220 Mr. A. R. Wallace on Scolytidce and Bostrichidce. 



might we impute the death of an animal to the flies and their larvae 

 which a few hours afterwards attack it. 



It now becomes a question whether the supposed criminals are 

 not really our benefactors, — teaching us, by their presence, that there 

 is something wrong, before we could otherwise perceive it. We 

 may then be induced to inquire into the state of the soil or of the 

 atmosphere, and be led to examine what diseases or what enemies 

 may be at work on the roots or on the foliage of our trees as the 

 points most likely for decay and death to originate in. Let us not 

 forget that noble maxim of English law, — that every one is to be 

 considered innocent till he is proved guilty; since it is just possible 

 that further inquiry may discover, in the much-abused Scolytus, a 

 warning friend instead of an insidious enemy. 



XVIII. Descriptions of South African Tineina collected hy 

 R. Trimen, Esq., in 1 858-9. By H. T. Stainton, 

 Esq., F.L.S., &c. 



[Read February 6th, I860.] 



Mr. Trimen not having specially attended to the Micro-Le- 

 pidoptera in this country before his departure for the Cape of 

 Good Hope, I had not anticipated that he would have brought 

 back with him any representatives of the South African Tineina. 

 But in this respect I have been agreeably disappointed. Mr. Tri- 

 men brought home three species of the genus Tinea, two of the 

 long-horned group, and two of the genus Hyponomeuta. 



The three Tinece are all new species ; of the long-horns, one 

 (^Adela Natalcnsis) I had already obtained from Herr Guenzius, 

 who collected for some time at Natal ; and the other species, 

 which is the type of a new genus, had already been described by 

 Zeller, under the name of Ceromilia Wahlbergi, from specimens 

 collected by Wahlberg in Caffraria. One of the Hyponomeutce 

 likewise appears to have been described by Zeller, but the other 

 seems to be new. Among Mr. Trimen's captures were one or 

 two other Tineina, but they were not in a state to be described. 

 Mr. Trimen also brought home several Tortricina of interesting 

 forms, but I have restricted myself solely here to the represen- 

 tatives of my own groups. 



