324 THE PYRALIDINA. 



as the thorax; they are simple and bristle-shaped, 

 very rarely pectinated. The body is as slender as in 

 the Geometrina, and the posterior legs are longer 

 than the middle pair^ but are frequently exceeded in 

 this respect by the anterior legs, of which the coxae 

 are sometimes enormously elongated. In certain 

 Moths of this group the anterior legs in the males 

 are ornamented mth tufts of hairs which are capable ' 

 of being expanded like a fan, whence the name of 

 Fan-footed Moths is applied to them by collectors. 

 They form the genus Polypogon. 



A common species of this group, and one which 

 exhibits, in fall perfection, a character which occurs 

 in many of its other members, is the Hypena pro- 

 boscidalis, well known to collectors under the ex- 

 pressive but somewhat vulgar name of the Snout, 

 referring to the great length of its labial palpi, which 

 project to a considerable distance in front of the 

 head. Between the bases of these we find a rather 

 short spiral trunk, which however is longer in this 

 insect than in most of its allies, in some of which in 

 fact this organ is quite rudimentary. 



The Hypena proboscidalis, which is found abun- 

 dantly about hedge-banks in June and August, is one 

 of the largest British species of this tribe, measuring 

 about two inches across the expanded wings. The 

 latter are greyish, with two reddish-brown streaks 

 across the anterior pair, of which that nearest the : 

 base of the wings is strongly waved ; the hinder mar- 

 gin of the wing is brownish, and close to the apical l| 

 angle is a short oblique dusky line. The caterpillar, 

 which, when mature, is nearly an inch long, feeds upon 

 various hedge-plants, but principally on the nettle; 

 it is of a grass-green colour, banded with yellow. 



