no. i. BOMBYCINE MOTHS OF NORTH AMERICA— PACKARD. 47 



Breadth of fore wing, <? 35 mm. ; 9 32 mm. 

 Length of hind wing, c? 49 mm. ; 9 43 mm. 

 Breadth of hind wing, c? 37 mm. ; 9 35 mm. 



Ocellus of fore wings, <? 12 by 8 mm.; beneath, 9 by 7 mm. ; 9 12 by 7 mm. 

 Ocellus of hind wings, <? 17 by 13 mm. ; beneath, 9 by 9 mm. ; 9 1 4 by 1 1 mm. 

 This species varies in being sable-brown, the <? with a pinkish hue, or in being yellow, with 

 a reddish brick-brown head and collar. 



[The species being extremely variable, Dr. Packard made other descriptions which are given 

 below.] 



Geographical distribution. — Cape Town, South Africa. (Paris Museum.) 

 Imago. — Two s , one 9 • Front of head not so wide as in N. cytherea. Antennae of <? 

 subplumose, not quite so wide as in N. cytherea; ochraceous; the middle joints rather long; 

 branches slender, well ciliated; tip subfiliform, consisting of five to six joints with vestigial 

 branches, either shorter or no longer than the joints (in N. cytherea there are eight to nine 

 joints and the branches are longer), 9 antennas simple, the vestigial pectinations unusually 

 short and minute, like teeth. Palpi well developed, stout, wide, pointed, extending well beyond 

 the front; the third joint not very distinct from the second. 



Thorax rather stout, but not so much so as in N. cytherea, vestiture thick, shaggy, the 

 clothing of the base of the wings denuded, shaggy, and that of the rest of the wings thick. 

 Ground color of the wings and body ochreous yellow, varying from lemon-yellow (normal dione) 

 to deep ochreous snuff-yellow (preussi) to dark reddish brown (persephone) . 



Fore wings decidedly falcate, considerably more so, and more pointed and produced at the 

 apex than in N. cytherea, the outer edge being rather deeply excavated, much as in N. rhodo- 

 phila. Half way between the base of the wings and the basal line is a distinct rather large 

 diffuse whitish pink spot (gray in var. persephone) . Basal line a broad diffuse lilac-brown shade 

 externally whitish and expanding on the costa ; it is 4-scalloped, the scallops uneven, the 

 largest one on the discal cell; the line is situated about half way between the ocellus and the 

 insertion of the wing. Extradiscal line straight (not slightly sinuous as hi N. cytherea), brown 

 edged within with whitish and on the costa with a large whitish or hoary pink triangular costal 

 patch. A submargmal broad lilac shade, divided into 7 points dusted over with reddish scales. 

 Ocellus small (about one-fourth as large as in N. cytherea), oval (in a transverse sense) and 

 inclosing an oval or subtriangular clear space outside of the discocellulars, and with a narrow 

 ochreous, and an outer still narrower reddish brown ring ; it is situated about half way between 

 the extradiscal and basal lines. 



Hind wings concolorous with those of the anterior pair, except the deep pink or roseate 

 area along the costal edge, extending from the base to the extradiscal line and as far as the 

 ocellus (not present in N. cytherea). 



Basal line distinct (not so in N. cytherea), brown, edged externally with pink white and 

 making a sharp angle on the fold (or obsolete vein V). Ocellus large and just touching the 

 extradiscal line; middle ochreous yellow centered with a small round clear space; the yellow 

 encircled with a rather narrow brown ring (about half as wide as in N. cytherea) and this by an 

 outer broad white ring. 



Under side of the wings as above but densely dusted over or bathed with gray lilac scales ; 

 ocellus smaller than above, and on the hind wings it is reduced to a small roundish, sometimes 

 angular clear spot, the discal veins being distinct, beyond which is a small clear space. The 

 submarginal 7-scalloped shade is distinct. (In N. cytherea there are no hoary lilac scales above 

 or beneath.) 



Expanse of fore wings, <? (preusii and persephone) 108-114 mm. 



Length of one fore whig, s 60-65 mm. 



Breadth of one fore wing, c? 30-34 mm. 



Length of hind wing, s 42-48 mm. 



Breadth of hind wing, c? 30-37 mm. 



Ocellus of fore wings in preusii, 3i by 4+ mm. 



