NOCTUIDJE. ORTHOSIA. 139 



at its termination ; between this stigma and the following striga is frequently 

 a brown spot ; and the posterior margin, beyond the third striga, is gene- 

 rally dusky or dark brown : posterior wings fuscescent ; cilia rufescent. 



Both sexes vary greatly: in some the oblong hue is very minute, in others 

 it is considerably elongated ; in some specimens there is a transverse pale 

 band, between the third and fourth strig£E ; and the wings are not uncom- 

 monly varied with beautiful purple shades. 



Caterpillar pale-green, yellowish on the back, with a white lateral Une and a 

 few dusky specks : — it feeds on the oak, honeysuckle, woodbine, &c. : the 

 imago appears towards the middle of April. 



Not a very uncommon species, frequenting hedges and wood 

 sides : I have often taken the larva both at Darenth and Coorabe 

 woods, Highgate, Hampstead, &c. " Kimpton, not common." — 

 Rev. G. T. Rucld. " Epping."— il/r. H. Doubleday. " Bottisham." 

 — Rev. L. Jenyns. " Netley." — Rev. F. W. Hope. 



Genus XCIV. — Orthosia, Ochsenheimer. 



Palpi nearly horizontalj densely clothed with elongate scales, the terminal joint 

 scarcely projecting; triarticulate, basal joint a little bent, above half the 

 length of the second, and more robust, second nearly straight, terminal about 

 the length of the basal, obscurely pear-shaped : maxtllce shorter than the 

 antennae. Antenna simple in the females; bipectinated or ciliated in the 

 males : head small, with long scales above : thorax not crested, stout, woolly : 

 abdomen short, tufted in the males, acute in the females : wings shghtly de- 

 flexed, entire; anterior elongate, the apex slightly rounded or somewhat 

 acute ; posterior short, ovate-triaiigidar : legs moderate. Larva naked, longi- 

 tudinally streaked ; pupa subterraneous. 



Orthosia evidently consists of two groups of insects (as briefly 

 characterized in the following pages), differing considerably from 

 each other in colour and habit, although their general structure is 

 sufficiently alike to authorize their union under one genus : — the 

 species of the first section are vernal, and the remainder mostly 

 autumnal; they are all extremely variable, and several manifest 

 varieties have been hitherto considered in this country as distinct 

 species. In the woolliuess and stoutness of the thorax the genus 

 resembles the preceding, but its other characters are diflFerent; 

 the structure of the palpi especially : by the former mark it may 

 be known from Agrotis, Graphiphora, and Mythimna, added to 

 which the last genus has tlie thorax strongly crested in front. 



