Insects. 



8471 



Note on Agrotis lucernea. — In the last part of the * Transactions of the Northern 

 Entomological Society' Dr. Herrieh-Schseffer is charged with committing an error in 

 stating that the specimens of A. lucernea found in the South of England are lighter- 

 coloured and larger than those taken in the North. If this is erroneous I am answer- 

 able for it, as I sent a series of specimens to Dr. Herrich-Scha. j ffer to show that this 

 was the case, but I have seen nothing to cause me to alter an opinion formed from the 

 examination of at least two hundred specimens, taken in the Isle of Wight, at Deal, 

 in Wales, and near Edinburgh. — Henri/ Doubleday ; Epping, February 18, 1863. 



Note on the Irish Specimens of Dianthcecia capsophila. — Dr. Staudinger has kindly- 

 compared one of the Irish specimens of this insect with authentic specimens of the 

 D. Nisus of Germar, and informs me that it is not identical with Germar's species. 

 Boisduval's name must therefore be adopted for the Irish insect, which is totally distinct 

 from all the varieties of D. carpophaga. — Id. 



On the Determination of Dianthcecia capsophila. — I received the other day the 

 Report of the December Meeting of the Northern Entomological Society, held at the 

 bouse of Mr. Gregson. In the Proceedings I find the followiug entry : — " Mr. 

 Greening brought a specimen of Dianthaecia capsophila of Boisduval, Newman, 

 1 Zoologist,' &c, from Howth Lighthouse, which, on being compared with Mr. Greg- 

 son's series of D. carpophaga from North Wales, Cheshire, North Lancashire and 

 Cumberland, was decided to be only a dark variety of D. carpophaga. Mr. Gregson 

 regretted that the Society had not sooner worked out this question, but stated, as a 

 reason for the delay, that the Society did not see the specimens until every one uncon- 

 nected with it had failed to give a decided opinion, except in favour of Boisduval's 

 name. Although the Irish insect does not agree with the description by Guenee of 

 D. capsophila, yet it does with some of his intermediate varieties, the same as some 

 specimens do with his description of D. Nisus of Germar." With respect to this de- 

 cision, I wish to say a few words. Did it never occur to the Northern Entomological 

 Society, or to Mr. Gregson, under whose special influence this decision appears to 

 have been arrived at, that there are other entomologists, both in this country and 

 abroad, to whose very high attainments in Science, and superior acquaintance with 

 insects, both British and foreign, some deference is due ? In order to show to whom 

 I refer allow me to go back two or three years. I took my first specimens of the insect 

 in question in Ireland, in the summer of 1860. In November of that year I sent spe- 

 cimens to Mr. Birchall, at Liverpool, who showed them to Mr. N. Cooke; and after a 

 careful examination and comparison with Guenee's work, they, particularly Mr. Cooke, 

 came to the conclusion that the specimens were D. capsophila. Mr. Birchall then 

 showed them to Mr. Gregson, who, although Mr. Birchall pointed out the distinguish- 

 ing characters, insisted that they were only D. capsincola. On being informed of all 

 this I picked out three of my linest specimens, and forwarded them to Mr. Doubleday. 

 He, after a careful examination, informed me that he thought they were D. capso- 

 phila, but that, as there was not a specimen of that species in either the British 

 Museum or Mr. Hind's extensive collection of foreign Lepidoptera, he would prefer 

 sending one to M. Guenee before he gave a decided opinion. At the same time other 

 specimens that I had sent to London had been examined by Messrs. Newman, 

 M'Lachlan and others, who were so well satisfied of their identity with Guenee's de- 

 scription that Mr. Newman put a notice of the capture of D. capsophila on the cover of 

 the ' Zoologist' for December, 1860. Mr. Gregson, finding out his mistake, immediately 

 made his celebrated mathematical journey to the Cumberland coast, so graphically 



