196 [September, 



species. We may fairly hope that at some future time he will feel 

 himself at liberty to do so, but his many duties in connection with the 

 work of the Massachussetts Agricultural College, where he holds a 

 high and distinguished position, must undoubtedly limit the time at 

 his disposal : indeed, it is difficult to understand how he has so suc- 

 cessfully completed his preparation of the numerous important papers 

 on various families of the Lepidoptei^a which from time to time have 

 issued from his pen. No one who is not well acquainted with the 

 enormous amount of labour involved in catalogue work can appreciate 

 the significance of ten pages of bibliographical references such as 

 lately accompanied his monograph of Porthetria dispar. We con- 

 gratulate him on his latest effort, and look forward with confidence to 

 further contributions. 



Merton Hall, Thetford : 

 June, 1898. 



GELECSIA CONFINIS, Stn., A NOETHEKN FORM OF 

 G. SIMILIS, Stn. 



BY EUSTACE R. BANKES, M.A., F.E.S. 



The probable specific identity of Gelecliia conjinis with Q. similis 

 occurred to me a few years ago, when comparing specimens of the 

 former, bred from tufts of moss collected on old walls at Perth, with 

 bred and caught examples of the latter from various English localities^ 

 including Co. Durham, Wicken, Corfe Castle, &c., and after carefully 

 studying the question I have no hesitation in saying that they are 

 forms of one and the same species, and that the synonymy should be: 

 Gelechia similis, Stn., Ins. Brit. Lep. Tin., p. 115 (1851). 



,, „ 5, var. co^z;^?2z>, Stn., Ent. Ann. ,1871, pp. 98-9. 



G. similis is usually attributed to Douglas, but it should be 

 assigned to Stainton, whose description in I. B. Lep. Tin., p. 115 

 (1854), although headed "31. Similis, Dougl., ?^. s^.," is the earliest 

 that was published. Through Mr. P. B. Mason's kindness, I have 

 been able to examine in the Douglas collection the series of G. similis 

 from which Stainton's original description, founded on specimens 

 taken by Douglas in July at Stoat's Nest, Charlton, and Mickleham, 

 was presumably made : it consists of eight individuals, taken at these 

 localities, and all except the third, which is certainly G. senectella, 7i., 

 are similis, Stn., and specifically identical with the series of similis in 

 the Stainton British collection. 



Gelecliia conjinis was brought forward as n. sp. by Stainton in 

 Ent. Ann., 1871, pp. 98-9, from specimens bi"ed from moss collected 



