SERICORID.E—BRA CH YT/ENIA. 34 5 



dorsal plate black, anal plate light green ; internal dorsal 

 vessel brown ; legs black, prolegs green. 



July and August, in the berries of Ehamnus catJiarticus 

 (buckthorn), eating out the substance of the hard seeds, and 

 covering the hole of entrance v^ith silk, uniting the berries 

 together and passing from one to another. The attacked 

 berries turn purple before the rest. On leaving them the 

 larva spins up in bark, or in confinement, in cork ; and lies 

 in the cocoon for hybernation ; changing to pupa in the 

 spring. 



This beautiful species is exceedingly local with us, occurring 

 more particularly on the chalk of some of the more southern 

 counties. Its best known locality seems to be around Croj^- 

 don, Surrey ; but it has been taken near Knigsbury, Middle- 

 sex, in Kent, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, 

 and Worcestershire, and by Mr. Threlfall at Witherslack, 

 Westmoreland. I know of no other localities in these Islands. 

 Abroad it is found in Germany, South Switzerland, Hungary, 

 Styria. Livonia, Dalmatia, and Roumania. 



Family!. SERICORID^. 



Fore wings elongate and moderately broad, somewhat even 

 in width, usually clasped closely and perpendicularly to the 

 sides when at rest ; apex somewhat squared or sharply 

 augulated ; ocellus often indicated. 



Genus 1. BRACHYT^NIA. 



Antennte short, thick, ciliated ; palpi short, thick in the 

 middle, third joint small, nipple-like ; face not oblique ; 

 thorax having a crest or tuft of scales at the back ; fore 

 wings without fold, broad, the dorsal margin rounded up, 

 and having a small tooth of scales projecting from a curve 

 near the base ; hind wings with a fine tuft of hair-scales on 

 the median nervure. 



