LA RENTID.-E—MELA NTH I A. 1 09 



found rarely in Berwickshire and Wigtownshire ; also at the 

 Guuibraes in Clydesdale, and in Perthshirt-. Fifty years ago 

 it was common on Arthur's Seat, Edinburg-h, and doubtless 

 still lingers in that region. In Ireland it seems to be 

 abundant on all the sandy coasts — I found it very so on 

 that of Dublin many years ago, and know of its presence 

 in localities so widely apart as Cork, Londonderry, and Sligo ; 

 but inland it seems to be rare. Abroad it is found through- 

 out Central, and the greater part of Southern Europe, 

 Livonia, Asia Minor, Armenia, Siberia, and Northern Africa. 



Genus 2. MELANTHIA. 



Antennte of the male a little serrated ; palpi slender, 

 porrected ; head rather rough ; thorax crested at the back : 

 abdomen smooth and slender; fore wings broad, blunt, 

 smoothly edged behind, markings mainly in bands ; hind 

 wings rather elongated, faintly crenulated ; with obscure 

 marginal colouring ; vein 5 leaning toward vein (J. 



Larv^ elongated, slender in front, without conspicuous 

 projections. On trees, shrubs, or low-growing plants. 



Pur^ usually in the earth or among decayed leaves in :i 

 cocoon. 



Not an easy genus to tabulate. 



A. Middle of fore wings white, a large dark basal and 



sub-apical blotch. M. allnrillata. 



A'-. Middle of fore wings white with a large costal dark 

 blotch. 



B. A double cloudy grey band along the hind margin. 



M. ruhii/i)i(if((. 

 B-. A single grey band, containing a sipiare white patch 

 along hind margin. 31. proce/li'lii. 



A^. Fore wings sharply banded in the middle. 



