278 LEPIDOPTERA. 



scaled ; smoky brown or smoky black, darkest towards the 

 costal margin, and with two or three black spots or dots on 

 the costa, two or three nearer together on the dorsal margin, 

 one, rather larger, a short distance from the base in the middle 

 of the wing, and one or more beyond the middle (these last 

 clearly indicating the usual second transverse line), cilia 

 smoky brown. Hind wings rounded, smoky brown or blackish, 

 semi-transparent, sometimes with two or three faintly indicated 

 black cloudy dots before the hind margin; cilia smoky 

 brown. 



Female, antennse black, very finely dentate ; head and 

 thorax covered with long, fluffy, white scales; abdomen 

 stout and rounded, white, with a row of black spots down the 

 back and another down each side. Fore wings thinly scaled 

 and semi-transparent, clear white, with black dots as in 

 the male but far more distinct and often more numerous ; 

 this is more emphatically the case on the hind wings, 

 where besides an increase in number and size of those near 

 the hind margin, a central spot is faintly indicated ; and 

 there is also an additional dot, or even two, below the apex 

 of the fore wings ; cilia white. 



Underside of the fore wings of the male smoky^ brown, 

 rather paler than above, usually with slight indications of 

 the black dots, and in addition a central spot to the hind 

 wings ; body grey tinged with yellow ; legs black with 

 yellow tufts beneath : female, wings as on the upperside ; 

 abdomen white with two rows of distinct black spots ; legs 

 black, the first pair with bright yellow tibiee. 



Not generally very variable but Hable to local race 

 variation of a very constant character. Of this nature is 

 a form known as var. rustica, in which the males are 

 dull white, creamy white, or very pale brown, instead of 

 blackish, the females being large and having but few black 

 dots. This variety, principally found in Ireland, is remark- 

 ably constant, generation after generation, reared in captivity 

 in England, producing similar results, the white males 



