TRIFIDsE. 223 



erect but strongly curved above the middle and regularly- 

 scalloped or indented, black, thrown up by an outside edging 

 of white scales, which is more distinct upon the costa ; the 

 region behind this is regularly dusted or frosted with white 

 scales, a triangular space before the apex being less so ; there 

 is little trace of a subterminal line, unless it may be said to 

 be sometimes indicated by a few blacker dots ; orbicular 

 stigma barely visible as a blacker ring ; reniform stigma very 

 large, rugged in its outline, pure white, but with an ill-defined 

 black streak in its inner side ; claviform stigma just visible as 

 a black loop ; cilia brown-black spotted with dusky-white. 

 Hind wings short, with the hind margin faintly sinuous ; 

 bright yellow, with a broad smoky-black stripe on the costal 

 margin which merges at the apex in a blacker broad hind- 

 marginal band ; cilia white but blackened along the base. 

 Female similar, but having the central black band even 

 broader, and less defined by white dusting, or sometimes 

 quite devoid of the frosting of white scales. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky-black with a large 

 central pale yellow blotch ; hind wings exactly as on the 

 upper side. Body and legs black-brown. 



Usually quite constant in colour and markings, but in the 

 collection of Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher is a specimen in which 

 the white spot of the fore wings is enlarged and spread over 

 the central band. 



On the wing in May. 



Larva slender, all the ventral prolegs of about the same 

 size, head hard and shining, dark purplish-brown with a 

 blackish blotch on the corner of each lobe ; general surface 

 soft and velvety, crimson-brown ; dorsal line white ; sub- 

 dorsal line similar but faint, spiracular stripe brownish- 

 ochreous freckled with crimson-brown ; undersurface and 

 legs dark purplish-brown. At full growth another variety 

 is almost black with only a trace on the end of each segment 

 of the dorsal and subdorsal lines, but the spiracular stripe 



