242 i October, 



these are generally most traceable towai'ds the apex of the wing, and between the 

 extremities of each pair of veins is situated a small blackish spot. These spots are 

 larger as they approach the apex. An ochreous line lies in the subcostal fold from 

 the base. The most striking feature is a broad inner marginal band of bright pale 

 ochreous, occupying nearly one-third of the breadth of the wing, which becomes less 

 distinct before it reaches the anal angle ; into this project four blackish spots, which 

 lie in a line on or close to the inner fold at about equal distances from each other, 

 the last being near the middle of the wing ; the first two often form a streak ; 

 opposite to these first two are two similar costal spots, which can sometimes be 

 traced onwards as short streaks pointing towards the anal angle ; there is one blackish 

 double spot just before, and another double spot just behind, the end of the discoidal 

 cell ; a blackish streak starts from near this latter spot and runs to near the tip ; 

 the discoidal cell is sometimes much covered with dark greyish scales ; fringes pale 

 greyish-ochreous, with traces of darker transverse lines. There is no pale hind 

 marginal fascia. 



Hind-wings pale fuscous ; veins darker, fringes pale greyish-ochreous with pale 

 ochreous bases. Head and thorax bright pale ochreous ; patagia darker, marbled 

 like fore-wing ; abdomen like hind-wing, tip pale ochreous, base often somewhat 

 yellowish, but this is not constant in dried specimens. Antennae fuscous, with in- 

 distinct pale ochreous rings ; palpi pale ochreous, the last joint with a ring at base 

 and the tip fuscous j legs pale ochreous, with fuscous markings externally, and the 

 tarsi ringed with fuscous below the joints. 



This species varies considerably, but can generally be recognised most easily by 

 the bright pale ochreous colour of its inner margin. This marking is not, however, 

 always distinct, and I have specimens which are almost destitute of any markings 

 on the pale ochreous ground-colour, with the exception of the slate coloured scales 

 on the veins, and a certain amount of almost rusty mottling, the black spots and the 

 pale inner margin being absent. Even then the ground-colour gives a clue to the 

 species ; but such specimens are rare. 



Lita sucsdella is nearly allied to L.plantaginella and L. ocellatella, 

 well known species, and to L. instahilella, bred from Atriplex portula- 

 coides. Of these, plantagineUa is mucli the nearest, and I will therefore 

 consider it first, and mention the points in which it differs from sucsdella. 

 In size it is very variable, viz., 5^"' to over 7'", but the fore-wings are 

 strikingly narrower than in sucedella. To show the difference, 1 have 

 measured 14 consecutive specimens in each series in my cabinet, and 

 find that the breadth of the fore-wing (measured for accuracy with a 

 microscope and micrometer) being taken as 1, the average full expanse 

 of fore-wings in 14 sucedella is 9.20, and in 14 plantaginella is 10.35 ; 

 so that the average fore-wing of sucedella is no less than one-eighth 

 broader than that oi plantaginella. I also find that the scales are more 

 closely packed sideways on plantaginella, which gives it a somewhat 

 smoother appearance than sucedella, but this is not striking. The 

 bright ochreous colour of sucedella is everywhere replaced in plantagi- 



