1872.) 247 
The history of Doubledayana is replete with misapprehensions. I 
first met with it at the end of July, 1869, when with the Hon. Thos. de 
Grey at Ranworth Fen, and he recognised it at once as a species which 
he had taken in the fens of Cambridgeshire, but called it abscissana ; 
but as he (now Lord Walsingham) is collecting somewhere on the 
western slopes of the Rocky mountains, I cannot at present ascertain 
whether his Cambridgeshire specimens are this species cr true abseis- 
sana (fuligzna, Haworth), which is about the same size. Being at that 
time quite unacquainted with abscissana, I put specimens into my col- 
lection as that species without hesitation ; and, last summer, being able 
to visit Ranworth occasionally, kept a sharp look out for the species, 
and, during the month of July, took a good number. Of these I after- 
wards sent series to various friends under that name; but Mr. Machin 
noticed the error, and very kindly sent specimens, as also did Mr. Bond, 
of the true abscissana for comparison. That species being whitish, with 
straight, ill-defined dark fasciz, bears little resemblance to Doubledayana. 
It gives me particular pleasure to name this novelty in honour of 
my kind friend Mr. Doubleday, who has spent so many years in eluci- 
dating the history and clearing up the nomenclature of our native 
Lepidoptera. 
Norwich : 12th February, 1872. 
Note on three new British species of Homalota.—I have recently been able to 
determine as British the following three species of Homalota, not included in the 
revision of that genus published by me two or three years ago. 
1. H. dificilis, Bris.—Near H. vilis, but smaller, with shorter thorax, and paler 
antennz. ‘Taken by Mr. Crotch and also by Mr. Champion (I have no 
locality from either). 
2. H. humeralis, Kr.—Very near H. sodalis, but smaller, with paler elytra and an- 
tennz, and different g characters. Taken by Prof. McNab, at Cirencester. 
3. H. jfimorum, Bris.— Very near H. cinnamoptera, but smaller, darker, rather 
more sparingly punctured, and with shorter antenne. Taken by Mr. 
Crotch (I think, in Norfolk). 
—D. Suarp, Eccles, Thornhill, Dumfries, February, 1872. 
Note on the occurrence near London of Homalota atrata, a species new to the 
British list.—I have recently taken, in a marshy place near Lee, five examples of 
a Homalota unknown to me, and which Dr. Sharp has determined to be H. atrata, 
Mann. ; Ktz., Ins. Deutschl., ii, 285 (clancula, Er.). It appears to be most nearly 
allied to H. gagatina ; and, compared with that species, is rather smaller, shorter 
and broader, with its abdomen thickly and finely punctured all over the upper 
surface. Its short and compact form somewhat simulates Gyrophena; and it is 
not in general facies unlike a very small specimen of Oxypoda lentula, with which 
it occurs.—G. C. Cuampion, 274, Walworth Road, S.E., February, 1872. 
