62 THE entomologist's record. 



simple (with a lens they can be seen to be very finely ciliated). The 

 fore- wings are purple with a slight tinge of brown, and are more or less 

 suffused with bluish-grey scales ; the fringes are reddish-brown, dotted 

 with darker ojiposite the intervals between the veinlets. Expanse of 

 wings, 1" 6'". Near the base there is a transverse line not reaching the 

 inner margin . Half-waj' between this line and the orbicular a second trans- 

 verse line, edged externally with i-eddish-brown and sliglitly oblique, 

 runs across the wing. The ell)0wed line is oljtusely angled near the 

 costa, sinuous, and edged internally with reddish-brown. Mid-waj' 

 between it and the outer margin is a narrow bluish-grey band, in the 

 centre of which are seven reddish-brown spots. All the transverse 

 lines, as well as the outlines of the stigmata and the nervures, are 

 bluish-grey. Between the outer margin and the ^^f^le bar the veinlets 

 are dark, especially the third median veinlet, which appears as a short 

 black streak. Both stigmata are unicolorous with the fore-wing, edged 

 internally with bluish-grey, and externally, except above and below, 

 with reddish-brown. The orbicular is nearly round, and the reniform 

 somewhat oblong with three black dots at its lower and outer portion. 

 The external reddish-brown edging of the reniform is prolonged as a 

 narrow shade to the internal margin. Along the costa, from the base 

 as far as the reniform, there is a very cons^jicuous, pale, slightly ochreous 

 line, edging the costa ; beyond it are three distinct spots of a similar 

 colour, and a fourth, less conspicuous, is placed at the commencement 

 of the pale bar. The hind-wings are blackish-grey, with an indistinct 

 central spot and two paler transverse lines — one, mid- way between the 

 spot and the hind margin, and faint ; tlie other, close to the latter, and 

 more distinct. The fringes are pinker and much paler than those of 

 the fore-wing, and are almost unspotted. The body is blackish-grey, 

 becoming reddish-brown on the sides and towards the extremity. 



There is a general similarity between this variety of 0. eri/thio- 

 cepliala and some of the'varieties of O. vdccinii. The chief points of 

 difference seem to be the following, which, however, must only be ac- 

 cepted for the specimen descriljed — at all events, until a further com- 

 parison of otlier British and foreign specimens is made : — 



0. erythrocephala. 0. vncchiii. 



1. — Large size, 1" 6'". 1. — Average size, 1" ?>'", rarely 



1" 4'". 



2. — Head, palpi, thorax, forelegs, 2. — Head, palpi, thorax, fore-legs, 



and fringes of fore-wings, and fringes of fore-wings, 



reddish-brown, contrasting unicolorous with the foi'e- 



strongly with the purple of wings. 

 the fore- wings. 



3. — Fore- wings purple with a 3. — Fore-wings ; out of some 70 

 tinge of brown, and more specimens, with many vari- 



or less suffused with bluish- eties, there are none with a 



grey scales. purple colour. Some of the 



reddish-brown varieties suf- 

 fused with bluish-gre}'' and 

 ochreous scales, have a ge- 

 neral and superficial re- 

 semblance to the specimen 

 of var. glabra. 



