284 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CHORTODES MORRISII, Dale MSS., Morris = 

 G. BONDII, Knaggs. 



By J. W. TuTT, F.E.S. 



I AM sorry to disagree with so eminent a lepidopterist as 

 Dr. Knaggs, but as I long ago came independently to precisely 

 the same conclusion as Mr. Meyrick as to hondii, Knaggs, being 

 simply a synonym of morrisli, Morris (or Dale), and as I have 

 had reason occasionally to adversely criticise some of Mr. Mey- 

 rick 's work, I think it only just to say plainly that I agree with 

 him absolutely on this point, and disagree just as absolutely 

 with Dr. Knaggs. 



So far as this is a matter of fact and not of sentiment, I 

 would ask any lepidopterist interested in the subject to compare 

 carefully Humphrey and Westwood's figure, which Dr. Knaggs 

 dismisses as " an insect with narrow pointed wings, purporting 

 to represent morrisli," with a good series of the Folkestone 

 insect, and say whether they are not identical, and again, if they 

 think not, I would ask what other British insect the ^figure 

 represents ? 



The fact that the Kev. F. 0. Morris, in 1872, forgot something 

 that he had done in 1837, thirty-five years before, is not wonder- 

 ful. To say the least, Mr. Morris was not a deeply scientific 

 entomologist. Besides, to what other Acosmetia (in the old 

 sense) are the opening words of his own description, "Pale 

 straw-colour approaching to silvery white," &c., applicable ? 

 There were many things entomological, if we take Morris's book 

 as a standard, of which that author was apparently unaware. 

 In fact, he seems to have been much more "unaware" than he 

 was "aware" of some of the subjects of which he treated, but 

 that does not alter the fact that Charmouth, where the original 

 morrisii were captured, is, next to Folkestone, the best known 

 locality for hondii. I do not wish to quibble about Charmouth 

 and Lyme Eegis and their respective positions. I take the 

 report of Mr. Goss as to its distribution as the important factor 

 in this direction, and most working lepidopterists know that the 

 Lyme Eegis locality has long since been found to extend almost 

 to Charmouth. 



There are many important things relating to the enquiries 

 that have been made into the synonymy of this species of which 

 Dr. Knaggs does not seem to be aware. Some six years ago I 

 thoroughly sifted the matter, and wrote as follows (* British 

 Nocture and their Varieties,' vol. iv. p. 97) : — " This (morrisii) 

 certainly is not a pale variety of arcuosa. The original descrip- 

 tion and notes relating to morrisii, copied from Humphrey and 

 Westwood, are as follows : * Acosmetia morrisii, Dale (' Naturalist,' 

 ii. p. 88, and Errata) : This species measures about an inch in 



