NEPTICULA ACETOS^. 253 



cocoon is moderately smooth, but with a considerable quantity of loose 

 fibres, attaching it to the moss among which the examples examined are 

 spun. [Described July 5th, 1898, under a two-thirds lens, from 

 cocoons sent by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher.] The full-fed larva descends 

 to the ground to form its cocoon, which is very small, composed of 

 whitish silk, and somewhat oval in shape (Stainton). 



Food-plant. — Rum ex acetosella. [It has also been recorded from 

 dock, Rume.c acetosa, by Wing.] A single sorrel leaf is sometimes 

 mined by a dozen or more larvae. 



Time of appearance. — Generally recorded as double-brooded, the 

 imagines appearing in May and August, from larvfe fed in September- 

 November and July respectively. Sang says that the second brood is 

 always much more abundant than the first. Shield records that the 

 mines of the latter brood are sometimes to be found in thousands at 

 Howth. They were found very abundantly there on July 20th, 1856. 

 Bankes notes that the species appears to have a succession of broods, 

 and to be always impatient to reach the perfect state, a proportion of 

 the larvae collected in September producing moths the same year if 

 kept indoors, though in a cool place. Bower found mines at Portland 

 on September 1st, 1892. Walsingbam reports larvre as specially 

 • abundant at Merton, in August, 1894. The dates of the bred specimens 

 in Stainton's collection are as follows : July 28th. 00th, 31st, August 

 6th, 10th, 1854, August 6th, 1855, and August 2nd, 1856, from nr. 

 Dublin ; October 4th, 1854, from the Isle of Wight. 



Localities. — Dorset: Purbeck (Digby), Portland (Bower). Dublin : Howth 

 (Shield). Isle of Wight: between Niton and Blackgang (Wing). Norfolk: 

 Merton, abundant (Walsingham). Sussex : Downs (chalk) near Worthing and 

 Brighton, sandy lanes near Pulborongh— local, but abundant where occurring 

 (Fletcher). 



Distribution. — Austria: Vienna (Herrich-Schaffer). France : Jura 

 (Frey). Germany: Silesia (Wocke), Frankfort-on-the-Main (Heyden), 

 Friedland (Hering), Breslau, Aachen (Sorhngen). Switzerland: 

 Zurich (Frey). 



nepticula gratiosella, Zeller. 



Synonymy. — Species : Gratiosella, Zeller (Fischer von Eoslerstamm in litt.), 

 "Linn. Entom.," iii., pp. 310-11 (1848) ; Sta., " Cat., p. 29(1849); "Ins. Brit.," 

 p. 305 (1854); "Man.," ii., p. 437 (1859); H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," v., p. 352 

 (1855); Frey, "Die Tineen," etc., p. 390 (1858); "Linn. Ent.," xi., p. 430 

 (1857) ; Staud. and Wocke, " Cat.,'' p. 337 (1871) ; Sand, " Cat. Lep. Auv.," p. 201 

 (1879); Peyerimhoff, "Cat. Lep. Als.," ii., 2nd Ed., p. 166 (1882); Snellen, 

 "De Vlinders," etc., p. 987; Curo, "Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital.," xv., p. 109(1883); 

 Sorhagen, "Die Kleinschmett. Brandenbg.," p. 305 (1886); Meyrick, " Hand- 

 book," etc., p. 718 (1895). Aurella, H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," v., fig. 833. 



Original description. — There can be no doubt that the earliest 

 recognisable description of this species is one by Fischer von Bosler- 

 stamm, published by Zeller. It reads as follows : '.' Gratiosella, mini. 

 Unter diesem Namen habe ich mehrere Modificationem vereinigt, 

 welche mir, unter der Loupe betrachtet, eins zu sein schienen. Im 

 sennueringer Waldchen um Schlehen und Crataegus schwarmend zu 

 Ende April gefangen. Nicht sehr selten. Kopfhaare schwarz, Fiihler 

 dunkelbraun : das Wurzelglied gelblichweiss beschuppt, einige dieser 

 Schuppen lehnen sich an die Scheitel- und Stirnhaare, die Schuppen 

 breit und lang Vorderflvigel gliinzend, bis zur Binde goldbraun ; die 

 Binde weiss metallisch ; die Spitze hinter derselben violett. Alle 

 Schuppen von gleicher Grosse. Die Franzen an der Spitze des Flugels 



