THE TINEINA 



OF 



SOUTHERN EUROPE. 



CHAPTER I. 



PROFESSOR ZELLER. 



PROFESSOR ZELLER'S VISIT TO ITALY AND SICILY IN 1844. 



A MOST important event in the history of the Tineina of Southern 

 Europe (that which, in fact, has gradually led to the dissemination of 

 a knowledge of these small insects amongst Western, Central, and 

 Northern Europe) was Professor Zeller's visit a quarter of a century 

 ago to the Italian peninsula. Exchanging in midwinter the sandy 

 fir-forests of Grlogau, on the banks of the Oder, for the rocky hills of 

 the South, terraced with vineyards and olive- plantations, he brought 

 to bear on the new phase of insect-life he saw around him his 

 highly concentrated powers of observation. 



Much which to a native of Italy, even though he had attained 

 some proficiency as an entomologist, would have appeared ordinary 

 and commonplace (for that which we see constantly can seldom 

 strike us), must to one coming from Northern Germany have pro- 

 duced a very different impression ; and hence we find, in the pages of 

 the ' Isis ' for 1847, in which are recorded the observations made by 

 Professor Zeller on the Lepidoptera noticed on this journey, many an 

 interesting remark, which may even now prove of value to the philo- 

 sophical reader in opening out new trains of thought as to the habits 

 and customs of species, &c. 



In the ' Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de 

 Moscou,' 1854, pp. 3-52, Professor Zeller has given a detailed 

 account of the Sicilian localities which he visited Messina, Syra- 

 cuse, and Catania. He arrived at Messina on the 26th January, 1844, 

 and remained there till after the middle of April. On the 21st of 

 April he took up his residence at Syracuse, which he left on the 

 24th of June for Catania, whence, on the 29th-30th June, he made 

 an excursion to the summit of Mount Etna. Leaving Sicily on the 

 6th August, he spent fourteen days at Naples, whence on the 22nd 

 August he proceeded by Terracina to Rome, where he remained only 

 nine days. 



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