72 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Rather liable to variation in the ground colour of the fore 

 wings in both sexes, and also in the degree of dusting upon 

 the surface in the female, and of colouring of the nervures in 

 the middle of the wings, this last extending in some degree 

 to both sexes. More so in the extension of tawny or purple 

 colouring from the second line outwards. This in some speci- 

 mens forms a narrow ill-defined cloudy stripe, in others a 

 larger cloud more extended in its middle portion, and so in 

 increased degrees, until in occasional examples the whole outer 

 area is clouded with purple or purple-red, the remainder of 

 the wing remaining of the normal colouring. In other cases, 

 with the purple clouding of the outer area as already 

 described, is also an extension inward, from the first line, of 

 the same colour — this last variation appearing very decidedly 

 also in the female — and sometimes leaving to the fore wings 

 only a yellow spot at the base and a yellow central band, 

 itself in some degree clouded with purple, the hind also 

 being clouded inward, from the hind margin, with the same 

 colour. Occasionally in these varieties the darker colour is 

 brown, red-brown, or purple-brown ; and specimens in several 

 of the best collections have the fore and hind wings wholly 

 dark umbreous or liver-brown, except the cilia, which with 

 the thorax retain the normal colouring, while the transverse 

 lines are dull yellow. 



On the wing at the end of August and in September. 



Larva elongate, twig-like, attenuated in front, wrinkled ; 

 there are transverse dorsal humps on the sixth and ninth 

 segments, and slight dorsal projections on the fifth, seventh, 

 and twelfth ; also lateral prominences on the fifth and seventh ; 

 the third and fourth segments are rather swollen laterally, 

 and there are two small i^oints below the anal flap ; head 

 flattened, brown ; general colour various shades of brown, 

 reddish-brown, yellow-brown, and purple, clouded and 

 mottled with red and olive-brown ; an ochreous subdorsal 

 line is visible on the fifth and sixth segments, and two black 



