of this tribe ; the elegant form of the wings, variegated with 

 the richest tints, the bright metallic spots and curious charac- 

 ters, as well as the beautiful crested thorax, contribute to 

 make them the ornaments of a collection. They fly very 

 swiftly, and some of them, especially Gamma, are frequently 

 seen on the wing in the day; probably they are the males, and 

 their numbers are limited ; but in the evenings of summer they 

 fly in multitudes. 



1. illustris Fah. — Curt. B. E. pi. 731 <?. — cuprea Esp. 



Mr. Stephens states that the larva has 16 feet, and conse- 

 quendy he places this species with Abrostola; but it certainly 

 has only 12, as my copy from Hiibner shows. It feeds ou 

 the Aco7iitum lycoctonum and Thalictrum Aquilegifoliwn, and 

 is full fed in June : the moth appears in July. It is said to 

 have been plentiful formerly on Salisbury Plain, but, like 

 Sphinx Nerii, it may be only a casual visitor to this island. 

 Mr. Donovan took it in South Wales. 



2. Festucas Lhm. — Wood, pi. \6.f. 407. — Do7i. 2. 46. End of June, very 

 fine, at Horning ; middle of August, marshes and ditches near London. 



3. chalsytis Esp.—Goda, pi. 136. /. I.— Wood, pi. 54./. 52. The only 

 authority for this species is, that Mr. J. Standish found it in an old frame 

 with other Lepidoptera: it inhabits Dalmatia, Italy and the South of 

 France, and is abundant near Florence. 



4. chrysitis Linn.-~Wood, f. 402. — Don. 4. 137. End of June, hedges, 

 weedy banks and gardens. 



5. aurifera Hilh. pi. 98. /. 463.— ^oof/, /. 403. Said to have been taken 

 near Dover, which is doubtful, as it only inhabits Spain, Portugal, Tene- 

 riffe and St. Helena. The specimen alluded to in the British Museum 

 may be a singular variet}' oi chrysitis. 



6. orichalcea Fab. — Wood,/. 405. — iErifera Esp. August, Hethersett, 

 H. Browne, Esq.; Newbury, Berks, and Glanville's Wootton, middle of 

 July, J. C. Dale, Esq. ; gardens, Crayford, Kent, Mr. Samouelle. 



7. bractea Fab. — Wood,/. 406. Taken in Yorkshire and near Edinburgh, 

 and I captured a fine specimen in the Isle of Bute, 27th of Jul}' ; but so 

 far from its being common in the environs of London, as stated by M. Du- 

 ponchel, I never heard of a single specimen having occurred near our 

 metropolis. 



8. circumflexa Zz'nw. — Wood,/ 404. — flexuosa Z)o??. \2. pi. 412. Essex, 

 on the authority of the late Mr. Drury : the specimen is now in the cabinet 

 of Mr. Robertson, and Mr. Hewitson has taken it near Hull. 



9. biloba Step. In Mr. Swainson's cabinet. 



10. Iota Linn. — Wood, / 398. — Doti. S. 265. 1. — percontationis Och. var. 

 — Wood,/. 397. End of June, gardens, and July, Coomb and Dai-ent. 



11. bimaculata 6*^6. — Wood, /S99. — inscripta Sle. A fine variety appa- 

 rently of Iota, from Marsham's Cabinet. 



12. Gamma Linn.— Wood, / 401.— Don. 8. 265. 2. It is found from the 

 earliest spring to the end of October, and is spread over all Eiu-ope and 

 Asia to the frontiers of Siberia and China ; also North America. 



13. interrogationis Linn. — Wood,/. 400. — aurosignata Don. 13. pi. 453. 

 End of June, mountains and heaths in Scotland, Yorkshire and Lanca- 

 shire. I took several the 12th July at the base of Schechallion, after- 

 wards in the Isle of Bute, and another near the Lakes of Killarney. 



Specimens of Aconitiim Napellus, Monk's-hood, were sent 

 to me by Mr. Dale from Holt Mills, Dorset, and by Dr. 

 Bronifield from near Shalfleet in the Isle of Wiiiht. 



