IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 63 



remarkable that it is not more frequently found among sallows in our 

 southern counties. 



Ilypena, Tr. 



This genus contains the two most common species of the Hy- 

 pemdtje, viz., proboscidalis and rostralis. The rare obsitalis is probably 

 overlooked, owing to its similarity to the common rostralis which varies 

 considerably. It is in this latter species, too, that the tufts of raised 

 scales on the disc are best developed. These occupy the stigmatal areas, 

 and often the median line. Guenee writes of the genus : " The ima- 

 gines have a Phala3niform aspect and may be easily recognised by their 

 straight, extended palpi, sometimes three or four times as long as the 

 head. These palpi are ornamented with very coarse scales on all their 

 joints ; the second, generally, only varies in length, but in the third, 

 the form is very different in the various species. In the majority of 

 cases it is securifornie, elbowed with the preceding and ending in a 

 tine little point. But this form, which is usual in many of our 

 European species, is far from being general. Thus in H. scubralis and 

 H. erectalis the point is entirely suppressed and the joint has an almost 

 rectangular form ; in namaqtialis, it equals the second in breadth and 

 its form is almost oval ; in secularis it is the second itself which 

 broadens more than usual etc." (* Histoire naturelle ' etc., (Deltoides), 

 vol. viii., p. 26). 



Grote writes : " The type of this tribe (Hypenini) is the European 

 Ilypena proboscidalis. The hind wings are unicolorous and subordinate 

 to the primaries, which show the usual Noctuid markings more or less 

 distinctly. The body is sometimes tufted, the brush-like antennae are 

 simple. In Bomolocha the eyes are lashed, but this character has 

 nothing to do with the hairiness or nakedness of the eye itself, which, 

 in the Deltoidince, so far as I know, is always naked. This nakedness is 

 a general characteristic of the lower moths. I know of only one 

 Geometrid with hairy eyes. The genera in my ' Check List,' down to 

 Hypenula, referred to this tribe, should probably be included in the 

 preceding " (' Canadian Entomologist,' vol. xxii., p. 147). 



Ilypena, Tr., proboscidulis, Linri. 



This is a very common species, but unlike rostralis does not appear 

 to vary to any appreciable extent. The Linnaean description of the 

 type is as follows : " Pyralis palpis porrectis approximatis thorace 

 longioribus, alis cinereo-griseis : strigis ferrugineis " (< Systema 

 Naturae,' xth., p. 533), which he afterwards altered to: "Pyralis 

 palpis porrectis approximatis thorace lougioribus, antennis pectinatis, 

 alis grisescentibus strigis ferrugineis " ('Systema Naturae,' xiith., 88 1). 

 This is hardly a description which commends itself as applying to our 

 British specimens, which are hardly "greyish with ferruginous striga3." 

 Guenee says : " It varies very much, above all in the colour and the 

 distinctness of the lines. Linne appears to have made his description 

 from very well marked specimens " (' Histoire naturelle ' etc. 

 (Deltoides), vol. viii., p. 31). Unless the Scandinavian specimens are 

 very much greyer than ours, I am scarcely able to apply the description 

 to the species, as we know it in Britain, at all. Our British specimens are 

 almost entirely brown, but of two distinct shades. One of a dark fuscous 



