108 REPORT OF No. 19 



dinary forked and wtip-like tails, whicli can be raised and thrown forward 

 and agitated, as occasion requires. They are believed to be protective — 

 their motion intimidating the ichneumons that would assail the larvae. The 

 species have been called, on account of these tails, Dicranuridae (Dikranos, 

 two-pointed; oura, a tail). 



A Dicranura larva, when "full fed," forms a copapact cocoon, into which 

 it works particles of the substance to which it attaches itself. Some seasons 

 ago, at the bottom of my insect breeding-cage, there was lying a dead pupa 

 of a hawk-moth. A larva of the kind mentioned chose to fasten itself upon 

 this, and to work frayings from the case into its cocoon ; this, in its finished 

 state, was apparently a mere excresence of the hawk-moth pupa. 



The images of the Notodontidae are, generally speaking, of good size 

 and fine appearance. The smallest of our Quebec species (as far as I know 

 them) are : Melanopha inclusa Hubner, and Gluphisia septentrionalis Wal- 

 ker. The former is the "Clostera Americana" of Harris, and is fully de- 

 scribed in the "Insects Injurious to Vegetation" of that author, pages 431-4. 

 The fore wings of the moth are grey, clouded with rust-red and brown. It 

 may readily be known by the whitish Y-like mark extending across the fore- 

 wing. It expands an inch and a quarter. The latter species is a prettily 

 marked one. The base of the fore-wing is brownish grey ; then comes a band 

 of pale grey, and then a central band of warm brown, bordered on either 

 side with a dark brown line. In this band not far from the costa is a pale 

 spot. Beyond the central band the wing is pale grey, clouded with darker 

 grey, and having a wavy line of black dots near the hind margin. The in- 

 sect expands an inch and two lines. 



Kis?. 28— Datana ministra. 



Datana viinistra Drury is a fine moth. (Fig. 28.) It varies in color from 

 reddish ochre to brown. The hind margin, in the fore-wings, is crenated. 

 Not far from the base of the wing is a curved cross-line ; and, beyond this, 

 are three parallel cross-lines. Running from the outer angle, for a short 

 distance, into the wing, is a curved line. Ministra measures two inches in 

 expanse of wings. 



Hyperaeschra stragula Grote is a handsome moth. Its fore-wings are 

 richly colored with dark grey, brown and red. Near the hind margin is a 

 beautiful feathery line. The hind wings are white with a touch of brown 

 at the inner angle. The insect is an inch and five lines in expanse of wings. 



To my mind the Queen of Beauty among the Notodontians is the Elegant 

 Prominent, Odontosia elegans Strecker. (Fig. 29.) It measures an inch and 

 ten lines in expanse of wings. Its fore- wings are of a soft rich dove color. 

 From the tooth on the inner margin of the wing to the base is a patch of 

 brick-red ; and at the hind margin are two parallel, scalloped, dark lines. 

 The hind wings are white with a purplish patch on the inner angle. 



The bill-hook like curve that is seen in the inner margins of the fore- 

 wings of several of the Notodontians is conspicuous in 0. elegans. Other 

 species that have the curve are: — Hyperaeschra stragula Grote, Notodonta 



