1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



63 



long grey hair, and tuft of shorter bristles; the inner rows of warts 

 are situate towards the anterior, and those forming the outer rows 

 towards the posterior edges of segments; sub-dorsal, a black wart on 

 each segment, with a moderately long grey hair, and tult of short 

 white bristles; spiracular, two small black contiguous w^arts on each 

 segment, emitting whitish hairs. Pro-legs and claspers semi- 

 transparent, dotted with grey. Food, rest-harrow (Ononis); feeds on 

 the terminal leaves. June ("Entomologist," Vol. XVI., pp. 75-76). 



Pupa — The pupa is usually attached to the food plant but some- 

 times to other objects near. It varies somewhat in colour but is 

 generally of some shade of green. It is also covered with hairs like 

 the larva. It may be found in June and July. 



Time of Appearance — The imago is abundant in many localities 

 in the chalk in July and the early part of August, but it is perhaps on 

 the wing a shorter time than almost any other British species, two or 

 three weeks being the utmost limit. In 1888, the species was not out 

 until the first week in August. I have known it out the second week 

 in July, but the third and fourth weeks of the latter month are 

 generally the best to obtain this species. 



Habitat — The species seems somewhat restricted in England and 

 does not appear off the chalk, so that it is more essentially confined to 

 the Soutij of England. I have taken it abundantly at Dover, 

 Folkestone, Cuxton, Isle of Wight and Stainton records it from 

 Alkham, Cambridge and Mickleham, Mrs. Hutchinson records it 

 from Leominster, "rarely," whilst the Rev. O. P. Cambridge 

 writes: — "M. phcpodactylus is found in one spot only, near Bloxworth, 

 but is common there" [m litt.) Staudinger and Wocke give as its 

 range: — "Germany, Switzerland, England, France, Italy, Greece, 

 Eastern and Western Russia" ("Catalog," p. 343). 



Mim cBseop tihis, W a 1 le n g r e n . 



In the structure of the imago this genus (as previously constituted) 

 presented two very distinct types, of which phceodactyla and 

 pterodactyla (fiisms) may be taken as the prevailing forms. Phceodac- 

 tyla appears to me generically distinct from the rest of our British 

 Mimaseoptili, and Dr. Jordan has before remarked the peculiarities of 

 this genus, but Zeller was perfectly convinced that its true position 

 was here, and I believe it was only in deference to Zeller's opinion 

 that the species was not long ago removed from its position in this 

 genus. Next to Aciptilia this is the largest Palaearctic genus, but, 

 strange to say, the genus is scarcely knowm in America, only three 

 species being mentioned by Dr. Jordan in the " Entomologist's Montlily 

 Magazine," VoL XVIII., p. 121. Neither of the American species 



