LIFE -HISTORY OF CHARAGIA VIRESCENS. 85 



Since these preliminary disasters I have succeeded in extracting 

 over twelve specimens, six of which died from time to time, 

 three others have just appeared as moths, and the remainder 

 are still alive and healthy, although exhibiting no signs of 

 emergence at present. I therefore conclude that this insect is 

 very delicate in its constitution, taking as I did every precaution 

 with the pupae, which were placed on rotten wood and covered 

 with a thin layer of damp moss ; a similar proportion of deaths 

 occurring among chrysalids in the natural state would he almost 

 sufficient to account for the apparent rarity of the imago. 



I will now give a short description of the moth when recently 

 emerged, as most examples seen in collections are so much faded, 

 and frequently mutilated, that very erroneous notions are often 

 entertained respecting the insect's natural appearance. 



The fore wings of the male are uniform apple-green in colour, 

 with a series of fainter oval markings, between the longitudinal 

 veins, enclosing a dark green kidney-shaped spot in the centre 

 of each ; there is also a diagonal row of obscure white spots 

 near the disc of the wing, and a somewhat conspicuous spot on 

 the costa close to the thorax, of the same colour. The posterior 

 wings are much paler, especially near the body, where they 

 become almost white. The head and thorax are dark green, 

 without markings ; the abdomen is white and downy, becoming 

 pale green at the apex, and the antennae are very minute, of a 

 rusty yellow colour. The legs are robust, dark green striped 

 with blackish purple ; the expansion of the wings ranges from 

 three and a half to four inches. The female differs principally 

 in having the wings of a more attenuated shape ; the anterior 

 pair are also ornamented with a number of black spots, chiefly 

 situated on the costa, but extending across the wing to its 

 posterior margin near the body. The hind wings differ from 

 those of the male in being light greenish brown, and the basal 

 portion of the abdomen is of the same colour, fading off into 

 dark green on the two terminal segments. The expansion of 

 the wings in this sex varies from four and a half to five and a 

 half inches. 



Notwithstanding its large size and conspicuous appearance 

 this is not at all a beautiful insect, its long abdomen and minute 

 antennae giving it an ungainly and incomplete aspect which is 

 far from pleasing even in the finest specimens. 



