296 BRITSIH LEPIDOPTERA. 



pectinations rather longer than two antennal joints in both, sensory- 

 hairs on all aspects, but no scales ; the third joint without pectinations. 

 Length of spurs (or spines) of first tibiae -68-'70 (almost the same as betu- 

 lina which = -70, this figure being really the percentage of tibia beyond 

 the origin of spine, the actual length of tibia is -021in. as against .029in. 

 in P. betulina. In B. sepium this is *49 and in L. lapidella '46). 

 Female: Antennas with thirteen joints (? as in P. betulina), the tarsi 

 with four joints, the anchylosis of four and five leaving a mark 

 extending more than halfway across tarsus ; in other respects it 

 resembles 5 P. betulina. The two specimens of these species mounted 

 for comparison differ in this respect — that the pale spots on the dorsal 

 abdominal plates are in P. eppingella on segments 3, 4, 5, 6, but in P. 

 betulina are on 2, 8, 4, 5. There are some rather long loose hair- scales 

 about the prothorax and mesothorax dorsally, and the points that 

 stud all the plates are clearly minute spines on the thorax. The wings 

 are minute, colourless, triangular lappets ; the anal tuft white, almost 

 exactly as in P. betulina (described from £ bred by Mr. Prout from 

 larvaa taken an Theydon Bois). 



Note on P. eppingella. — This certainly appears not to be the 

 salicolella of Bruand, although it very probably is the salicolella of 

 those authors (and collectors) who have obtained a second smaller 

 Proutia that they have considered should be distinguished from P. 

 betulina. The latter, however, seems to have been so imperfectly known 

 by authors that it must often have been noted as salicolella if one may 

 judge from the records. We have only been able to examine three $ 

 specimens of P. eppingella, one bred by Mr. Prout, one example (locality 

 unknown) from Dr. Mason's collection, and a third from France from 

 Dr. Staudinger. The only $ of which we know is one bred also by 

 Prout ; this has a white anal tuft, almost like that of P. betulina. 



Case. — The case is very characteristic, reminding one much of 

 something intermediate between a case of P. betulina and Fumea casta. 

 Like the former it is covered with bits of bark, wood, and leaves, some 

 of which are, however, placed more or less longitudinally, odd pieces 

 also frequently standing out at a considerable angle from the base (of 

 a spun-up case) where such longitudinal pieces are usually attached. 

 This makes the base of the case appear much more bulky and the 

 presence of three or four pieces of longish material sticking out at a 

 sharp angle from the base gives the case a peculiar appearance. The 

 silken tube itself appears to be rather slender, tolerably uniform in 

 width, but appearing somewhat larger at its attached end. The 

 material with which it is covered appears to be anything but pieces of 

 grass culms, and one $ case has three fine thistle prickles standing 

 out beyond the head of the ease for 4mm., in the most characteristic 

 Fumeid manner. The cases are almost black in tint, that of the $ 

 about 10mm. in length, that of the male about 7mm., and with rather 

 more free silk at the emergence end than is usual in the cases of the 

 Fumeas. The case is used as a puparium, the female pupa- skin being- 

 left within it, the male pupa- skin protruding from the 5th abdominal 



segment (Described from cases collected by Prout at Theydon Bois). 



[We suspect that Tompkins' case of salicolella, which was covered with 

 pieces of bark, very similar to that of P.fusca (hirsutella) , but only one 



third of its size, was that of P. betulina.] 



Comparison of cases of Proutia betulina and P. eppingella. — The 



