PLUME MOTHS. 527 



trunks of trees, old palings, and similar localities, and placing 

 themselves so that the brown hue of their wings corresponds 

 with that of the object on which they have settled, while the 

 light does not reflect the glittering metallic hues with which 

 nearly all the species are decorated. Rearing them, however, 

 is, as has already been mentioned, extremely easy, and the only 

 difficulty is to set them neatly witHout damaging their gorgeous 

 plumage. 



One of these Pigmies, Nepticula plagicolella, is supposed to be 

 the very smallest of British Lepidoptera. It is a most lovely 

 little being, the wings being deep brown with a violet gloss, 

 across which is drawn a glittering band of burnished silver. 

 Another, JS^epticula argentipedella, has the upper wings of a 

 velvet black shot with violet, and a central band of pure 

 white. Then, Nepticida acetosclla, has the upper wings dark 

 shining bronze, crossed with a band of rich violet edged with a 

 line of pure white. Much has been done with these lovely 

 little insects of later years, but much more remains to be done, 

 and if any of my readers will take up this one subject of the 

 leaf-miners, they will find themselves amply rewarded for their 

 trouble. 



"VVe are now among some very curious and withal beautiful 

 insects, though none of them possess the magnificent colour- 

 ing which distinguishes the lovely little Moths which have 

 just been described. They are scientifically known by the 

 name of Pterophori, or Feather-Bearers, and bear the popular 

 name of Plume Moths, on account of the structure of the 

 wings. In those Lepidoptera which we have hitherto examined, 

 the wings are formed of a thin membrane stretched between 

 certain strengthening nervures, or wing-rays, the principal of 

 which radiate from the base of the wing. But in the Plume 

 Moths there is no membrane, each nervure being furnished 

 with long, hair-like plumes by which the insect is sustained in 

 the air. In the under wings, the nervures are separate nearly 

 from the base to the tip, but the upper wings are only divided 

 from the middle. 



There are, however, exceptions to most rules, and such is the 

 case with the Plume Moths, for there is . one Plume Moth 



