ON SOME PSYCHIDES. W7/ 
having drawn us to the Psychidae, Mr. Pierce came down, early in 
May, and we motored together to the old spot. Four and a half to 
five hours were spent in a very rigid examination of a mile or more of 
pales, and we captured a small number of “cases.” On examination 
we were disappointed to find that the insect we sought was conspicuous 
by its absence. We had taken Taleporia tubulosa and Fumea casta, (?) 
and a few each of two other cases at present unrecognised. 
A few days after Mr. Pierce’s return to Liverpool, letters having 
passed to and fro concerning our insects and their food, I started 
out to see if I could find Fwmea casta (?); and once more found that I 
had been endeavouring to *‘ carry coals to Newcastle.” For, on some 
old posts, upon my glebe, not a quarter of a mile from home, I found 
plenty of cases of what was undoubtedly S. inconspicuella, empty, of 
course, but many still grasping the deserted pupa case. And more 
than this, I found over a dozen cases of Diplodoma herminata, a species 
which has very rarely forced itself upon my notice during my many 
years of collecting. On this I naturally wrote Mr. Pierce telling him 
what a fool I had been, and sending him some D. herminata cases. 
He replied, asking me what I feed them upon. They neglected lichen, 
hawthorn, and everything he offered them, while wandering about 
evidently hungry. Whereupon I gathered some more cases and set me 
to work to find how to feed them. I tried hawthorn, one actually 
nibbled a blossom, but seemed to make little progress. He was 
evidently just “ moistening his lips.” I then tried insect food. A 
fine freshly emerged male, Spilosoma lubricipeda, proved unacceptable. 
Again and again the larva moved away uninterested. Xanthorhoé 
fluctuata likewise had no attraction. But when I captured some nice 
plump, red “ daddies,” ‘a change came o’er the scene.’ At once, like 
a bull-dog, each larva fastened upon the thorax of its (dead, of course) 
prey and proceeded to clear it out. This settles for all time, to my 
mind, the question of the “food plant!” of this obscure species, 
confirming, of course, the experience of Fologne, Edelston, and others. 
With respect to the group Psychina in general, it is troublesome for our 
purposes, that so little is done and known about these insects. It 
appears to be difficult, if not impossible, to secure material for the 
study of the genitalia. Few collections contain specimens, and of those 
which have come into the market, the series are short and of uncertain 
identity. The so-called Fumea casta may well contain several species, 
and EHpichnopteryx pulla is not above suspicion. Iam writing now of 
my own ideas. 
I have noted of late years a growing scarcity of even the commonest 
species of the Psychidae. It may be failing eye-sight on my part, or 
it may be that for some reason all the species have really become rarer. 
Mr. Pierce and I would be deeply obliged to any friends who will 
attempt to provide us with specimens for preparation and examina- 
tion. Specimens from different localities and even different settlements 
would be of the greatest value for the elucidation of the difficult points 
and questions. 
I must add that a later letter from Mr. Pierce tells me that 
amongst the Brentwood material he has found one case of S. 
inconspicuella, and that his Diplodoma herminata eat willow. 
