98 
A. F. GEIFFITH-LEPIDOPTEEA 
occur on the banks of the Lea near Wheathampstead, where 
Phlceodes immundana and Paedisca sordidana abound on the alders. 
Two beautiful red specimens of Oncocera ahenella flew into my 
bedroom at Sandridge one evening, attracted by the light of my 
lamp. Stigmonota puncticostana , Catoptria Albersana , and Lobesia 
rehquana occur at Bricket Wood, where the larva of Peronea tristana 
is common, feeding on Viburnum opulus , a rather unusual food- 
plant. Specimens of Dichrorrhampha flavidorsana (which is rather 
a variety of D. Petiverana than a distinct species) have occurred 
near Mackeiye End and elsewhere, while Penthina sellana , Argyro- 
lepia sub-Baumanniana , and A. Pubrisana occur on railway-banks 
with Eubolia bipunctata. 
Of the Tineina included in my list, several are rare. One of the 
rarest is undoubtedly Trifurcula pallidella, the occurrence of which 
is recorded in the ‘Entomologists’ Monthly Magazine,’ vol. xxii, 
pp. 65 and 263. Only one specimen had until then been recorded 
as British, captured by Mr. Hodgkinson near Preston, but the 
species has since been taken both in Dorsetshire and Sussex. I 
took two specimens one evening close to Symond’s Hyde Wood, 
running up grass stems amongst Genista tinctoria, which is sup¬ 
posed to be the food-plant of the larva. Another very rare species 
is Ornix fagivora , which was first announced as British from 
specimens bred by me from larvae found near Cambridge a few 
years ago. Of the others, Pasystoma salicella is local and not 
common; I have bred a few from larvae on black poplar or aspen. 
Nematois minimellus is abundant in one locality near Symond’s 
Hyde, but the females occur far more frequently than the males. 
In fact until recently I had met with only one male, but one day 
in 1887 I came across three more close together. This species is 
fond of settling on thistle stems. Micropteryx mansuetella and 
Thunbergella are both local, but common where they occur. 
Plutella porrectella occurs freely in our garden at Sandridge 
amongst the rocket, under the leaves of which its beautiful white 
network cocoon can often be found. Cerostoma sylvella, alpella, 
and lueella are all rare. Orthotelia sparganella occurs freely in a 
little pond close to our garden as well as on the banks of the Lea. 
Gelechia cinerella is rare, one specimen only having occurred. A 
single specimen of G. conjinis which I caught on a dry bank at 
Wheathampstead was identified by Mr. Stainton. One method by 
which insects are now distributed through new localities was 
strikingly exemplified by the capture of a G. dodecella in a field 
which had just been planted with Scotch fir seedlings, the nearest 
Scotch fir trees that I know of Being at least a mile distant. 
G. bifractella is abundant in the seed-heads of Conyza squarrosa 
wherever this plant occurs. Chelaria Hubnerella I have bred from 
birch, but I think it must feed on other plants also, as I have 
taken it far from any birch bushes. Perittia obscurepunctella is 
fairly common amongst honeysuckle, and Argyresthia ephippella is 
abundant amongst the numerous bushes of wild cherry in the 
woods. Gracilaria semifascia appears to be rare, one specimen only 
