64 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[March 



appears to occur in Europe. In Britain, we have (excluding phcBo- 

 dactyla) three species, but many other names occur m our Hsts which 

 would appear to be synonymous with hipimctidactyla. In the Palaearctic 

 area, Dr. Staudinger gives 19 species, although some of these are 

 only doubtfully distinct and some belong to Marasmarcha. 



Wallengren thus characterises this genus: — " Antennae of the male 

 fringed with very short hairs. The frontal tuft raised into a blunt 

 cone. Palpi longer than the head, compressed laterally, the middle 

 joint thickened above with hairs, the last joint short, blunt, scarcely 

 to be distinguished from the preceding. The posterior tibiae slender, 

 not thickened. The first pair of spines in the posterior tibiae equal, 

 the second pair slightly unequal. The anterior wings cleft to a third 

 part of their length, the segments more slender, the upper one with a 

 distinct posterior angle. The posterior lanceolate with the posterior 

 angle not ^veil-defined. The segments of the posterior wings slender, 

 the middle segment dilated so as to be somewhat spoon-shaped, the 

 third or posterior division without any black scales in its short fringe. 

 The anterior wings not perfectly flat, their anterior margin being very 

 slightly deflexed, their inner margin without a tooth, and, when at 

 rest, slightly deflexed, so as to embrace the posterior wings. The 

 veins of the anterior wings ten in number; the ist and 2nd separate 

 from the base, the 3rd from the posterior margin of the cell, and the 

 4th and 5th together from the posterior angle of the cell, all running 

 into the posterior segment ; the 6th rises from the little transverse 

 vein near the anterior angle of the cell, and the 7th, which is two- 

 branched, rises from the angle itself, these run into the anterior 

 segment ; the 8th and 9th arise from the anterior margin of the cell, 

 and run into the anterior margin of the wing; the loth arises from the 

 base of the wing and runs along its anterior margin. The cell is 

 distinct, closed, with a very slender, spurious, transverse veinlet, 

 moderately curved, with the convexity turning towards the base of 

 the wmg. The veins of the inferior wings are four in number; the ist 

 two-branched ending in the first segment, the 2nd two-branched, 

 ending as well as the simple 3rd vein in the second segment (this 3rd 

 vein generally joins with the 2nd at the base), and the 4th vein 

 simply ending in the third segment. No cell" ("Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine," Vol. VI., p. 123). 



Mr. Meyrick, for no apparent reason whatever, has sunk 

 Wallengren's name for this well-characterised genus, and brought to 

 light an old generic name of Hiibner's which he has had to describe 

 himself. Considering Wallengren's excellent work, Mr. Meyrick 

 should have been satisfied with separating phceodactyla, for which he 

 wisely constructed a new genus, without re-describing an already well 

 defined and natural genus. 



