NOTES ON THE MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA OF SOUTH-WEST LONDON. 107 
dark markings. In some specimens these only take the form of 
numerous short strigule. In others the strigule are concentrated, 
forming a dark triangular mark with the base running along the costa 
to about two-thirds, and its apex just reaching the dorsum. Beyond 
this on the disc is a patch of dark.scales running into the apex of the 
wing. 
Argyresthia cornella, Fab.—Chiswick, Kingsbury, 1915. Not rare 
on the stems and leaves of apple trees, and sometimes on crab, which 
was doubtlessly its original food plant. It varies much in the shape 
and amount of the dark markings. 
Aryyresthia goedartella, Iu.—Chiswick, 1915, Wimbledon, Rich- 
mond. The imago may be taken abundantly by shaking the branches 
of birch trees. It is also easy to breed by gathering distorted birch 
catkins or by finding the full-grown larve crawling down the trunks. 
At Chiswick and Richmond it also occurs on alder. The imagines 
appear darker than those from birch. This species is excessively 
variable. Sometimes the forewings have an uniform golden appear- 
ance, but in most cases the usual markings may be noted as being of 
a deeper tint. These suffused forms occur in this district with the 
type. 
Ab. literella, Haw.—Type in British Museum. This is a form in 
which the golden markings are much more slender than usual, and to 
the unaided eye do not appear to reach the upper edge of the wing, 
but by means of a strong lens three of them may be traced to the 
costa. Wood gives a good figure in his Indea, fig. 1310. I have 
never taken this form, of which only two specimens appear to be 
known. Stephens had Haworth’s specimen in his collection and took 
another in Darenth Wood in 1846. Stainton himself captured a 
specimen among alders at Lewisham near the end of July, 1861 (nt. 
Ann., 1862, p. 132). 
Argyresthia brockeella, Hb.—Chiswick, 1914. Richmond. Common 
among birches. The larva also occurs in distorted catkins. As a rule 
the moths of this genus do not wander far from the vicinity in which 
they were bred, but I once took a quite fresh specimen of this species 
at rest on a hawthorn growing in the open. Possibly some birch 
catkins, containing a full-grown larva, had been thrown down at the 
foot of the tree. This species also varies considerably. I have 
specimens in which the forewings are coppery golden with the 
markings hardly perceptible. There is a well marked aberration 
which is connected with the type by intermediate examples. 
Ab. aurivittella, Haw.—Type in British Museum. The golden 
markings form a longitudinal dentate dash continuous from the base 
to the apex of the forewing, but only touching the costa at the base 
and the dorsum atthe anal angle. There is a white dot at the apex 
and the rest of the wimg is white. Wood, Indew, fig. 1311. I have not 
taken this aberration, but possess half-a-dozen specimens from the 
late Dr. Mason’s collection. Unfortunately they are all without 
data. Staudinger and Rebel, Vat. 1901, wrongly place this aberra- 
tion under A. goedartella. 
