Nepticula conf'usella. 297 



length and 1-6 mm. in width. They are very irregular in shape, 

 although some are moderately oval in outline, and domed towards a 

 median line that runs longitudinally along the apex. Their colour is 

 deep dirty-brown. There is no very clearly defined rim, although a 

 quantity of loose silken fibres project from its edges. The upper 

 surface of the cocoon is much reticulated with dark brown, and a 

 number of loose fibres of flossy silk project irregularly all over the 

 surface. [Described July 12th, 1898, under a two-thirds lens, from 

 cocoons sent by Dr. Wood.] The cocoon forms an imperfect oval, 

 being wider at the mouth than at the opposite end ; smooth and dark- 

 brown in colour ; placed on, or just beneath, the surface of the soil 

 (Wood). 



Food-plant. — Birch (Beiula alba). 



Time of appearance. — The species is single-brooded, the larva 

 occurring at the end of June and well on into July, the imago emerging 

 early in the following May. The larva of this species just begins to 

 appear as that of N. lapponica is going over. Wood notes that eight 

 specimens emerged May lst-5th, 1894. 



Localities. — Dorset: Purbeck (Bankes) . Hereford: Tarrington (Wood). 

 Norfolk: Merton (Walsingham). Sussex: Brighton (Vine). 



nepticula turicella, H.-Sch. and n. basalella, H.-Sch. 

 We have in Britain two beech-feeding Nepticulid species, known 

 as Nepticula tityrella and N. fulyens. On the continent the same two 

 species are respectively known as N. turicella and N. tityrella. N. 

 turicella (our N. tityrella) is the species with a non-metallic transverse 

 fascia to the fore- wings ; N. tityrella (our N. fulyens) is the species 

 with a metallic fascia. The N. tityrella of our collections is, however, 

 not the N. tityrella of Stainton, which is synonymous with N. fulyens, 

 Sta., i.e., N. tityrella, Sta. and N. fulyens, Sta., both refer to the 

 species with a metallic fascia, the species with a non-metallic fascia 

 (erroneously named in collections A T . tityrella) never having been 

 described in Britain. Durrant determines N. basalella, H.-Sch., as 

 the oldest name for the species with a metallic fascia, so that the two 

 species stand as : (1) N. turicella, H.-Sch. (2) iV. basalella, H.-Sch. 

 There can be no doubt that N. tityrella, Sta. = N. fulyens, Sta., 

 for, besides the evidence of the description of the imagines, there is 

 the evidence of the mine. Wood notes (E.M.M., xxix., p. 273) 

 that : (1) The second portion of the mine of N. fulyens, Sta., is 

 characterised by unmistakeable coiling. (2) The mine of N. tityrella 

 (coll. Brit.) has never the slightest indication of coiling in any part of 

 its course. Stainton notes (Nat. Hist. Tin., i., p. 148) : " The frassin 

 the mine of N. tityrella .... for some distance fills the whole width 

 of the mine, being placed in a series of little arcs of circles." There- 

 fore, tityrella, Sta. = fulyens, Sta., Wood = basalella, H.-Sch. (teste 

 Durrant). The N. tityrella of Wood (and our collections) is N. turi- 

 cella, H.-Sch. = N. turicensis, Frey. 



nepticula turicella, Herrich-Schaffer. 

 Synonymy. — Species: Turicella, H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," v., p. 355, no. 1118 

 (1855) ; Hein., " Wien. Ent. Monats.," vi., p. 309 (1862) ; Hein. and Sta., " Zool.," 

 xxi., p. 8375 (1863) ; Staud. and Wocke, " Cat.," p. 338, no. 3038 (1871) ; Hein. and 

 Wocke, " Schmett. Deutsch.," p. 753 (1877) ; Sand, " Cat. Lep. Auv.," p. 201 (1879) ; 

 Bang-Haas, " N. H. Tidsk.," p. 257 (1881); Peyer., " Cat. Lep. Als.," 2nd Ed., ii., 

 p. 164 (1882) ; Snellen, " De Vlinders," etc., p. 993 (1882) ; Sovhagen, " Die Klein- 



