292 [August, 



under a good lens, placed in irregular tufts along the binder edge of each segment 

 of the abdomen in the female moth, and also in numerous isolated tufts scattered 

 over the upper surface of both fore and hind-wings, on or between the nervures ; 

 and since these peculiar scales are all of a very pale drab colour, and are placed 

 upon a chocolate-red surface, they give the insect a curiously powdered appearance. 

 They arc to be found in equal plenty on the under-side, especially along the costa of 

 the fore-wings and the corresponding margin of the hind, but also scattered gener- 

 ally over the under-surface of the wings and along the edges of the segments of 

 the body beneath. In the male these scales, though not absent, are few, sometimes 

 not visible on the abdomen at all, or if present, only on the edges of two or three 

 segments ; and on the wings they exist only as a very few minute tufts on the dark 

 chocolate surface. On tlie under-side also they are very sparingly distributed. We 

 have here, therefore, a most peculiar form of ornamentation, not, as is the usual 

 case, confined to the male, but existing far more strongly in the female. So far as 

 at present appears, here also is an instance of complete distinction in both colour 

 and markings between the larva of the male and that of the female. The pupa is 

 dark brown, altogether without gloss, but covered with rough sculpture, the 

 appearance under a lens of rough bark, especially rough upon the abdominal 

 segments, which also are covei-ed with raised points; cremaster excessively short, 

 broadly squared, edged with six turned-up points ; limb covers very compact. The 

 cocoon is very hard, formed of strong silk binding together pieces of leaf and 

 rubbish.] 



Saturnia apollonia. — " These moths are generally found sitting on long grass or 

 low bushes by day, or under a bush ; but three were caught on the wing at night. 

 I had gone rather late with a lantern to a flowering bush, and noticed something 

 white, apparently a feather, rolling along the ground, but upon my holding the light 

 nearer it went faster, and I promptly netted it. It was a curious sensation suddenly 

 to find that the object was alive. Its soft movements reminded me of a white owl 

 on the prowl. We came across another at night in the garden flying low, and I had 

 a run after the third in the ploughed land by lantern light ; it was only just skim- 

 ming the ground, but went pretty fast. I have found one roosting on a tree, so 

 that I thought it was a little bird asleep. Its tints are very lovely. I think that 

 these must come from buried chrysalids, as they are so generally found in the long 



grass under a bush, indeed S has found a chrysalis bare, as you will see, half in 



and half out of the ground." 



[This pupa-skin, the moth from which was sent, is extremely thick, its dorsal 

 region being strongly arched ; its general colour pitchy-black, surface dull from 

 abundant close sculpture, on the wing and limb-covers, of very closely placed 

 wrinkled eminences, those on the antenna covers arranged in a beautiful cross- 

 pattern, the dorsal and abdominal segments equally dull from very minute pitting, 

 each segment sharply ridged, those of the abdomen on both margins ; cremaster 

 black, thick, with glossy dimples and short upright projections on the upper-side 

 tapering off to a short, broad, blunt spike. I certainly expected to see a cocoon for 

 this rather typical Saturnia, but evidently it is allied in this respect to other South 

 African species of the genera Qynanisa and Nudaurelia. A curious point in con- 

 nection with this moth is worthy of notice. The usual transparent spot in the fore 

 and hind-wings, which is in this species quite round and doubly ringed with black, 



