1 84 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[August 



are no hoary scales along the inner margin, and the tuft of course is 

 different ; in the nearest alike specimens they can be separated by a 

 glance at the underside. The fasciae crossing the digits of the prim- 

 aries are parallel in pilosella, and the outer one makes a continuous line. 

 In distaiis, this outer one is not a continuous line, but the parts in the 

 first and second lobes enclose an obtuse angle, whilst the pale fringes 

 surround the primal digit and another pale line runs from the centre of 

 the fascia to the tip ; in pilosellm as I have said before, the fringes are 

 only pale on the costa" (in litt.). Stainton's diagnosis of the species ap- 

 plies almost exactly to Mr. Webb's specimens, which from this I 

 should say were identical with the Mickleham specimens from which 

 Mr. Stainton's description was probably written. It is : — " 8f'" — 9"'. 

 Very like the preceding (hieracii) but rather paler ; the pale fasciae 

 less distinct, and a pale line at the base of the fringes of the hind lobe 

 yellowish instead of white ; third feather of hind wing with a black 

 tuft before the tip " (" Manual " II., p. 442). Mr. C. G. Barrett in a 

 very lucid comparison of these closely allied Oxyptili writes : — " In 

 pilosellce the costal margin is much arched beyond the middle, so that 

 the apex is long, pointed and drooping. The two pale fasciae (which, 

 in all these species, cross the divisions of the fore wings) are in pilosellce 

 yellowish-white, oblique, not very narrow nor well defined. The third 

 feather of the hind wing has a large dark brown tuft of scales near the 

 tip" ('-Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. XXV., p. 431). 



Larva. — The larva is said in the " Manual " to feed on Heracium 

 pilosella in June, whilst the same information is to be found in 

 " Merrin's Calendar." Nothing further seems to have been published 

 by British authors. 



Time of Appearance, &c. — The species occurs in July and August. 

 The Mickleham specimens were all captured during these months, as 

 as also were Mr, Webb's specimens. 



Habitat — The localities given in the " Manual " are Mickleham 

 and Cambridge. Dr. Jordan in the " Entomologist's Monthly Mag- 

 azine," Vol. XVIII., p. 122 calls it the " Mickleham plume," and in a 

 letter written to me (July 1889), he says: — ''Pilosellce certainly used 

 to be common at Mickleham. I have specimens with Stainton's 

 accurate labels and references which prove this without a doubt." Mr. 

 C. G. Barrett writes : — "some doubts have recently beenex^essed 



