European Species of the Genus Cosmopteryx. 649 



bul differs in certain characters, which also appear to Mr. Stainton 

 (as he informs me by letter) sufficient to support a specific dis- 

 tinction. The larva of this species also feeds on thehop. Amongst 

 the most important differences, as far as I can judge from the 

 study of two of Stainton's original specimens, the abdomen is not 

 brown above. The anterior wings are as broad as in C. Schm'idi- 

 ella, and at the base quite similar to my species ; the golden fascia 

 on the posterior margin of the orange-red transverse spot is 

 certainly less oblique than in Zeller's species, but yet decidedly 

 more oblique than in C. Sclnnidklla. Finally, and this is pro- 

 bably the best distinctive character, the line in the apex of the 

 wing is interrupted for a considerable length, so that we only see 

 two short streaks, one in the extreme apex of the wing and one 

 above the anal angle (as is distinctly stated by Stainton in his 

 diagnosis). A specimen sent me by A, Schmid, which probably 

 comes from the neighbourhood of Frankfort, is identical with this 

 British species. 



" Hence then we have three very closely allied species, of which 

 the distribution and synonymy is, not at present easy to decide. 

 To these must be added as a more easily distinguishable fourth 

 species, Heyden's C. Scribdiella (Zeller, Ent. Ztg,, 1850). 



'■ The C. Druryella figured by Herrich-SchafFer (tab. 121, fig. 

 122) is, in my opinion, Stainton's species." 



The next st€p in the study of this genus came from Herr 

 Hofmann of Ratisbon. Early in August, 1859, he discovered a 

 grass-mining larva in the leaves of Hierochloe Australis ; some of 

 these he very kindly sent to me, and I, having mistaken them for 

 larvae of some species of E lac hist a, thus noticed them among the 

 enigmas in the '' Entomologist's Annual" for 1860, p. 152. 



" 80. An Elachista larva collected by Herr Hofmann at Ratis- 

 bon early in August; it mines the leaves of Hkrochloe Australls, 

 making straight rather-narrow mines, but eventually several side 

 by side, so as to occupy nearly the whole width of the leaf; the 

 mine is joerfeclly clean, the excrement being excluded through a hole 

 in the cuticle." 



The following June, in a letter received from Dr. Ottmar Hof- 

 mann, I read to my surprise : — • 



"■ The larvse which were sent you on the 14th August, 1859, 

 mining in Hierochloe Australls, have not produced an Elachista as 

 we had suspected, but Cosmopteryx Druryella ; up to the present 

 time we have bred nine specimens. The notice given by Herrich- 

 SchafFer in his vol. 5, that the larva of C. Druryella feeds on Ficia 



