220 
formed by the late Rev. Lansdowne Guilding into the genus Oiketicus. 
The memoir on the two West Indian species observed by that author 
is contained in the volume of the Linnzan Transactions, and is one of 
the most valuable contributions to the science contained in the 
volumes published by that Society. Whilst the plates, however, 
which illustrate this memoir clearly prove the close affinity of the 
two insects, the males are very distinct in form from each other, and 
ought evidently to be regarded as types of separate subgenera. Of 
their intimate connexion with the smaller European species known 
under the generic name of Psyche (but which have lately been dis- 
tributed by M. Bruand, in an excellent monograph on the group, into 
various subgenera), there can be no possible doubt ; indeed the largest 
British species cannot be separated generically from Ozketicus. 
OIKETICUS NIGRICANS. (Plate XXXIV. fig. 1 and details.), 
Of this species males only were first captured in this country, 
which were illustrated by Mr. Curtis in his “ British Entomology ”’ 
under the name of Penthophera nigricans ; its generical relation 
with Penthophera is, however, entirely unfounded, whilst even its 
family connexion therewith is at least questionable. By the kind- 
ness of F. Bond, Esq., I am enabled to exhibit at the present meeting 
of the Zoological Society living specimens of the females of this spe- 
cies, together with the male and the cases formed by the caterpillars, 
covered with small morsels of twigs and ling. From a comparison 
of the characters of this species as compared with the other British 
Psychides, Ihave considered the former as subgenerically different from 
them, and have applied to it the name of Pachythelia. The case of 
the larva affixed by its mouth to a twig of ling is represented in 
Plate XXXIV. fig. 1g. The caterpillar has habits similar to those 
of the larva of Mr. Guilding’s Ozketicus, and like this has the head 
and thoracic segments of a pale buff colour dotted with black. Great 
numbers of the cases of this species were found in the New Forest by 
S. Stevens, Esq., F.L.S., &c., to whom I am indebted for the fol- 
lowing note on the habits of the species :— 
«JT found the cases of this insect both at Ringwood and Lyndhurst 
in the New Forest, attached to the points of the heath and gorse, in 
the third and last week in May, and the perfect insect appeared a few 
days after, the females more like.a maggot than a complete insect, 
having neither wings nor legs, or at least only the rudiments of the 
latter; they occasionally come out of their cases, but generally lay 
their eggs first ; two of the males which I reared had not been out of 
the chrysalis above ten minutes ere they paired with the females, but 
did not remain in connection above a quarter of an hour, nothing but 
their head and wings being observable at the time. Whilst at Lynd- 
hurst, I kept the box I had the cases in out of doors, and one evening, 
it appears, the garden was quite alive with them, the males flying 
round the box and settling on the top, no doubt attracted by a female; 
their scent must be very strong, as the heath was more than half a 
mile off. I, unfortunately, was not at home at the time, but the 
woman at the cottage secured a specimen ina pill-box. I afterwards 
kept watch for them, but they did not appear another evening, al- 
