STERRHOPTERIX HIRSUTELLA. 423 



1820, when two males were reared from larvae obtained in Hornsey 

 Wood. On June 22nd, and July 4th, 1827, the insect was found in 

 great abundance on the leaves of hazel and sallow, and on the leaves 

 and trunks of young oaks, in the same locality ; from these, however, 

 only three males were bred, nearly all the larvae being infested with 

 ichneumons. In June, 1828, many larvae and pupae were obtained, 

 some of the former, only half the size of others ; from the largest four 

 $ s and two $ s were bred in July, the larvae in smaller cases being alive 

 on November 24th ; it seems certain, therefore, from this, that some larvae 

 at least take two years to come to maturity, an opinion strengthened by 

 larvae being taken on July 17th, 1827, under three-fourths of a line in 

 length (including the case), which hybernated during the winter, after 

 being fed on sallow, and which commenced to feed again in the spring 

 of 1828. These larvae devoured the cuticle and formed their cases of 

 the downy part of the sallow leaves when young, remaining fixed to 

 the upper part of the inverted glass in which they were placed (having 

 made the sides easy of ascent by covering them with a fine silken 

 web) ; in March they began to stir when they were supplied with 

 the buds of whitethorn and afterwards with sallow. They gradually 

 increased the size of their cases, and added to them fine sawdust and 

 pieces of leaves, and after a few weeks they again became immovably 

 fixed, and from each of them Chalcideous parasites were produced. The 

 females never leave their cases and from previous ignorance of that 

 fact I am not confident whether any of the larvae taken in June 1827, 

 produced any of that sex (Ingpen). Bruand asserts that the English 

 examples are larger than the French. Some of the former which he 

 received from Doubleday expanded 23mm. -25mm., whilst the French 

 males measured only 19mm. -2 lmm. 



Comparison of S. hirsutella with S. standfussi. — The only 

 species that appears to be really closely related to S. hirsutella is S. 

 standfussi, which Herrich-Schaffer describes as follows : 



S. standfussi, H.-Sch. — Psyche standfussi, [Wocke, " Cat. Lep. Sil.," p. 2, n. 

 cat. (1853)] ; H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," vi., p. 1/5 (1856) ; Speyer, " Geog. Verb. 

 Schmett.," L, pp. 305, 459(1858); Wilde, " Pflanz. Eaup. Deutsch.," ii., p. 72 

 (1861) ; Auriv., " Nord. Fjar.," p. 59 (1889). Standfussii, Hein., " Schmett. 

 Deutsch.," i., p. 181 (1859) ; Staud., " Cat.," 1st ed., p. 27 (1861) ; 2nd ed., p. 64 

 (1871); Wocke, "Zeit. Ent. Bresl.,"p. 25 (1872); Standi., "Zeit. Ent. Bresl.," vii., 

 pp. 24, 38 (1879) ; Wallgrn., " Skand. Het.," ii., p. 429 (1885) ; Pet., "Btr. Eeuss. 

 Beiches, (3), iv., p. 85 (1888) ; Carl., "J.-B. Graubiinden," xxxviii., p. 27 (1895).— 

 Psyche standfusii (sic), Wocke. A male from the lake district of the Biesengebirge 

 in the middle of July. The case like that of calvclla. The moth differs from the 

 latter by its larger size and more shining nervures ; ihe hindwings want nervure 6, 

 4 and 5 do not rise from a common stalk, but close together ; the forewings have 

 the branches as in pi. xvi., fig. 4 (= villosella), but there is one branch more on 

 one side, so that after 4 and 5 there are two separate branches before 8 and 9 

 (Herrich-Schaffer, Sys. Bearb., vi., p. 175). 



Standfuss says: " Herrich-Schaffer states that the case is like that 

 of S. hirsutella, but apart from the length of the case of S. standfussi 

 compared with that of 8. hirsutella being as 7 : 5 and the area about 

 2-| times as great, it further differs (especially in those of the males), 

 by the more regular arrangement of the covering material (placed 

 vertically to axis), being almost as accurately arranged as in Arctus 

 graslinella. The materials chosen are mainly grass-culms, short stems, 

 ground lichens, or bark. The male larva does not, like that of S-. 

 hirsutella, undergo its transformations some feet high on tree-trunks, 



