1894.] 83 



each containing a larva, without detail and apparently young, with an enlarged 

 figure of one, apparently well-grown, beneath. 



Mr. C. Gr. Barrett, who knew the district well in 1860, doubts the occurrence 

 of P. maritima in the actual spot indicated by Shield (" Prao. Hints," pp. 122 — 3, 

 128 [1856]) as the locality for " Gf-. instahilella," and Hooker omits Ireland in 

 mentioning its distribution in his " Student's Tlora," 3rd edition, p. 289 (1884), but 

 as I learn on good authority that it appears to be common and generally distributed 

 in Ireland, both on rocky coasts and mountains, and it is a known food-plant of 

 plant aginella, I cannot question the published identification. 



It is contrary to modern experience, and seems incredible, that plantaginella 

 should ever be " bred from the leaves," but, after weighing all the available evidence, 

 I have no doubt whatever that Shield's Lita was really that species, although I have 

 failed to trace any of his bred moths. For Shield states (" Prac. Hints," p. 149) , 

 almost certainly on his own authority, that the larva of " O. instahilella " " mines 

 the leaves OE boees into the stem " of P. maritima* and the words in capitals, 

 nowhere alluded to hy Mr. Stainton, describe the characteristic habit of planta- 

 ginella ; to this day no other British Lita is known to feed on any species of 

 plantain ; the locality described by Shield ("Prac. Hints," I. c), would smt planta- 

 ginella well ; the magnified figure of the larva agrees exactly with the larva of 

 plantaginella; the description of the larva of "instahilella" in the "Manual" 

 agrees in all points with the figure (from which it was, in fact, most probably taken) , 

 and Mr. Stainton tells us (Ent. Mo. Mag., XIX. p. 253) that the description in the 

 " Manual " is really that of the larva of plantaginella. 



Further evidence would be desirable as to whether the newly hatched larva 

 actually mines the leaves as stated by Shield, but not noticed by any other observer, 

 and on this point I can only add that I have occasionally observed empty mines, 

 apparently Lepidopterous, in leaves of tenanted plants of P. coronopus, and if the 

 egg is ever laid on the leaf this would account for Shield's statement, although 

 not for Stainton's. 



0. Lita ateiplicella, P. v. E. 



Lita atriplicella, F. v. R., 223, pi. 78 (1839) ; Zell. ; Dup. (?)t; Dgl. ; Stn. ; 

 H.-S. ; Frey; Hein. 



Larva — in silken gallery among, and feeding on, young leaves, flowers, and 

 seeds of various species of Atriplex and Chenopodium, as well as of Suceda mari- 

 tima and Salicornia radicans. 



Pupa — in slight silken cocoon among dead leaves, in honey-combed flints, &c., 

 VI— IX, X— V. 



Imago — V — -IX. 



Broods — two or more, apparently a succession ; hibernates as pupa. 



JIal. : England ; widely and pretty generally distributed ; apt 

 to attach itself specially to only one of its food-plants in any given 

 locality. 



* Shield adds: "This larva also feeds on * * * Chenopodium ■maritimum," wa.dL S3.ys, on 

 p. 160: "while among Chenopodium maritiinum [arid Planiago marilima\ we may find * * » 

 Geler.hia insio.biUlla." Both remarks are broadly general, the former of England, the latter of 

 the British Isles, and are doubtless founded on the fact, recorded two j-ears pi-eviously in the 

 I. B. Lep. Tin., that Mr. Douglas had bred so-called " instahilella" from larvae on Chen, mariiimum. 

 These larvaj were L. salieornia;. 



+ The original drawing of atriplicella, Dp., Spjil., IV, LXXIII, 7, confirms this identifica- 

 tion. — Wlsm. 



{To be continued) . 



