218 Mr. W. L. Distant on 



For some specimens from Ireland containing Saccammina 

 fusuUniformis, McCoy, sp., I am indebted to Miss M. K. An- 

 drews, of" Belfast, who has with great kindness furnished me 

 with numerous samples of limestones and shales from various 

 parts of Ireland, in order to further the study of their 

 Miciozoa. The Irish Saccammince thus lately obtained are 

 from the Lower Limestone shales of Castle Espie, Co. Down. 



XXXIV. — On a Collection of Heterocera made in the 

 Transvaal. By W. L. DISTANT. 



Noctuidae. 



In dealing with this family of Transvaal moths a special fact 

 is at once recognized — apparently also applicable to the 

 Pyralid^e — which is, that the South-African Noctuids cannot 

 be studied alone. Entomologists who may have had good 

 reasons to conclude that in other groups of insects tliere is 

 little community between the Ethio])ian and Oriental faunas 

 will find that the rule does not apply to these moths. Not 

 only genera, but very many species, are common to the two 

 regions, while others are of a more or less world-wide distri- 

 bution and have an extended range in such unlikely areas as 

 North and South America, Australia, &c. It Avill thus be 

 seen that caution is necessary in describing South- African 

 Noctuidffi, for many of these inhabitants of grassy plains have 

 as wide a distribution as their natural surroundings. They 

 are truly wanderers on the face of the earth, and many of 

 these moderately small and obscure moths, which neither by 

 habit nor coloration invite notice, must possess an antiquity 

 commensurate to the requirements for their vast migration. 



Of the 108 species here enumerated or described, the 

 following 9 species have a 



More or less universal distribution. 



Heliotliis armigera, Iliibn. Ilybla'a puern, Cram. 



Agrotis plecta, Linn. Cosmophila erosa, lliihn. 



Spodopteia iiiauritia, Boisd. Pliisia eriosouia, DouU. 



Prodenia littoralis, Boisd. Calpe capucina, Esp. 

 Caradrina exigua, Hiihi. 



Of these 5 at least have been recorded from the American 



continent or adjacent islands. 



