300 BRITISH LEPIDOPTEIU. 



Wocke. "Cat., "338. no. 3042 (1871;; Hein. and Wocke, " Schmett. Deutsch.." 

 p. 756(1877); Sand, " Cat. Lep. Auv.." p. 201 (1879;; Wallgrn., "Ent. Tidsk.," 

 ii , p. 129 (1881); Snellen. " De Vlinders," etc., pp. 997-998 (1882); Sorhagen, 

 " Die Kleinschmett. Brandbg.," p. 307(1886); Hering, " Stett. Ent. Zeit.," lii., 

 p. '221 (1891); Meyr., "Handbook," p. 721 (1895). Fulgent, Sta., "Ent. Mo. 

 Mag.," xxv., pp. 12-13 (1888) ; Wood, " Ent. Mo. Mag.," xxx., p. 49(1894) ; Meyr., 

 " Handbook," etc., p. 721 (1895). 



ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION. Basalclla, v. Heyd., Zell., p. 312, c. 

 Sppl. 831. Alls anterioribus orichalceo-fuscis, basin versus palli- 

 dioribus, fascia longe pone medium lata argentea, medio consti-icta, 

 capite- albo-luteo-pilosa, antennis subferrugineis. Grosser und mit 

 liingeren, schmaleren Fliigeln als die bis jetzt beschriebenen Arten, 

 nussbraun, fast ohne Metallglanz, die Wurzelhalfte licht bronzefarbig. 

 Die breite Silberbinde hinter der ftjitte, am Innenrande weiter von der 

 Wurzel entfernt, in der Mitte eingeschniirt, die Franzen deutlich 

 doppelt, ihre Wurzelhiilfte mit groben braunen Schuppen, die Hinter- 

 fliigel an der Wurzel ihres Vorderrandes mit einem Pinsel langer 

 grober schwarzer Schuppen. Der Kopf iiberall weisshaarig, die 

 Fiihler und Beine bleich rostbraun. Ein Exemplar in F. R. Samm- 

 lung aus Kiel, darunter steckt ein Zettel : liasalella, v. Heyd. Ende 

 August, Frankfurt-am-Main, auch von Ziirich und aus dem Breisgau 

 (Herrich-Schaffer, Systematise!* Bearbeituny der Schmett. nm Europa, 

 v., p. 354). 



IMAGO. Head pale ochreous. Anterior wings 5-6 mm. ; shiny olive- 

 fuscous ; a pale golden rather oblique transverse fascia beyond the 

 middle, its hinder edge concave ; apex reddish-fuscous ; cilia pale 

 grey, with large brown scales at their base. Posterior wings and cilia 

 pale grey. A tuft of dark scales at the base of the hind-wings. 



VARIATION. a. fulyem, Sta. An especially brilliant form of X. 

 basalella described as follows : Anterior wings shining olive-green to 

 beyond the middle, then with a very brilliant silvery fascia, rather 

 obliquely placed ; sometimes the ground colour is a little darker 

 immediately before the fascia ; the apical portion of the wing is of a 

 rich chocolate-brown, in certain lights looking blacker and contrasting 

 strongly with the pale grey cilia ; head whitish-ochreous, darker on 

 the vertex. Exp. al. 2^ lin. (Stainton, Ent. Mo. May., xxv., p. 12). 



COMPARISON OF N. BASALELLA WITH N. TURICELLA. When Stainton 

 redescribed X. basalella as X. fulyens he wrote : " The effulgent 

 metallic brilliancy of the silvery fascia and the glossiness of the basal 

 portion of the wing would alone serve to distinguish it from the usual 

 beech-feeder X. tityrella (presumably X. tun-cello), a much duller and 

 more sober-looking insect." Stainton's diagnosis of X. tityrella now 

 referred to this species reads : " Alls anticis nitidis fuscis, vix olivaceo- 

 tinctis, postice saturatioribus, fascia subobliqua pone medium dilute 

 aurea, ad dorsum latiore ; capillis luteis. Exp. al. 2^ lin." (Ins. Brit., 

 p. 804). 



EGG-LAYING. This species is not at all particular as to the position 

 in which the egg is laid, and places it on the upper and under surface 

 of a beech-leaf indiscriminately. 



MINE. The larva makes a long contorted mine (usually on margin 

 of leaf), at first very slender, with the excrement forming a black line ; 

 as the mine becomes broader, the excrement appears paler, yet, for 

 some distance, fills the whole width of the mine, being placed in a 

 series of little arcs of circles ; after the first third of the mine, the 



