170 ' [January, 



Exp. barely 5 lin. No silvery-spots ; no streaks ; the first dorsal spot is simply 

 a black spot ; no trace of a second. 



This, the first British specimen of himaculella I examined this 

 year, appeared to be abundantly distinct from the Vienna insect. 



h, from Mr. J. ~W. Tutt, taken near G-ravesend, amongst sallow. 



Exp. 6 lin. The first dorsal and the costal spot silvery-violet, with some black 

 scales ; the silvery-violet costal streaks both present ; no trace of the second dorsal 

 spot. 



The largest British specimen I have seen ; it comes much nearer 

 to the Vienna insect than a does, but, like a, is well distinguished by 

 the total absence of the second dorsal spot. For nearly six weeks I 

 was under the illusion that the absence of the second dorsal spot was 

 the distinctive character of our British insect. 



c, from Mr. P. B. Mason. Locality unknown. 



Exp. 5 lin. The first dorsal spot silvery-violet, with black centre ; the costal 

 spot (much reduced in size) silvery-violet, much resembling the streaks, which are 

 both present ; the second dorsal spot is just indicated by a few silvery-violet scales 

 towards the anal angle, they are better seen on the left wing than on the right one. 

 This is an interesting intermediate specimen. 



d, e,f, g, from Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson, d, e, and f, taken by himself at 



Windermere, g from York. 



Exp. 5 — 5J lin. e and f agree very closely with c ; e has the silvery-violet 

 indications of the second dorsal spot about equally developed in both wings, in f 

 they are more developed on the left than on the right wing, g has the second dorsal 

 spot fully developed as a blotch projecting on the orange ground-colour, equally in 

 both wings, d is so worn that at first sight I scarcely thought it worth noticing ; 

 but, after being startled by the new character shown by g, I looked critically at d, 

 and, in spite of its wasted condition, I can still see on the left wing an intimation of 

 a well-developed second dorsal spot ! 



Hence, we learn from Mr. Hodgkinson's specimens that the 

 absence of the second dorsal spot is not the distinctive character of 

 the British himaculella, indeed, I can see no difference between 

 Mr. Hodgkinson's g and Zeller's Grlogavian specimen, and if that 

 specimen be considered identical with the Vienna himaculella, there is 

 no reason for assuming that the Vienna himaculella is specifically 

 distinct from the British himaculella, though the examination of speci- 

 mens a and h only would have most certainly led me to an opposite 

 conclusion. 



Independently of the difference of size, I think in the British 

 specimens the orange blotches lack the reddish tinge we see in the 

 Vienna specimens. 



Mountsficld, Lewisham : 



November \§th, 1888. 



