424 
Mrs. T. Vernon Wollaston on 
If extreme inconspicuousness and the want of a definite 
character could form the distinctive feature of any moth, this 
obscure little Tinea ought certainly to be easy of recognition ; 
yet, although it undoubtedly cannot be referred to any thing 
else in the St.-Helena list, it seems next to impossible to 
describe it in any manner which must make it at once intel¬ 
ligible. The almost uniformly dull subcinereous brown of its 
upper wings (which, however, are more properly defined as 
densely covered with dark scales on a rather paler base) is 
at first sight only relieved by a few somewhat black ones 
at the apex and occasionally on the inner margin. It was 
chiefly about the trunks of the old gumwoods, at intermediate 
elevations, that I obtained this obscure little moth. 
The following species chiefly differs front the compositarurn 
in having the posterior wings narrower than in the latter. 
Tinea congenera , E. Woll. 
Expanse 54 lines. With the fore wings of a dull brownish 
or blackish hue, slightly suffused with pale yellowish or straw- 
coloured scales, which are more conspicuous along the costa 
and the inner margin than on any other portion of the surface. 
The posterior wings are narrower than in the preceding species, 
which otherwise it very closely resembles. It is not, how¬ 
ever, of quite so uniform a tint as T. compositarurn , or of such 
a silken or shiny surface. Hind wings pale silvery cine¬ 
reous. Thorax concolorous with the anterior wings; body 
somewhat paler. 
I should almost have looked upon this little moth as merely 
a variety of T. compositarurn , had not Professor Zeller (who 
has most kindly examined my specimens) pronounced it to be 
a distinct species. Unfortunately I only obtained two ex¬ 
amples, one of which is very much darker than the other, 
indeed almost black. 
Tinea brunneo-marmorata , E. Woll. 
Expanse 7 lines. The fore wings of a griseous straw- 
colour, but densely and conspicuously suffused with brown 
scales. There are also several small dark brown or almost 
blackish blotches, the most conspicuous of which are two 
or three on the inner margin, and a third near to the 
apex, the extreme apex itself being black, and one or two 
smaller and more variable ones along the costa. The fringe 
is concolorous with the lighter portions of tire surface, and 
very sparingly besprinkled with blackish or brownish scales. 
Hind wings smoky cinereous, with the fringe rather paler. 
