296 LEPIDOPTERA. 



obnoxious to the innocent pedestrian. It has been taken, 

 though not commonly, in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, 

 Devon, Suffolk, Norfolk, and rarely in Yorkshire and Durham. 

 There are even two records in Scotland, one of them by Sir 

 Thomas Moncrieff, who secured a male specimen which came 

 to light at his window. It seems improbable that these 

 were other than migrating individuals. In Ireland it was 

 recorded by the late Mr. E. Birchall, but apparently in error. 

 Abroad it is found in Sweden, throughout Central and 

 Southern Europe, in Northern Africa, and in Asia Minor. 



2. P. auriflua, Fah., ScUfi. ; similis, Stand. Cat.— 

 Expanse 1^ to If inch. Glossy white; anal tuft bright 

 yellow. 



Antennas of the male curved down at the apex ; very 

 strongly pectinated, the teeth also bent at their tips and 

 strongly fringed with fine hairs ; pale buff with the shaft 

 white. Head and thorax covered with long, loose, pure 

 white scales ; abdomen rather slender, white, with the anal 

 segment and a large anal tuft bright yellow. Fore wings 

 broad, with all the margins and the apex smoothly rounded ; 

 pure, clear, silky white, with the extreme edge of the costa at 

 the base tinged with smoky black, and a small patch con- 

 sisting of three spots of the same colour, at the anal angle. 

 Dorsal margin edged with long hair-like scales of a pure 

 white and most evanescent. Hind wings slightly elongated, 

 much rounded, silky white ; all the cilia rather long, pure 

 white. Female larger, but with very short antennas, which 

 are shortly pectinated ; fore wings usually entirely white ; 

 abdomen very stout, with a still thicker rounded anal tuft of 

 dense, straight, yellow scales ; otherwise similar. Underside 

 of the fore wings of the male white, with a large smoky 

 black cloud lying along the costal region, but not reaching 

 its edge, shaded off across the wings so as to tinge the greater 

 portion of their area, but leaving the hind margin pure white ; 

 of hind wings snowy-white ; in the female, fore and hind 



