218 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Tortrix piceana, Linn., is to be found in the second edition of Doubleday's 

 synonymic list. It. is not in Stainton's Manual and is only mentioned inci- 

 dentally in Wilkinson's Tortrices (p. 65.) Up to the present time the only 

 known British specimens were as follows : One taken by the late Mr. Stone, 

 in the New Forest, which is in Mr. E. Shepherd's collection ; a second beaten 

 from a fir tree in a wood on the borders of Hants, on July 11th, 1868, by Mr. 

 C. Barrett. Not being able to find any further specimens, Mr. Barrett con- 

 cluded it must be an extraordinary variety of Tortrix pyrostrana, and as such 

 it remained in his collection till he undertook an investigation of our native 

 Tortricidae in 1872, when it was submitted to Professor Zeller and pronounced 

 Tortrix piceana. This as well as the former capture were females. In 1873, 

 Mr. Barrett described both sexes in his " Notes on British Tortrices," as they 

 had not been previously described in any English work. We take the liberty 

 of quoting these descriptions which were made from foreign specimens from 

 Professor Zeller, which are probably not within the reach of many of our 

 readers. 



" Head, antennas, and palpi brown. Thorax purplish brown. 



"Male. Forewings pale pinkish brown, with a rich purple flush ; mark- 

 ings chocolate-brown. Basal patch distinct on the dorsal margin, but inter- 

 rupted in the middle of the wing by a patch of raised pale fuscous scales, 

 which occupies all the basal portion of the costal margin for one-third of its 

 length. Central fascia oblique, narrowest at the costa, and emitting from 

 its external margin a narrow crooked streak towards the apex of the wing. 

 Above this is a slight cloud on the costa. Parallel with the hind margin is a 

 second fascia, dilated at its upper extremity ; but not attaining the costal 

 margin. Near the anal angle is a narrow oblique streak. Cilia and hind- 

 wings pale fuscous, with a golden flush. 



" Female. Altogether paler, the purple flush very faint. Markings simi- 

 lar to those of the male, but much broken up, and confused by streaks and 

 dots emitted from their margins. The streak from the central fascia towards 

 the apex is nearly obsolete, but the costal blotch above it is distinct, forming 

 a flat triangle. The streak from near the anal angle is perpendicular, and as 

 well as a parallel one given off from the base of the central fascia, nearly 

 crosses the wings, which has altogether a curious reticulated appearance from 

 tho number of faint perpendicular lines crossing the nervures. Hindwings 

 yellowish-fuscous, yellower towards the apex." 



According to Zeller, it feeds on Pinus sylvestris, but other authors say 

 P. abies and picea. 



The re-discovery of the insect after 20 years is very interesting, and Mr. 



