310 LEPIDOPTERA. 



is greenish gray ; prolegs of the same color ; thoracic feet brown 

 black. Head black with white lines in front, resembling an in- 

 verted Y, and white at the sides. The thoracic segments fre- 

 quently have a greenish hue." It is the Noctua danclestina. 



Still another, of which the moth is unknown, is described 

 by Mr. Riley under the name of the Pale Cut-worm. "It 

 is of the same length as Cochran's cut- worm, and the general 

 color is pale gray, with a lilac colored hue, caused by innumer- 

 able light purplish markings on an almost white ground. 

 There is no particular shading on the back, and it is very slight 

 along the subdorsal line. The stigmatal line, however, being 

 destitute of the above mentioned markings, is almost white. 

 Above this line there is a band of a darker shade than the rest 

 of the body. At fii'st sight this worm appears quite smooth and 

 uniform in color, the most striking feature being the second 

 segment, Avhich is shiny black, with thi'ee white lines. One of 



these lines is on the 

 top, and continues 

 to some extent on 

 the head ; the others 

 are placed on each 

 side of this and do 

 not run down as far. 

 Fig. 241. a The anal segment 



has also two black shiny marks on its surface. The stigmata 

 are black and the head is gray, below light shiny, and brown 

 above. Legs and feet of the same color as the under side of 

 the body which is nearly white with a glaucous tinge. There 

 are a few scattering hau's near the tail. This worm is 

 smoother than the others." 



In Gortyna the antennae are crenulated in the male, and the 

 fore wings are yellow with darker markings. The larva is dull 

 colored with warty spots. That of G. Jlavago, an European 

 species, feeds in the stems of thistles and the burdock, chang- 

 ing to a pupa inside the stem. G. leifcostigma attacks the colum- 

 bine (Harris). The habits of the Dahlia and Aster stalk borer 

 (Gortyna nitela Guenee) have been described by Mr. Riley, 

 who states that the fore wings of the moth (Fig. 241 ; a, larva) 

 are lilac gray, speckled with minute yellow dots, with a dis- 



