264 Lloyd's natural history. 



List Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus. xvii. p. 299 (1859); Ledercr, 

 Wien. Ent. Men. vii. p. 354 (1863). 



This genus includes dark-coloured Alpine species, with short 

 broad wings, and thickly-scaled bodies. The wings frequently 

 have a silky lustre, and the moths swarm about among 

 the snow in the daytime, looking more like large black flies 

 than moths. 



METAXMESTE PHRYGIALIS. 

 {Plate CLIL, Fig. 6.) 



Pyralis phrygialis, Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. vi. fig. 42 (1796?). 

 Pyralis sericealts, Hiibner, op. cit. vi. fig. 43 (1796?). 

 Fy rails rupicolah's, Hiibner, op. cit. vi. figs. 198, 200 (1803?). 

 Hercyna rtipicolalis, Treitschke, Schmett. Eur. vii. p. 181 (1829). 



This species is a native of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Ural 

 Mountains, &c. It expands about half an inch. 



The fore- wings are olive-brown, with two broad, suffused, 

 bluish-grey transverse bands, and two dark stigmata; the 

 marginal line is spotted with dusky, and the fringes are grey, 

 and narrowly white at the tips. The hind-wings are greyish- 

 brown, with a light suffused curved band just beyond the 

 middle, and dark grey fringes. 



GENUS ERCTA. {SteniidcE?) 



Ercta, Walker, List Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus. xvii. p. 425 (1S59); 

 Lederer, Wien. Ent. Mon. vii. p. 423 (1863). 



A West Indian genus, with very long and slender body 

 and legs, short palpi, rather stout antennae, and long narrow 

 wings. 



