112 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



prevent mouldiness. All gatherings should take place when the 



food-plant is dry, otherwise the success of the experiment is much 



endangered. 



(To be continued.) 



THE GENUS GONIODOMA, Zell. 

 By George Coverdale. 



This genus, which until lately consisted of a single well- 

 defined species, G. auroguttella, F. v. E,., has been the subject of 

 considerable discussion, due chiefly to an article, from the pen 

 of Mr. H. T. Stainton, in the Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xxi., p. 59, 

 " On the Coleophora of the Statice li77ionium, hitherto erroneously 

 recorded as Goniodoma auroguttella, F. v. R." After giving 

 an account of this curious case of mistaken identity, and 

 of Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher's fortunate discovery of the larva of 

 our species, &c., he writes, " I would propose for it the name of 

 limoniella ; further, as it would hardly be suitable to place it in 

 the genus Goniodoma, its habitation not showing any angles, I 

 would prefer to locate it, for the present, at least, in the genus 

 Coleophora, of which we now know several species that bore into 

 stems, such as C. salicornics and the very handsome South 

 Russian C. argyrella, H.S. ; hence we cannot look upon that 

 habit as furnishing a sufficient justification for separating 

 individual species from the main genus Coleophora.'" If this 

 view be accepted it means the abolition of the entire genus 

 Goniodoma, now comprising three species, in favour of placing 

 these insects with the already perplexing hosts of Coleophora ; 

 for the imago of auroguttella is almost identical in structure with 

 that of limoniella, and although I have as yet had no opportunity 

 of examining millierella, I believe considerable difficulty is 

 experienced in separating it from auroguttella. Probably no one 

 would seriously propose to locate limoniella and millierella in the 

 genus Coleophora on account of their cases, whilst retaining 

 auroguttella as the sole exponent of Goniodoma. If one is a 

 Coleophora they all are ; to separate them generically seems 

 impossible. The position assumed by Mr. Stainton in this 

 matter appears to me untenable, and I think there is evidence to 



