SOLENOBIA INCONSPICUELLA. 167 



see any difference between them and the S. inconspicuella which are 

 from Germany and England, the German ones being very like ours 

 and having a small case with a suspicion of triang illation in some 

 specimens. 



Egg-laying. — The eggs are laid inside the larval case, not inside 

 the pupal case (which is much dragged out from the former), the 

 ovipositor being inserted near the anal end of the drawn-out pupal case 

 for the purpose. 



Case. — Two cases (collected by Coverdale) are 5mm. in length and 

 l - 4mm. in width at the widest part. The case is somewhat flattened at 

 the base, with moderately well developed lateral edges, leading up to a 

 fairly developed longitudinal ridge along the upper edge. It is 

 composed of whitish silk somewhat smooth inside, but outside so closely 

 woven with very fine particles of sand and earth that the silk is 

 covered and the case has a blackish-grey appearance, obtained from 

 the extraneous particles thus used ; under a lens the surface is rough, 

 although to the naked eye it appears to be smooth compared with that 

 of S. lichenella, in which the particles used are much larger. The apex 

 is moderately pointed, but the end from which the larval head is pro- 

 truded is somewhat constricted just before the end. Another case 

 from which a ? pupa-case is projecting came from Brentwood. It is 

 about 5"5mm. in length, and l-5mm. in width, it is otherwise exactly 

 similar to the above, covered with fine particles of sand and earth, 

 and with no trace of lichen (so common in some of the cases of allied 

 species, and probably sometimes in this). The protruding pupa-skin 

 is held in position by more or less denned ventral and dorsal flaps. 

 Stainton describes the case as " soft, brownish, three-sided, the ventral 

 side flat, the mouth downwards ; from Prestwich, on beech, Feb. 12th, 

 1859 " (in lift., teste Durrant) ; whilst others are described as " green, 

 soft, three-sided, mouth cut off at an angle ; from Dunham Park, on 

 beech, Edleston, Jan. 20th, 1859," this case referring to "the two-year 

 species vide, Edl., Ent. W. Int., v., p. 147 " (in litt., teste Durrant). 

 Hofmann notes that the male and female cases (from Eatisbon) are 

 each about three lines in length, narrower than the case of S. pineti 

 and more slender anteriorly ; the three angles (especially the dorsal) 

 sharply defined, the covering composed chiefly of minute particles of 

 sand and earth. 



Comparison of the cases op S. inconspicuella with those op its 

 allies. — Compared with the cases of S. lichenella (from Wellington 

 College) those of S. inconspicuella (Surrey and Brentwood) appear to 

 be distinctly less in size, less keeled along the dorsal margin, rather 

 more pointed apically, and to be covered with rather finer material. 

 Compared with cases (from Hanover) sent as those of S. triquetrella 

 one finds the latter still larger (8mm. long, 2mm. wide) and covered 

 with much coarser material, the flaps holding the protruding pupa 

 being also very large and well developed. Bruand says that the case 

 of S. inconspicuella is near that of S. triquetrella''', but the colour is 

 blacker, probably, in this respect, resembling the tint of the rocks and 

 the lichens on which they live in England. Zeller says that the 

 female case of S. inconspicuella is 3"' long, more slender than that of 



* Stainton considers (Ent. Week. Intel!., v., p. 1-17) S. triquetrella, Bruand, to 

 be identical with 6', inconspicuella, Sta. 



