249 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Grote's insect is only rendered certain when the two are compared 

 under a lens. 



XYLINID^. 



LiTHOPHANE, HVibn. 



Lithophane antennata. 



Xylina antennata, Walker, Lep. Het. xv. p. 1738 (1858). 



X. cinerea, Eiley, and laticmei'ea, Grote (see Check List, 

 p. 33, nn. 773, 774). 



United States. Coll. B. M. 



I have spent a great deal of time without avail in the attempt 

 to distinguish X. laticinerea from the larger specimens of Walker's 

 species (the type is of the larger form). Grote's second speci- 

 men might, perhaps, be distinguished by the width of the 

 central belt enclosed between the two ordinary transverse 

 lines of primaries, and by the differently formed unbroken 

 continuation of the orbicular spot ; but this is clearly no 

 more than an extraordinary variation of a very variable species, 

 no two specimens of which are quite alike in markings, and 

 which varies much in size. We have seven specimens labelled 

 as L. laticinerea, nine as L. antennata, one as Lithophane, n. sp., 

 and two as L. cinerea ; the two last are the most distinct, because 

 they are abnormally dwarfed specimens. If the whole of this 

 series were to be mixed together, I do not believe any two 

 lepidopterists would be able to agree as to how they should be 

 sorted into two species again. Although I am personally satisfied 

 of their identity, I have kept L. antennata separate from L. lati- 

 cinerea in the cabinet, to see whether any lepidopterist will be 

 able to imagine a character by which to distinguish them. 



Walker identified specimens, without locality, of L. pexata as 

 his Lithomia huddhce, but he was totally in error ; the description 

 differs in almost every particular. 



lAthophane signosa. 



Xylina signosa, Walker, Lep. Het. xi. p. 627, n. 12 (1857). 



Lithophane petulca, Grote (see Check List, p. 32, n. 763). 

 - -United States. CoU. B. M. 



This is a rather variable species. Walker's type agrees 

 better with Grote's second specimen than with his type, and 

 still more closely with two other examples in his series. L. signosa 

 approaches L. ustistriga of New Zealand in character, though in 

 some respects it is nearer to L. socia of Europe. 



The L. signosa of Grote's collection appears to me to be a 

 perfectly distinct species, though identical with specimens 

 collected by Mr. G. Norman in Canada, and presented to the 

 Trustees in 1875, under the name of L. petulca. It differs in its 

 comparatively broader and shorter wings, and generally greater 

 resemblance to L. socia. 



(To be continued.) 



