212 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE GENUS ORNIX. 



Caudulatella (which last frequents 

 willows in the perfect state), and two 

 American species, Trepidella and 

 Fcstinella, have yet to be discovered. 



History of the Study of the Genus 

 Ornix. 

 Reaumur was acquainted with the 

 larva of Ornix Gutteaj but does not 

 appear to have known the perfect 

 insect. In the writings of Linne and 

 Fabricius we find no notice of any of 

 the genus; but in Thunberg's 'Mn- 

 secta Suecica" we find a Tinea Gyl- 

 lenhalella described, by which he pos- 

 sibly may have intended Ornix Gitt- 

 tea. The first reliable description of 

 this insect appeared, however, in 

 Haworth's " Lepidoptera Britannica" 

 under the name of Gracillaria Giittca, 

 and his Gr. Nehulea appears to have 

 been described from some of the 

 Melcagripennella group. 



Hiibner, in his " Sammlung Eu- 

 ropaischer Schmetterlinge," figures 

 a Tinea Meleogripcnnella which is 

 clearly referable to some of that 

 group, but which it is quite impos- 

 sible to identify specifically. In his 

 *' Geschichte Europaischer Schmet- 

 terlinge," he figured the larva of 

 Ornix Guttca under the name of 

 Tinea Malinella. 



Treitschke in 1 833, in his '< Schmet- 

 terlinge von Europa," describes Ornix 

 Mdeagripennella, of which he says 

 the larva feeds on mountain ash, 

 sloe and birch ; so that he was evi- 

 dently acquainted with several of our 



peennes, de la Devo?iiella, de VJ7n' 

 pliatella et de la Caudulatella (on ren- 

 contre le papillon de cette derniere 

 parmi les saules), ainsi que de deux 

 especes de I'Amerique, la Trepidella 

 et la Festinella. 



Histoire de I'Etude du Genre 

 Ornix. 



Reaumur a connu la chenille de 

 VOriiix Guttea, mais il ne parait pas 

 avoir connu le papillon, Dans les 

 ouvrages de Linne et de Fabricius 

 nous ne trouvons aucune notice rela- 

 tive a ce genre ; mais dans les " In- 

 secta Suecica" de Thunberg nous 

 voyons decrite une Tinea Gt/llen- 

 halella, par laquelle il est possible 

 qu'il a voulu designer VOrnix Gutten, 

 Mais la premiere description satis- 

 faisante a paru dans les *' Lepidoptera 

 Britannica" de Haworth, sous le nom 

 dc Gracillaria Guttea^ et la Gr. Nehulea 

 de cet auteur parait avoir ete decrite 

 d'apres un individu du groupe de la 

 Mcleag ripen nclla. 



Hiibner dans sa *' Sammlung Eu- 

 ropaischer Schmetterlinge" a figure 

 une Tijiea Meleagripennella qu'on 

 pent assurement rapporter a ce 

 groupe, mais qu'on ne pent iden- 

 tifier avec aucune espece. Dans sa 

 " Geschichte Europaischer Schmet- 

 terlinge" il a figure la chenille de 

 VOrnix Gulfea sous le nom de Tinea 

 Malinella, 



Treitschke en 1833, dans ses 

 "Schmetterlinge von Europa," decrit 

 VOrnix Meleagripennella, sur laquelle 

 il fait la remarque que la chenille se 

 nourrit " du sorbier, du prunellier 

 et du boulcau," de sorte qu'il est 



