93 



The fact simply being, that knowing that Mr. Westvvood possessed a new British ant, 

 which the httter regarded as a distinct genus, he thought fit to notice its existence, iden- 

 tifying it with Mr. Weslwood's insect by attaching his name to it specifically. The 

 name and characters of the genus were first given in the ' Introduction to Modern 

 Classification.' Mr. Smith states, moreover, that there are no other differences 

 separating Stenamma from Mynnica than the three-jointed lahial palpi (in Myrmica 

 they are four-joiuted), the importance of which character Mr. Smith endeavours, perhaps 

 with reason, to disprove. But, in the ' Introduction' (ii. p. 219, 226, and Gen. Syn. 

 p. 83), Mr. Westwood has described and figured the structure of the mandibles and 

 maxillary palpi, which entirely disagree wiih those of Mynnica, proving the insect to 

 belong to the same section as Myrmecina and Polyergus.'' 



Mr. Stainton read the following note: — 

 The Occurrence of the Small Genera of Tineina in Tropical Countries established. 



" The question has frequently been asked, whether the small genera of Micro- 

 Lepidoptera, Lithocollelis, Nepticula, Sec, which are so plentifully represented in 

 these temperate regions, do not also occur in tropical climates. Those who had col- 

 lected abroad denied their occurrence there, because they had never seen them ; but 

 this was a negative proof which merely established that they had not been observed, 

 not that they did not occur there ; and to observe these small genera a special educa- 

 tion is absolutely necessary ; the eye which has been trained to detect an Ornithoptera 

 on the wing at the distance of a quarter of a mile, cannot at once, and without previous 

 practice, notice a Nepticula at the distance of a few feet. 



" I have for some time entertained the opinion that, if the exotic Micro- Lepidoptera 

 are to be collected, it must be by some entomologist who has learned first to collect 

 insects of that group at home, and who then carries his home-bred skill into distant 

 regions. I regretted that when Mr. Wallace and Mr. Layard were in this country 

 neither stopped here long enough to learn the habits of our Micro-Lepidoptera : among 

 the species of Micro-Lepidoptera collected in Ceylon by Mr. Layard were several belong- 

 ing to the family Elachislidffi. and I could scarcely doubt that a short training in 

 this country would have enabled him to have discovered many smaller species. 



" In August last Mr. Atkinson (well known as the captor of Gastiopacha liicifolia) 

 forwarded me some mines and larvae of Phyllocnistis saligna and P. suffusella, and at 

 the same time informed me he was about to start for Calcutta. I regretted to lose a 

 useful correspondent in this country; but it directly struck me that here was an op- 

 portunity of obtaining information of East Indian Micro-Lepidoptera, which might 

 prove of great importance to us, and I begged Mr. Atkinson to pay particular attention 

 to any indic.uions he might full in with of ihe existence of the smaller genera in 

 India. 



" On the (Jth of April I had the pleasure of receiving a letter from Mr. Atkinson, 

 with the agreeable information that he bad already detected the mines of three 

 different species of Lithocolletis, of one of which he had reared the perfect insect, and 

 of this species he has forwarded me some mines in the upper side of the leaves of 

 Bauhiuia raccmosa, which I now exhibit; for this species, which, in the perfect state, 

 has some affinity with our L. trifasciella, Mr. Atkinson proposes the name of Litho- 

 colletis BauhinicE. 



" I think this important discovery will l)e useful in ur^^ing upon those who may 

 hereafter bo likely to visit our colonics the necessity of completing their education in 



