98 THE ENTOMOLOGHST. 



on seeds of columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) and meadow crane's- 

 bill {Geranium pratense). 



Oxyptilus distans. — I do not know anything of the larva of this 

 insect; but Mr. Stainton's note (E. M. M. v. 36) on the economy 

 of a closely-allied species, O. Icetus, ZelL, offers a clue for those 

 who have the opportunity to follow it up. 



0. pilosell(S and 0. hieracii. — Larva, in June, on Hieracium. 

 Examine the under sides of the leaves. 



0. parvidactyliis. — Larva, in May, said to feed on thyme and 

 Hier^acium. 



Mimceseoptilus bipunctidactyla. — I am inclined to think that 

 M. hipunctidactyla and plagiodactyhis are only forms of one 

 species. I have a long series of both varieties from various 

 parts of England. Looking at the series of both as a whole, 

 variation as regards intensity of wing-marking and size of 

 individuals is exhibited ; but the range of variation, as regards 

 markings and colour, is not so striking as in my series of 

 P. gonodactylus, also from various English localities. M. plagio- 

 dactylus I have bred from larvae feeding on, and partly in, the 

 shoots of Scabiosa. These were sent me by Mr. Purdy, of 

 Folkestone. Previous to this Mr. Gregson had been good enough 

 to send me larvae of plagio dactylus, or as he named it, " scahio- 

 dactylus." In his note accompanying the larvae, Mr. Gregson 

 wrote, " You will see how distinct it is from plagiodactylus of our 

 list, which has a larva having a broad claret dorsal line." The 

 body-colour and ornamentation of Mr. Gregson's larvae may be 

 briefly described thus: — Whitish green; dorsal stripe reddish- 

 pink (or rose-madder), most distinct on the 9th to 12th segments. 

 Comparing the Folkestone larvae with the full description taken 

 from those sent me by Mr. Gregson, I found that they agreed in 

 every particular. I admit that the perfect insects bred from 

 Mr. Gregson's larvae are more strongly marked, and perhaps 

 smaller, than imagines from the Folkestone larvae ; but as the 

 forms are so identical in their early stages I could not agree with 

 Mr. Gregson as to the distinctness of his insect. I may add that 

 I possibly owe it to Mr. Gregson's well-known courtesy that he 

 refrained from referring to this as an additional proof of my 

 inaccurate knowledge of British plume-moths in his somewhat 

 ambiguously worded, but otherwise characteristic article, anent 

 scientific nomenclature, in a recent number of a Natural-History 

 journal. 



