331 
the L&pido , ptera of St. Helena. 
Wished itself at St. Helena, as, indeed, it seems to have done 
in most countries of the civilized world, its meal-infesting 
habits rendering it extremely liable to accidental transporta¬ 
tion through indirect human agencies. As elsewhere, it more 
particularly abounds in old unused outhouses and barns, as 
well as about stables; and under such circumstances I met 
with it very commonly at Plantation. 
Pyralis helenensis , E. Woll. 
Expanse 11 lines. With the fore wings of a dull pale 
speckled griseous brown, and having two transverse brownish 
lines, the first one of which is antemedian, and the second one 
postmedian. Between these two lines the surface is rather 
darker (especially towards the costa) and with the discoidal 
spot almost undistinguishable. There is a small yellowish 
inconspicuous spot, or blotch, on the costa adjoining the ex¬ 
terior side of the postmedian line. Hind wings very pale 
cinereous, minutely speckled with black scales, and having 
two undulating darker lines, which are united near the inner 
margin. Thorax and body concolorous with the anterior 
wings. 
The maxillary palpi are slightly longer and more conspi¬ 
cuous than in P. farinalis ; the wings also, though smaller, 
are comparatively rather broader. 
As this very ordinary-looking little moth is not mentioned 
by Mr. Melliss as occurring in the island, and I only met 
with one example, I think it must be a somewhat rare species. 
I was inclined at first to regard it as merely a geographical 
variety of our British P. glaucinalis • however, as far better 
judges have pronounced it to be a distinct and hitherto appa¬ 
rently unknown species, I have accordingly named it hele¬ 
nensis. Nevertheless I think it is but fair to add that the only 
example of it that we met with was captured under somewhat 
suspicious circumstances—namely, in the kitchen-garden at 
Plantation, amongst the various introduced European vegeta¬ 
tion, where one would not naturally have expected to find the 
unique specimen of a species which was truly indigenous ; 
especially is this the case when the peculiarly local character 
of most of the native St.-Helena Lepidoptera is taken into 
account. Indeed (as I shall have occasion to allude to 
further on) many species are so w&ra-local, that although 
abundant enough in their exact habitat , yet a few feet away 
there is absolutely no trace of them whatever to be seen. 
Pyralis helenensis differs mainly from P. glaucinalis in 
having the upper wings broader and slightly more rounded at 
the apex ; and the undulating darker lines of the under wing 
are more transversely placed, as well as united near the inner 
