1894.] 249 



In reference to the Heferocera, it struct us at the time that it is 

 a pity there is so little communication between English and Conti- 

 nental collectors. This want is seriously felt by the Continental 

 collectors themselves, who, as Herr Seebold informed us, often find it 

 very difficult to obtain in exchange types of peculiar British forms, 

 especially among the Micro-Lepidoptera. 



W. E. N"., Lewes : September 1th, 1894. 

 F. C. L., Plymoutii : September 8th,, 1894. 



THE BRITISH SPECIES OF THE aENUS PSYCHE, AND ITS ALLIES. 



BY C. G. BAEEETT, P.E.S. 



(Continued from page 219). 



Epichnopteetx caltella, Och8.,/«sca, Haw., hirsntella, St. Oat. — If this is 

 truly hirsutella, Hiib., the name must have been given it on a well known principle ! 

 It is one of the least hairy of the group. This species, which was found twenty 

 years ago and upwards, in the larva state, almost plentifully in the woods north of 

 London, seems to have become very scarce, or to have been so completely overlooked 

 more recently, that the announcement of its being observed in the neighbourhood 

 of Eeigate at an Excursion of the South London Society comes quite as a relief. 

 The male is well known in collections, having a very thin body, but large fore-wings, 

 expanding sometimes one inch, of a pale brown colour, and thinly clothed with very 

 minute hair-scales. The female a mere maggot without any wings or legs, and in 

 the dried condition shrivelled and shapeless. The case rather broad in the middle, 

 narrowing rapidly at both ends, and covered with dried morsels of leaf, capsules of 

 sallow or plantain, morsels of dried stalks, or any other vegetable material ; which 

 is placed crosswise or any way rather than lengthwise. This case the female is 

 reported never to quit. Tlie larva is after the fashion of those already described, 

 living in the case, protruding a light brown head with some white lines upon it, and 

 the three following segments, which are covered down to the legs with thin, grey, 

 horny plates, and living on sallow, buckthorn, oak, bramble, hazel, hawthorn, and 

 hornbeam. So far as I can ascertain, the male flies most freely towards evening, but 

 for the reasons just given recent information is not forthcoming. 



E. PTJLLA, Esper, radiella, Curtis. ^ — There seems to be no doubt of the 

 identity of the forms sometimes known under these two names. The smaller, and 

 far more plentiful, found in meadows and on hill sides, usually in chalky districts ; 

 and the rather larger and blacker (sometimes noticeably larger), found rather rarely 

 in marshy places, and especially at the edges of salt marshes ; appear to present no 

 reliable distinguishing characters. This is a well known species, easily recognised 

 by its blackness, and by the fact that the wings are covered thinly with minute hairs 

 rather than scales, the cilia being especially hairy. Occasionally specimens which 

 have become worn are also, probably from the effect of strong sunshine, faded to a 



