanty grass growing among the boulders in the bed of mountain torrents in the Valley of 

 Lantosque ; and the moth appears in August. {P. Leschoiaultii, Stand., from the Pyrenees, 

 closely resembles O. Albida, but the pectinations of the antennae are much shorter, and wider 

 apart. The fore-wings are rounder, with the fringes and costa blackish, and the white hairs 

 of the abdomen are much longer, especially those at the extremity. The case resembles that of 

 the genus Epichnoptfiyx. 0. Malvinella, Mill., found in Andulasia in January and February, 

 resembles a small 0. Albida, with very densely pectinated antennae. The fore-wings are much 

 more rounded, white, but semi-transparent black towards the margins ; and sometimes with black 

 nervures. Hind-wings with a dark border, and white fringes. The female is yellowish, with the 

 front segments brown ; and without either legs or wings. The larva feeds on various low plants ; 

 and the case is formed of grains of sand, covered with different kinds of leaves, stalks, moss, &c., 

 arranged lengthways. O. Raliri, Led., from South Italy and Sicily, resembles PyrencEella in shape 

 and appearance, but the neuration and antennae are similar to those of Albida. There is no 

 whitish coloration on the wings or body.) 



3. O. Atra (Esp.). — Wings transparent, shining, with blackish fringes ; hind-\\ings much 

 narrower than the fore-wings, with all the nervules separate ; abdomen extending much beyond the 

 anal angle of the hind-wings. Expands rather more than half an inch. The case is rather long, 



