342 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



and there on the branches. The males have large and delicate 

 wings, and their antenna? have a narrow feathery edging on each 

 side. They follow the females, and pair with them on the trees. 

 This kind of moth closely resembles the lime-looper or umber 

 moth {Ilybernia defoliaria) of Europe ; but differs from it so 

 much in the larva state, that I have not the slightest doubt of its 

 being a distinct species, and accordingly name it Hybernia Tilia- 

 ria, the lime-tree winter-moth, from Tilia, the scientific name 

 of its favorite tree. The fore-wings of the male are rusty buff 

 or nankin-yellow, sprinkled with very fine brownish dots, and 

 banded with two, transverse, wavy, brown lines, the band nearest 

 the shoulders being often indistinct ; in the space between the 

 bands, and near to the thick edge of the wing, there is generally a 

 brown dot. The hind-wings are much paler than the others, and 

 have a small brownish dot in the middle. The color of the body 

 is the same as that of the fore-wings ; and the legs are ringed 

 with buff and brown. The wings expand one inch and three 

 quarters. The body of the female is grayish or yellowish 

 white ; it is sprinkled on the sides with black dots, and there 

 are two square black spots on the top of each ring, except the 

 last, which has only one spot. The front of the head is black ; 

 and the antenna? and the legs are ringed with black and white. 

 The tail is tipped with a tapering, jointed egg-tube, that can be 

 drawn in and out, like the joints of a telescope. Exclusive of 

 this tube, the female measures about half an inch in length. The 

 eggs are beautiful objects when seen under a microscope. They 

 are of an oval shape, and pale yellow color, and are covered with 

 little raised lines, like net-work, or like the cells of a honey- 

 comb. 



As these span-worms appear at the same time as canker- 

 worms, resemble them in their habits, and often live on the 

 same trees, they can be kept in check by such means as are 

 found useful when employed against canker-worms. 



Probably more than one hundred different kinds of Geometers 

 may be found in Massachusetts alone. Seventy-eight are already 

 known to me. Some of these are small, and are not otherwise 

 remarkable ; some are distinguished for their greater size and 

 beauty in the moth state, or for the singularity of the forms and 



