PRACTICAL HINTS RELATING TO THE EUPITHECIIDS. 179 



the ancillary appendages, have considered M. fauna only a geographical 

 variety of M. lunaedactyla. 



At present, however, I am more concerned with a plume we took 

 at Courmayeur, in 1894, and which I took at Larche last summer, and 

 of which Mr. Tutt has a long series, taken, in the interval, at various 

 places in Dauphiny and adjacent country, between these northern and 

 southern limits. Until recently we complacently regarded this as a 

 local form of M. lunaedactyla, and as it must exist in other collections 

 (being so widespread, and by no means uncommon), although we are 

 not aware that any notes on it exist, the same view is no doubt taken 

 by other entomologists. An examination of the ancillary appendages, 

 hoAvever, shows them to agree absolutely with those of M. agrorum, 

 and not with those of M. lunaedactyla. In facies the insect is inter- 

 mediate between M. agrorum and M. lunaedactyla, i.e., it is rather darker 

 than M. agrorum ,vavLch lighter than J/, lunaedactyla : rather smaller than 

 M. hmaedactyla, but not markedly so. The white markings are larger, 

 especially there is a white shade along the inner margin of the fore- 

 wing, and the anterior fringe of the hind feather of the forewing is 

 white. The white line, or band, on the lobes of the forewing are 

 quite distinct, in M. hmaedactyla they are faintly marked or wanting. 

 The antennal rings are as in M. agrorum, not obscure as in M. 

 lunaedactyla. 



The evidence of the appendages is conclusive that it is distinct from 

 M. lunaedactyla, and make it highly probable that it is a form of the 

 species il/. agrorum. Nevertheless it differs from J/. a//?-orin», in wing mark- 

 ingand colour more than it does from M. lunaedactyla or M. fauna, or than 

 they do from each other, so that it is very possible that it may be 

 entitled to specific rank. This possible doubt may or may not be 

 resolved when the early stages of the two forms can be compared 

 together. In the meantime I would indicate it as a variety of Maras- 

 marcha agrorum, under the name tuttodactyla. 



Practical Hints relating to the Eupitheciids.* 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Among our less advanced collectors of lepidoptera, one always finds 

 a certain number asking for information as to the collecting of certain 

 groups, which give them considerable trouble in their early stages. 

 Among these, no group is so repeatedly enquired about as the 

 Eupitheciids, and, although we have already written, on an average, 

 some four to six " practical hints," in our book on this subject, con- 

 cerning each of the British species, there seems to be no reason why a 

 couple of independent hints about each species, one relating to the 

 larva, and one to the imago, should not find place in our pages. We 

 therefore propose giving a few short hints on this genus, in the 

 direction indicated, for the use of our younger readers, and trust that 

 they may be found of some service in enabling them to obtain for 

 themselves most of our British species. 



The short, thick, sluggish larva of FAqnthecia togata is to be found 

 from July to September, in the cones of spruce-fir, feeding between 



* For further " Hints," see Practical Hints for the Field Lepidopterist , I, II, 

 and III. 



