368 LEPIDOPTERA. 



been available for description. The case at once appeared to 

 agree with that figured by Bruand, and the attitude of the 

 t female, as described, also agreed most accurately. Finally 

 a search in the cabinet of the late Mr. Stainton, now in 

 the national collection at South Kensington, revealed the 

 male moth, unnamed, but also unmistakably agreeing with 

 Bruand's description of F. tahidella. I know of no other 

 localities than those named, but the insect should occur 

 among the lichen-covered branches of trees in other parts of 

 our damp western districts. Abroad it is but little known ; 

 Bruand says that in eight years he found the larva in two 

 localities in France, in both cases on old oak fences ; but that 

 three years before writing he had beaten three cases, in 

 another forest, from old mossy wych-elms. 



F. senium, Speyer, which Staudinger holds to be the 

 same species, is found, besides France, in Central and Southern 

 Germany, Belgium, and Eastern Russia. 



It may perhaps be well, at the conclusion of this very 

 aberrant family, to draw attention to the singular power 

 possessed by the pupae, in accoi dance with those of the 

 Scsiido', Zygomidcr, Zeuzerida\ Hejnalyhc, and other families in 

 the present group, and also in large groups of the Miero-lcpi- 

 doptrra, of forcing their way partly out of the cocoon, in 

 some cases three-fourths of their length, before the emergence 

 of the moth. This power is due in part to the presence of 

 rows of small teeth, as often described, on the back of the 

 abdominal segments, and sometimes to bristles on the same 

 surface ; but also, in a large degree, to the greater freedom 

 and mobility of the abdominal segments themselves, of which 

 one more segment than in other groups is capable of move- 

 ment. In some of these, as already stated, the activity is 

 extraordinary, and is wholly due to the twisting action of 

 these segments. So obvious and complete is this distinction 

 in mobility of segments, that in any arrangement based 

 upon the structure of the pupa, this would inevitably become 



