1S3 



markings white, in which respect, therefore, 

 it still more forcibly contrasts with dark 

 examples of Carpophaga. The habits of the 

 species in some respects resemble its con- 

 gener. The egg is laid on the outside of 

 the capsuia of Silene onaritima, into which 

 the young larva eats their way. Though I 

 do not know that it has ever been taken 

 in a state of nature on any other plant than 

 maritima, it will eat injiata in confinement. 



Capsincola. — Rather colder brown than 

 the others, and very similarly marked ; 

 larger than the preceding, and generally 

 larger than the succeeding species. It 

 cannot be mistaken for any other but 

 Cuoiihali, but the purple shade in the latter 

 makes it easy to distinguish them. This is 

 the commonest species of the genus, and is 

 very generally distributed throughout the 

 British Isles. The female has a very long 

 ovipositor, and the egg I believe is deposited 

 within the capsule. Nev/man states that 

 larva " makes a perfectly round hole in the 

 capsule, and usually feeds with half its 

 body hanging out of the hole." - This seems 

 to imply a somewhat similar habit to that 

 described as appertaining to Carpophaga. 

 I can only give my own experience with the 

 species as being very different. I have 

 always found the larva within the capsule 

 oi Lychnis vespertina (the white campion), 

 and have often found the pupa also within 

 the capsule. The round hole so frequent 

 in empty capsules, I believe to be made by 

 the larva when leaving one for another. 

 Like others of the genus it will eat the seeds 

 of other plants than its natural food, when 

 confined. A very extraordinary variety of 

 this species is figured in Newman's British 

 Moths, but it is not described. This may 

 be the form named Behensis by Freyer, and 

 which is said to have occurred at Salisbury. 



CucuBALi. — Very like the preceding, but 

 generally a little smaller, and more compact 

 looking. It is rather a warmer brown, and 

 is suffused with purple, especially towards 



the hind margin ; the paler markings also 

 are more of a golden yellow than in Capsin- 

 cola, in which they are always paleochreous. 

 A further mark of distinction may be found 

 in the stigmata, which approach very close 

 at the bottom, nearly touching each other, 

 while in Capsincola they are not so close ; 

 but the purple shade on the present species 

 is an unfailing guide, and examples that are 

 too much worn to show it, are too much 

 worn for the cabinet. In Newman and 

 Stainton, the only food plant named is 

 Silene injiata. In Wilson's " Larva of 

 British Lepidoptera," several others are 

 named, viz. Night flowering catchfly (Silene 

 noctiflora) ,'R2i.gged. robin [Lychnis flos-cvctili) , 

 Red campion [Lychnis diurna). Sea campion 

 (Silene maritima), and White campion, 

 (Lychnis vespertina). I have only found 

 it on I/ychnis diurna, and vespertina myself, 

 and though I have frequently taken the 

 perfect insect at the flowers of Silene injiata, 

 I never reared the species from larvae found 

 on that plant. Cucuhali is not nearly so 

 common as the last species, but well dis- 

 tributed throughout England, Scotland and 

 Ireland, and I am not aware that it varies, 

 either locally or otherwise. 



Albimacula,— Olive brown with the lines 

 black, edged with white. The lines beyond 

 the middle have the white edges on the 

 outside, those nearer the base have the 

 white on the inside. The stigmata are 

 very distinct, white, with an olive shade 

 in the centre, but not so large as most of the 

 other species. I have already stated that 

 this species was included in the genus when 

 Stainton's Manual was published, or the 

 authority of a specimen said to have been 

 taken at Birchwood, Kent, in the year 1816. 

 This specimen was, and I suppose still is in 

 the collection of the late Mr. C.J. Stephens, 

 The species does not appear to have been 

 taken again till 1864, when a speciinen was 

 taken at Gossport, on the 8th June, by Mr, 

 G. H. Lacey, and recorded in the " Entomo- 



