50 LEPIDOPTEROUS FAUNA OF PORTLAND. 



p. 63, Epi&clmia Barikesiella. Mrs. Richardson and I took two 

 specimens of this moth, a male and female, in 1887, and two females 

 in 1889, and it is essentially a Portland moth, as it has not been 

 taken elsewhere in the world, and is at present only known to 

 science by these four specimens. The occurrence of the last two is 

 especially interesting, as giving very strong evidence that the moth 

 is a permanent resident on Portland, and not merely a chance visitor. 

 It is not one of the very small moths, as it is a little over an inch 

 across the wings ; but still from the very little that I have been able 

 to observe of its habits, from its apparent rarity in Portland, from 

 its having hitherto escaped notice, owing probably to the fact that 

 nearly all the collecting there before 1887 has been done in the 

 daytime, and more especially from my knowledge of the habits of 

 allied species, I should say that it was not a moth that was likely to 

 go to any great distance from the spot where it lived in the larva 

 state, but was, on the contrary, likely to be sluggish and retiring in 

 its habits, appearing on the wing for a short flight at night only 

 when the weather happened to be specially favourable to its 

 tastes, and hiding itself at other times most carefully from obser- 

 vation. I do not at all know how or on what plant the larva 

 feeds. There is no species that conies very close to it in this 

 country, but some of its nearest allies occur in the South of France 

 and elsewhere. I am sorry not to have more information to give 

 about this moth, but hope to be in a better position to do so at 

 some future time. 



I come next to Acidalia degeneraria, " The Portland Wave," a 

 much better known species, which has only been taken in Portland 

 so far as this country is concerned. The Rev. 0. P. Cambridge has 

 also, I believe, met with it in Corfu. It is well known to entomol- 

 ogists in all its stages, though I am not aware that the larva has ever 

 been found at large. Many eggs have, however, been laid by cap- 

 tured female moths and the larvae reared on chickweed (Cerastium) ; 

 they will also, like many other larvse, eat knot grass (Polyyonum 

 aviculare), but it is impossible from this to say with certainty upon 

 what they feed in a state of nature. One cannot help thinking, 



