1894.] 



161 



Xanthia ocellaris at Twickenham.— kmong some moths taken at sugar last 

 autumn in the garden of my friend, Mr. E. Boscher, of Belle Vue House, Twicken- 

 ham, there were two specimens which I had mistaken at first for dark forms of 

 Euperia fulvago. One of these had been taken a few nights previously, and was on 

 Mr. Boscher's setting boards ; the other was taken by me off the sugar the night I 

 was there, and had remained in my collection as a doubtful E. fulvago, till an oppor- 

 tunity should occur of comparing it with this species, which I do not happen to 

 possess. On looking over my collection this week, Mr. Barrett at once recognised 

 the species as X. ocellaris, and thought the capture sufficiently interesting to be 

 recorded. I believe this species used to be included among the " reputed British ;" 

 the only list in my possession in which I can find it is the Oxford and Cambridge 

 Accentuated List. It would be interesting to know on what authority it was formerly 

 regarded as British. — R. Meldola, 6, Brunswick Squai-e, W.C. : June IQfh, 1894. 



Xanthia ocellaris, Bork., a British insect. — Early last winter a moth was sent 

 to me for examination by Mr. E. H. Taylor, of Fulham, but as I was on the point of 

 leaving home for some months it remained unnamed until the present spring. I 

 then found that it was a specimen of Xanthia ocellaris, Bork., of the variety known 

 as lineago, Gn., which is said to be found more especially in the Altai mountain 

 district. On referring to Mr. Taylor for its history, he replied : — " I took it on 

 September 27th, 1893, at sugai-, on Wimbledon Common " {cf. ante, p. 111). Had 

 the specimen been of the European type of X. ocellaris, it would have been at 

 once announced, but, under existing circumstances, the only conclusion which seemed 

 possible was that a larva or pupa had been accidentally introduced, with plants, from 

 some part of Asia, and had come to maturity. The matter was, therefore, with Mr. 

 Taylor's assent, dropped. Visiting Professor Meldola last week, I saw his specimen, 

 and heard of its companion, and as these were captured at a place several miles 

 distant from that of Mr. Taylor's specimen, and almost at the same time, there seems 

 no reason why the species should not be duly recorded. It is a pretty insect, a good 

 deal like Xan^AJa^jYwa^o, but having the fore- wings somewhat differently shaped, the 

 hind-margin of the fore-wings being faintly concave below the pointed apex, which 

 thus becomes almost falcate ; the nervures are pale, and it has a white dot below the 

 reniform stigma. The variety lineago, to which both the specimens which I have 

 seen belong, is of a dull brownish-buff or greyish-yellow, without the intermixture 

 of clearer yellow or reddish found in typical specimens, and is, therefore, much 

 more uniformly coloured. 



As remarked by Professor Meldola above, this species has apparently already 

 been included in the British fauna. This is correct only so far as the name is con- 

 cerned. In 1857, the capture of a specimen was announced — with doubt — at 

 Brighton, but although incredulity was expressed with regard to the capture, no 

 doubt seems to have been felt as to the accuracy of the name. In the following 

 year, 1858, the capture of several more specimens, also at Brighton, was put upon 

 record ; and it was not until a year later that they were discovered to be nothing 

 more than light, brightly marked, X. gilvago. They were merely specimens of the 

 paler variety of X. gilvago, which has a yellow ground with reddish mottling and 

 spots, such as may be seen in any good vai'iable series of the insect in this country. 

 Such specimens are at times sent from abroad as types of X, ocellaris in error, but 



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