NEPTICULA MICROTHEKIELLA. 277 



kann, immer viel heller als bei N. floslactella, deren Kopf besonders 

 nach hinten ziemlich intensiv braun gefiirbt ist (Nolcken). 



Cocoon. — The cocoons (8) average 21 mm. in length and 1/6 mm. 

 in width. There is some variation in shape, but most of the examples 

 examined form a rough oval in outline, narrowed towards one end. 

 This variation is possibly due to an exceedingly thick coating of loose 

 flossy silk, in which the cocoon proper is enveloped, being unequally 

 distributed over it. The broad part of the cocoon appears to be 

 flanged, although this is to a certain extent hidden by the flossiness 

 of the outer coat. This end, too, is thinner, but gradually rises to meet 

 the more swollen portion of the cocoon at the narrower end. The inner 

 cocoon is closely woven and apparently tough. There is much varia- 

 tion in the colour ; the normal tint is yellow-brown, but some of the 

 cocoons have a strong suspicion of bright orange, whilst one or two 

 of them are inclined to be greyish. [Described June 16th, 1898, 

 under a two-thirds lens from cocoons sent by Dr. Wood.] Stainton 

 describes the cocoon as being " of a pale buff colour, rather egg-shaped, 

 the whole of it firmly woven, with no flossy exterior, and considerably 

 smaller than that of N. floslactella." Frey writes : " Der Cocon oval, 

 klein, platt, ist von Hainbuchenraupen weisslich gelb, von Hasel- 

 raupchen dunkel ockerfarben." 



Food-plants. — Coryhis avellana and Carpinus betulus. 



Time of appearance. — The species is double-brooded, the imagines 

 appearing in May and August, from larva? to be obtained in October 

 and July respectively. Stainton bred imagines on February lst-2nd, 

 March 25th, April 14th-22nd and August 2nd-6th, 1853 ; April 25th, 

 1854 ; April 3rd-4th and November 2nd, 1855, and April 28th, 1858. 

 He captured imagines on palings at Beckenham, on June 17th, 1851, 

 and at Lewisham, May 8th, 1848. The larvae are sometimes so 

 exceedingly abundant in October that a single nut-leaf has been known 

 to contain thirty mines. Machin records the larva in the middle of 

 September, at Plumstead ; Bower, on October 11th, 1892, at Darenth. 

 Nolcken records the larva? from August 24th to September 27th ; at 

 Rotsikull and Pichtendahl. Threlfall bred imagines on May 16th. 

 1878, from larvae obtained at Grange, October 6th, 1877. We observed 

 full-fed larvae near Chatham on July 9th, 1898. 



Localities. — Cambridge : Cambridge (Farren). Cheshire : Bowdon (Edles- 

 ton). Derby: Burton (Sang). Dorset: Purbeck (Bankes), Glanvilles Wootton 

 (Dale), Bloxworth (Cambridge), Weymouth (Richardson). Durham: Darlington 

 (Stainton). Gloucester: Bristol (Stainton). Hereford: Tarrington (Wood), 

 Kent : Lewisham, Beckenham (Stainton), Chatham (Tutt), Darenth (Bovver), 

 Plumstead (Machin). Lancashire : Manchester (Stainton), Grange (Hodgkinson). 

 Norfolk: Horstead (Barrett), King's Lynn (Atmore). Northumberland: 

 Newcastle (Stainton). Somerset: Clevedon (Mason). Suffolk: Great Glenham 

 (Bloomfield). Surrey: Croydon (Elisha). Sussex: common in the county 

 (Fletcher), Guestling (Bloomfield). Yorks : Doncaster (Corbett), Harrogate and 

 ltichmond (Sang), Scarborough (Stainton), Sheffield (Doncaster), York (Wilson). 



Distribution. — Denmark : North Zealand (Bang-Haas). France : 

 Sommerere, Sologne-du-Cher (Sand). Germany : generally distri- 

 buted (Heinemann and Wocke), ITrankfort-on-the-Main (Schmid), 

 Berlin, Friedland, Hamburg, Stettin (Sorhagen), Alsace (Peyerim- 

 hoff). Netherlands : S. Holland, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, 

 Gelderland, N. Brabant (Snellen). Russia : I. of Aland (Eeuter), 

 Rotsikull, Pichtendahl (Nolcken). Switzerland : nr. Zurich (Frey), 

 Bremgarten (Boll). 



