STRUCTURE OF WINGS. 345 



In moths and butterflies the nervures are in a great 

 measure concealed by the feathery scales; — but when 

 these are removed they are rendered apparent, and 

 appear to resemble in some measure the arrangement 

 observed in the two-winged flies. To this arrange- 

 ment there occurs a remarkable exception in the 

 family of plumed moths {Aliicitidx, Leach), of 

 which Stephens enumerates twenty-nine British 

 species. One of the most common of these is the 

 large white plume {Pterophorus pentadadyhis, 

 Leach), which may be seen, during the summer, in 

 hedges and gardens, flitting about like a tuft of down 

 or a snow-white feather dropt from the breast of the 

 eider duck. From being slow in its motions it is 

 easily taken; but if rudely handled all its snowy 

 plumage will come off". Another of the family, also 

 very common, is the twenty-plume moth {Mucila 

 hexadactyla, Leach), which may be seen from March 



, -v 



a, the twenty-plume moth, b, the same magnified, c, the white 

 plume moth. 



till October, on windows and the walls of rooms, or, 

 still more probably, on the leaves of honey-suckles, 



