306 BRITISH LEPIDOPTEEA. 



Catal.," p. 115 (1879) ; Peyer., " Cat. Lep. Als.," ed. 2, p. 59 (1880) ; Heyl., "Ann. 

 Soc. Ent. Belg.," xxv., pp. 72-3 (1881); Rossi., " J.-B. Ver. Nat. Nass.," xxxiii-xxxiv., 

 p. 227 (1881) ; Frey, " Mitt. Sch. Ent. Ges.," vii., p. 18 (1884) ; Schmid, " C.-B. 

 Nat. Ver. Begens.," xxxix., p. 85 (Sep. p. 36 )(1885) ; ?Lampa, " Ent Tids.," 1885, 

 p. 39; Teich, "Arb. Nat. Ver. Biga," N.F. vi., p, 20 (1889) ; Kirby, " Cat. Lep. 

 Het.," p. 523 (1892); Zap. and Korb, "Ann. Soc. Esp.," xxi., p. 113 (1892); Paux, 

 "Rev. Biol. Nord," v., p. 322 (1893) ; Carad., "Iris," vi., p. 201 (1893); viii., p. 

 88(1895); Barr., " Ent. Mo. Mag.," xxx., p. 265 (1894); "Lep. Brit.," ii., p. 354 

 (1895) ; Meyr., " Handbook, &c," p. 773 (1895) ; Lutz., "K.-B. Riga," xxxix., no. 

 50-51 (1896); Tutt, "Ent. Rec," xi., p. 237 (1899); Chapman, "Proc. Ent. Soc. 

 Lond.," 1899, p. xxv (1900). 



The genus] Masonia is first noticed Ent. Record, xii., p. 20, where 

 one reads as follows : 



Genus : Masonia, n. gen., with type crassiorella. The anterior wings without 

 reticulations, the median nervure not forming a cellula intrusa ; the anterior tibial 

 spine intermediate, •66- - 72 the length of the tibia ; the antennal joints usually 20 

 or more. 



The genus Masonia may be diagnosed as follows : 



Ovum. — Oval (somewhat variable in shape), straw-colour, no surface sculpture, 

 covered outside with woolly fibres. 



Case. — As in Fumea (but composed of coarser materials). 



Larva, — As in Fumea. 



Pupa. — d . Of ordinary Fumeid type with ventro-anal spikes. Compared with 



pupa of F. casta, the cheeks project downwards (backwards) and reach (especially 



laterally) far below labrum ; maxillae proportionally to labium larger and wider. 



¥ . (Compared with F. casta) the cheeks are shorter and more rounded ; maxillae 



smaller and shorter ; labium wider and shorter. 



Imago. — <? . Anterior wings ample; antennal joints 20 (edwardsella) to 24 

 (crassiorella), pectinations scaled ; anterior tibial spur intermediate in length (be- 

 tween Bruandia and Fumea). ? . With diminished tarsal joints 3, 4, 4 in the 

 three legs (crassiorella). 



Neuration. — As in Fumea*, i.e., without the cellula intrusa (present in 

 Bruandia). 



Compared with Fumea the males of this genus have shorter anterior 

 tibial spurs and have a larger number of antennal joints. The genus 



* Bruand figures (Mon. des Psych., pi. iii., fig. 68) crassiorella with a cellula 

 intrusa. Heylaerts and Chapman both consider that Bruand made an error. 

 Possibly he had a dark specimen of one of the species of Bruandia mixed with his 

 series, although Chapman suggests he may have had an aberrant crassiorella that 

 possessed it, since he himself had fallen into a similar error with the same species, 

 by the examination of an aberration that had a cellula intrusa well developed in 

 one forewing and absent in the other. At any rate typical crassiorella has no 

 cellula intrusa. That Bruand was not very clear about the "nitidella" group would 

 appear to be equally certain from Speyer's note (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xlix., p. 204) 

 where the latter observes that when he was writing his Geog. Verb. Schmetterlinge, 

 he sent a number of his Psychids to Bruand for comparison with his species, 

 amongst them four specimens (two t? and two ¥ ) of his nitidella, numbered 15-18. 

 His answer showed that he was not clear about their determination for he wrote : 

 " Nos. 15 et 18 me paraissent crassiorella, 16 et 17 roboricolella ou peut-etre inter- 

 mediella. Voyez Monographic." Speyer says, however, that " none of these 

 examples resemble the size and light coloration of crassiorella as Bruand describes 

 and figures it, and as a specimen he sent shows it really to be," and that he " could 

 no more take them for roboricolella on the characters quoted above (see ante, p. 281, 

 footnote). There is, therefore, only inter mediella that it could be and with this my 

 nitidella agrees well. The somewhat lighter colour of the original of inter mediella 

 received from Bruand can be accounted for by its age. Staudinger in his Catalog 

 (1871) united these and I agree with this opinion. The pectinations of the example 

 from Bruand, do not show, in the outer series, any perceptible apical thickening, 

 but it is possible that, in this particular, individual variations may occur. It would 

 be well if the noteworthy (if not striking) differences, which the male antenna3 show 

 in this group, should be tested as to their constancy in a great number of examples 

 for each species, a work which will need that these organs be more perfect than in 

 those specimens I have." 



