24 



cisely with the figure of the specimen in the collection of the American Entomolog. 

 ical Society, but Chambers admits having mixed his specimens of bicolorella with 

 ulmella, and this figure probably represents the oak-feeder. Zeller's descriptions of 

 the three forms, which he regarded (probably with good reason) as varieties of one 

 species, are extremely clear and precise. The first is an admirable description of my 

 specimen of obtusilobw F. & B., and the third is an equally good one of the speci- 

 mens received from Miss Murtfeldt. I have no doubt whatever that these are varie- 

 ties of one species feeding on various oaks. Tbere are no sufficient differences to dis- 

 tinguish conglomerateUa Z. from these, or from bicolorella Chamb., which would cer- 

 tainly be included under Zeller's descriptions. I think it will be safe to regard three 

 of the four names as applying to one and the same variable insect, for which the name 

 conglomerateUa takes precedence. The specimens mentioned as received from Miss 

 Murtfeldt were bred from the upper side of leaves of white oak, but this would cer- 

 tainly not distinguish them from quercivorella or bicolorella, both upper-side mines, 

 the one bred from Q. bicolor, the other from Q. obtusiloba. The main differences upon 

 which Chambers seems to rely in separating these two species are as follows: 



Bicolorella. 



Fore wings yellowish saffron, dorsal 

 stripe extending to cilia. Oblique dor- 

 sal streak absent. Two costal streaks, fol- 

 lowed by small dots. Hind tarsi white. 



Quercivorella. 



Fore wings reddish orange, dorsal stripe 

 extending beyond middle of dorsal mar- 

 gin. Oblique dorsal streak present ; three 

 costal streaks, the third a mere spot. 

 Hind tarsi annulate with black. 



In all other respects the two descriptions are approximately the same. The darker 

 ground-color and spotted hind tarsi of quercivorella may perh ips be relied upon to 

 distinguish this species from its allies. The synonymy of these species should there- 

 fore stand thus : 



(1) Ulmella Chamb. = modesta F. & B. 



(2) ConglomerateUa Z.=bicolorella Chamb. = obtusilobce F. & B. 



(3) Quercivorella Chamb. 



Note. — Chambers, in distributing specimens to his various correspondents, fre- 

 quently appears to have attached a wrong name to them. This he admits in more 

 than one instance in his writings. The utmost caution is required before accepting 

 a specimen in auy collection as a co-type of any one of his species. Dr. Hagen's notes 

 of Frey's examination of spec imens in the Cambridge Museum (Papilio, IV, 151-3) 

 show that in some cases the professor failed to recognize specimens that he must cer- 

 tainly have seen before. This may be partially accounted for by the condition of 

 the specimens, but where Clemens' species are referred to it must be remembered 

 that these were determined by Chambers, who had not seen Clemens' types at Phil- 

 adelphia and who may have wrongly identified them in some cases. 



Lithocolletis tubiferella Clem. 



It may be worth while to mention that when I saw Dr. Clemens' type of this spe- 

 cies in the collection of the American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, in 1871, I 

 made a note, "Hind wings gone; very unlike a Lithocolletis." It is perhaps doubtful 

 whether Chambers was rightly acquainted with the species. The larva supposed by 

 him to belong to it (Can. Ent., Ill, 165-6) was proved to be Coleopterous (Can. Ent., 

 IV, 123-4), and he does not mention the true larva, so far as I am aware, in any of 

 his writings. He compares the perfect insect with his bifasciella (unknown to me), 

 and says of the former that the tuft is white, and it has no costal and no dorsal streaks 

 behind the fascia, and the apex is not dusted. Chambers described his bifasciella from 

 a single bred female, and if the subapical markings were not conspicuous it is possible 

 thatClemens may have omitted to mention them. In Dr. Hagen's paper (Papilio, IV, 

 152) mention is made of specimens (one good) of tubiferella Chamb. from Kentucky in 



