LARENTID.K—CORE.UIA. 165 



diilicult one. and from the close agreement in size, sliape, 

 habits, and appearance, and the habits of the larva, the 

 balance of evidence seeined to lie in the direction of variation 

 rather than of specific distinction. But ]N[r. F. X. Pierce has 

 shown that the structure of the anal armature of the male is 

 essentially and reliably different in the two — <'. 11 niihiiforii' 

 having the harpes or claspers in tlie form tif a long smooth 

 pair of hooks, while in V. fcn-nijiifu these hooks are strongly 

 serrated along their inner edge — and this imjiortant character 

 appears conclusive as to their distinctness. A few sugges- 

 tions as to the best means of distinguishing them may there- 

 fore be useful. 



If the usual and obvious characters of the black-brown, 

 and the purjile, central bands were reliable, nothing further 

 would be necessary; but since C. fci-riKjaic sometimes 

 receives a very considerable blackening of this band, while 

 the present species varies in this respect to purple or purple- 

 brown, further reliable characters are most desirable. To 

 me they appear to exist thus : — In C. ferrufiafa there is a 

 .strong tendency to the appearance of interior paler lines in 

 the central band, which in some districts becomes so pro- 

 nounced as to break it uj) into stripes ; outside these there is 

 a distinct and neatly edged pale rivulet, and the hinder 

 area has a sort of purple stripe almost to the dorsal margin. 

 In the present species the central baud is smooth and plain, 

 never broken up into stripes ; the rivulet beyond it is ordi- 

 narily obscure, but the hind-marginal space pale and free 

 from stripes toward the anal angle. Thus it is a much 

 plainer insect. On the underside '''. fi:rvwjnti' is more 

 ornamental, especially upon the hind wings, being striped and 

 dotted with pale brown ; while in <'. i' ii'nh iitoi-u< the dotting 

 is absent and the stripes are faint and obscure. t )ther 

 characters have been suggested but they do not seem to me 

 to be sufficiently applicable ; and the differences of the 

 larvfe are very slight. It is. however, the experience of all 

 our most reliable entomologists who have reared them. 



