ARCTIID^E. ORGYIA. 61 



bipectinated in the males, abruptedly terminated : serrated in the females, each 

 serrature producing a bristle: head small, hairy: thorax slender, not crested: 

 rt'ings deflexed, short, triangular, or wanting: legs rather stout, anterior 

 elongated, thefemoi^a and tihicB of all, and the tarsi of the anterior, fringed 

 with elongate hairs. Larva with distinct fascicles of hair on the sides, and 

 several dorsal tufts, two or more, composed of capitate hairs, on the sides of 

 the body and head, one on the penultimate joint, and some shorter ones at the 

 apex : pupa slightly pilose, with an acute spine at the tip : foUiculus ovate, of 

 a very loose texture. 



The short triangular wings and abbreviated, subtruncate, deeply 

 pectinated antennae well distinguish the males of this genus, and 

 the females are known by being apterous, and having serrated 

 antennae ; both sexes have the terminal joint of the palpi very large, 

 and the males the anterior legs elongated, and deeply fringed with 

 hair : the latter sex of the common species may be frequently ob- 

 served, during the autumnal months, even in the streets of the 

 metropolis, performing its short, jerking, vacillating flight, and 

 resting at intervals with extended anterior legs and elevated 

 antennas. 



Sp. i. antiqua. Alls ferrugineis, anticis strigis duabus obsoletis obscuriorihus 

 maciddque anguli ani nived; femina abdomine cinered. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 

 2—6 lin.) 



Ph. Bo, antiqua. Linne. — Don. i. pi. 16. — Or. antiqua. Steph. Catal. No. 6009. 



Wings ferruginous ; the anterior clouded with brown, with two rather obsolete 

 undulated strigse, a pale luteous crescent-shaped spot on the disc, and a snow- 

 white sublunate spot at the anal angle ; posterior immaculate. Female dark 

 cinereous. 



Var. /S. With the posterior wings pale luteous. Female pale cinereous. 



Caterpillar dusky, spotted with red, with a black patch on the back, thickly 

 clothed with fascicles of hair, with four white tufts on the back, two dark 

 whisker-like tufts of capitate hairs on the head, one on the tail, and two on the 

 sides : it feeds on various trees, especially white and black thorn; and may be 

 found from April to August : it changes to a dusky and yellow pupa ; and the 

 imago is found from July to October. 



A very abundant insect throughout the metropolitan district ; oc- 

 curring in profusion at Hertford and Ripley, and in the streets of 

 London. 



Sp. 2. gonostigma. Alisfuscis, anticis macula apicis fiilvfi albo marginatd altC' 

 rftque anguli ani albd; femina Jtwca. (Exp. alar. $ 1 unc. 3 — 7 lin.) 



Ph. Bo. gonostigma. Linne — Don. ix. pi 316. — Or. gonostigma. Steph. Catal. 

 No. 6010. 



