124 [June, 



[The moth is very curiously formed ; its antennae long, pectinated, dull white ; 

 body also long and similarly coloured, but the head and thorax smoky-black ; fore- 

 wings long and rather narrow, the hind-wings almost absurdly small and effete, 

 their neuration being limited to veins I, 3, 4, 5 and C. It is not a very uncommon 

 species, coming to light at a window at night, the female is scarce, sluggish, broader, 

 and very similar. The head of the larva (to judge by the dried up carcase) 

 is glistening brown, the mouth black, the antennal papilla? two jointed and looking 

 telescopic ; the hairs of the second segment project forward round the head, and 

 those of the next two segments are long and curved also forward ; the rest of the 

 body is clothed with shorter hairs ; apparently unicolorous, except a slender white 

 spiracular line. The warts on the body from which the hairs spring are very notice- 

 able, raised and black. The whole appearance of this species is rather abnormal, 

 and the discovery of two larvse in one ant hill may point to some unusual habit of 

 the creature, or may have been quite accidental. The pupa is stout yet rather 

 elongated in the abdominal portion, the wing and limb covers moderately glossy, 

 compact, very finely granulated ; the segments more shining, yet rather closely 

 covered with extremely short hairs, which are so fine as to be only visible under a 

 good lens; the anal segment fully rounded, without projection, but furnished with 

 a thickened mass of short bristles, which are hooked. The cocoon is extremely 

 slight, composed of loose, thin, soft silk. It is evident that this species requires 

 careful working out. The present imperfect details may possibly furnish some clue]. 



Rigema omata, Walk. — " My brother found a female moth in November, and 

 kept it for me while I was away on a visit. On opening the box we found that eggs 

 had been laid — such pretty pink eggs with a depression at the top; they turned 

 quite blue before hatching. The caterpillars at first were little black dots, which 

 hung themselves by a thread, or scrambled so about the place that I found them 

 all over the work-table, just escaped from the glass which held the eggs. We had 

 no clue to the food, so tried vine, willow, Mimosa, and a river side tree which gets 

 a good deal perforated. They have taken to the latter, after wandering over the 

 vine leaves and tasting the willow." 



[Later]. " I am much disappointed ; all these have died. I cannot say whether 

 it was caused by unsuitable food, or by thunder storms which occurred at the time. 

 The larvse became damp and then pined away. However, Harry found one full 

 grown, a most lovely delicate looking larva, on coarse grass by the river side. Of 

 this one I send two figures, and have enclosed the shells of the eggs." 



[This is, in its various stages, a beautiful creature. The moth has long creamy- 

 yellow fore-wings, with a longitudinal central stripe of purple, and from this to the 

 costa a succession of parallel purple lines ; the hind-wings white. The larva is well 

 worthy of the admiration bestowed upon it; the head orange-red, with the trian- 

 gular face white ; the whole dorsal region bluish-white down to the spiracular 

 stripe, which is broad, orange-red or purple-red, bounded underneath by a bluish- 

 slate stripe, and this by white ; legs and prolegs purple-red ; hairs arranged singly 

 in a double row on each side, spatulate— the slender black hair becoming suddenly 

 broadened or spoon-shaped at the tip. On each side of the head is a slender pencil 

 or tuft of six such hairs of various lengths, looking like a long antenna divided into 

 spatulate branches. Pupa of ordinary form, not very stout, dark purple-red, dull 



