FUMEA CASTA. 325 



in good condition). The difference is in the antennae. Instead of having 18 joints 

 it has only 16 or 17. The antennal pectinations are of the same length as those of 

 so many other species (or forms), viz., -50mm., but they are relatively with the 

 antennal joints very short, i.e., the antennal joints are long, viz., -240mm., a very 

 constant group of casta specimens having then only •202mm. in length (another 

 specimen -210, whilst the longest found in any other examples was one of -227 in a 

 large specimen of var. intermediella). After what has been said as to the fluid 

 nature of the antennal joints, it may seem very doubtful, however, whether we 

 should separate this as a distinct species (Chapman, in litt., Dec. 15th, 1899). 



Comparison of Fumea casta with F. germanica. — Besides F. 

 scotica and F. casta the only other Fumea that Chapman is inclined to 

 award specific rank is F. germanica. This he describes as : Germanica, 

 n. sp., does not appear to be distinguishable from typical casta in 

 general appearance, but has the base of the wing apparently slightly 

 narrower, as in M. mitfordella, from which it differs, however, so much 

 in the length of the anterior tibial spurs. Its expanse is 12mm., it has 

 19-20 antennal joints, but the length of the anterior tibial spur is far 

 in excess of any other species examined, and obvious to the naked eye 

 when compared with that of F. casta. It works out at -86--88 the 

 length of the tibia (Chapman, in litt., December 15th, 1899). The 

 examples here named were sent by Voelschow, some as intermediella 

 others as affinis ; but they agree perfectly and are all one species. It 

 may be that this form is the one generally known in Germany as ajffinis, 

 but it is very different from the affinis sent by Staudinger, and described 

 byHofmann, which is closely allied to, if indeed distinct from, crassior- 

 ella (Chapman, in litt., January 1st, 1900). 



Comparison of Fumea casta with F. pellucidella. — In the Wien. 

 Ent. Monatschrift, i., p. 147 (1857), Mann records a species under the 

 name of Fumea pellucidella which he says occurs at Fiume in April and 

 May, and notes as being " smaller and more thinly scaled than F. niti- 

 della." [This must be Bijugis perlucidella, Brd., Mon. des Psych., p. 77.] 



Comparison of Fumea casta (intermediella) with M. crassiorella 

 and M. var. affinis. — Bruand says that " the male of F. intermediella 

 has the shape of M. crassiorella, but is very much smaller, and 

 darker. The female is also much smaller than that of M. crassiorella, 

 but it is, on the contrary, of a paler and less vinous colour ; one might 

 confuse it easily with that of B. comitella." Barrett notes this species 

 as smaller than M. crassiorella, the apex of the forewings of the male 

 more rounded, but the costa rolled back slightly in the middle so as 

 not to interfere with the regular ovate form of the wings. It has a 

 bright golden, or bronzy, gloss over its dark brown colour, and is well 

 and generally known. The female is very like that of the last species, 

 the anal tuft rather more brown, but it has slender drooping antennae 

 lying in a curve close to the head. Hofmann notes that in Ger- 

 many, two species had been included under the name of nitidella, but 

 that these had been separated by Beutti, chiefly from the females and 

 times of appearance, under the names of nitidella and affinis ; the males 

 of nitidella are, he says, always smaller (5 lines), have shorter rounder 

 wings, which are always uniformly shining black-brown ; the body 

 is also scaled with much darker brown ; the antennas shorter and con- 

 taining sixteen segments. This and Hofmann's tarsal formula for the 

 $ of his affinis make us suspect whether he did not still confuse F. 

 germanica and M. var. affinis and include them under the latter name. 



Ovum. — Length -70mm., width -42mm.; somewhat irregular, oval 



