146 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



think it probable that the larvae of all the three will feed on any of the 

 mulleins or figworts. If we could assume that the larvae sent by Mr, 

 Doubleday to Mr. Buckler in 1867 were not British, we might further 

 assume that Haworth really had lychnilis, and called it scrophidaria in 

 error. This would clear up the mystery ; and I certainly think, until some 

 positive evidence can be produced of its occurrence in Britain, the very 

 little purely negative evidence that exists is not enough to entitle it to be 

 retained on our lists. — John E. Robson ; Hartlepool. 



CucuLLiA scROPHULARi^ IN ENGLAND. — With regard to Mr. Dale's 

 enquiry (Entom, 123) as to whether this species had been taken in EngUnd, 

 I believe there is no doubt but that it has ; but it is extremely rare. The 

 late Mr. Frederick Bond was quite certain it was a distinct species, not 

 separable in the imago, but distinct in the larval state. During Mr. Bond's 

 long experience, he was accustomed every year to see abundance of verbasci, 

 both on mullein and figwort, and was consequently well acquainted with 

 the larva, but he never found scrophulance excepting at one spot, a railway 

 cutting at Whittlesford, where the larva formerly occurred abundantly. 

 During the later years of Mr. Bond's life, he many times searched this 

 place and the neighbourhood for larvae of scrophulariai, but never succeeded 

 in again finding it. He told me there was not the possibility of mistaking 

 the larva, if seen, as it was quite distinct in appearance from verbasci. 

 Stainton indicates that scrophulariai is the smaller insect of the two, and a con- 

 tinental type of scrophularicB, which I have is much smaller than my verbasci ; 

 indeed, I have only one which at all approaches it in smallness, though 

 there is this reservation to be borne in mind, that I have at times bred 

 large numbers of verbasci, and would doubtless pick the largest for the 

 cabinet. I have several plants of both Verbascum nigrum and also thapms, 

 in the garden, and there is generally a batch of larvae on the former, and 

 sometimes also on the latter, but nigrum is generally preferred. Scrophu- 

 laria aquatica is common in ditches in the neighbourhood, and the larva is 

 usually plentiful upon it. — Alfred Balding; Wisbech. 



CUCULLIA SCROPHULARIjE PROBABLY SPECIFICALLY IDENTICAL WITH 



C. LYCHNiTis. — In his note (Entom. 138) Mr. Dale repeats what I have 

 long stated privately, and I believe also in notes to the ' Entomologist,' that 

 O. scrophularicB is probably not found in Great Britain at all; indeed I 

 share the doubts hinted at by Guenee as to the validity of the species. I 

 have specimens of the imago from Dr. Staudinger, taken in Saxony ; from 

 the excellent entomologist, lately a curator at the Hamburg Museum, taken 

 in that district ; and also specimens bred from larvae sent to Mons. A. 

 Wailly from Toulouse at my request. All these agree, and Guenee 

 correctly describes the differences, which are indeed readily apparent. I 

 have also specimens of the larvae from ail these places, and they too are 

 palpably different from G. verbasci. The doubt comes in when scrophularicB 

 is compared with lychnitis. I have the imago of lychnitis from Bohemia, 

 South of France, and different sources in Great Britain ; and if any differ- 

 ence be perceptible it is in a more ochreous tone of lychnitis, and in the 

 costal dark margin being distinctly more powdered with gray atoms ; but 

 local influences, in countries so widely apart, produce such slight variations, 

 that it is presumptions to dogmatize on trivial ditinctions without long and 

 close study. As to the larvae of lychiitis, which I have from the same 

 places, they are absolutely indistinguishable from scrophularicB; and my 



