161 



extremity by a longitudinal black spot; the remaining smoke-colored stripes, 

 three in number, on each side of. the median stripe, are scarcely susceptible 

 of verbal definition; each segment of the belly after the fourth has a cluster of 

 black dots, which are not present in any other British species of the genus ; but 

 Mr. Hellins informs me that markings of the same color and character occur 

 in Cidaria picata. It feeds on the common duckweed (Alsine media), and is 

 full-fed at the beginning of August, It spins its cocoon on or just under the 

 surface of the earth, and remains in the chrysalis state all the winter. In 

 captivity, it is sometimes double-brooded, but not in a state of nature.'' — New- 

 man's British Moths, 159. 



Rheumaptera lugubrata Packard. Plate 9, fig. 8. 



" Geomctra lucluata Denis and Schitt'., Wieu Verz., 316, n. Cat, : ' 



" Geometra transversata Tbuuberg, Mus. Nat., 75, fig. 8, 1788." 



" Geometra luctuata Hiibn., Btr., ii, 4, 3, T, 1792 ; Schiu. Eur., 253, 179li." 



Cidaria luctuata Treits., Schni. Eur., vi (ii), 214, 1828. 



Melanippe luctuata Dup., Lep. France, viii (v), 28G, pi. 190, fig. 4, 1830. 



Boisd., Gen. Ind., 216, 1840. 

 Larentia luctuaria H.-Scb,, Schni. Eur., iii, 156, 1847. 

 Melanippe luctuata Gnen., Phal., ii, 392, 1857. 



Cidaria obductata Moeschl., Monats. Wien, 374, tab. 10, fig. 3, 1860. 

 Melanippe luctuata Walk., List Lep. Het. Br. Mus., xxv, 1284, 1862. 

 • Melanippe concordaia Walk., List Lep. Het. Br. Mus., xxv, 1295, 1862. 

 Cidaria lugubrata Staudhiger, Cat,, 2d ed., 189, 1871. 

 Melanippe Eodiakata Pack., Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xvi, 23, pi. 1. fig. 7, 1874. 



3 c? and 2 9 . — Body and wings blackish ; body whitish beneath. Fore 

 wings blackish on basal half with grayish scales, and a zigzag line just before 

 the black discal mark; just beyond the discal dot, a broad whitish band, wider 

 on the costal than on the inner edge, diffuse externally ; on the inside scal- 

 loped, and slightly excavated on the median vein ; beyond this band are two 

 obscure, pale, wavy lines, the outer ending on the costa, close to the apex; 

 edge of the wing with a narrower black line ; fringe paler than in the other 

 species, checkered with black. Hind wings with a broad white band, obscure 

 on the hind edge, and angulated outward just below the middle of the wing; 

 beneath, both wings white, with wide black borders, but white at base, with 

 a basal blackish shade; an outer blackish band enclosing the darker, large, 

 distinct, oval, discal dot, and below this angulated outward ; hind wings white, 

 with a broad black border, and a narrow dark line just beyond the distinct 

 black discal dot, which is much smaller than that on the primaries. Legs 

 blackish, ringed with white 

 21 ph 



