58 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



is thick, rather short, and posteriorly obtuse ; the pos- 

 terior legs are scarcely longer than the middle pair ; 

 the wings are broad, the anterior have no typical mark- 

 ings (such as we find in the Noctuina), the posterior 

 wings are brightly coloured, frequently more so than 

 the anterior wings. The larvae generally have sixteen 

 legs, but never fewer than fourteen. 



3. The NOCTUINA. This large group of night-flying 

 moths comprises no less than 316 British species. The 

 antennae are setaceous, rarely pectinated, but not un- 

 frequently ciliated ; the body is moderately stout, 

 attenuated posteriorly ; the posterior legs are longer 

 than the middle pair ; wings of moderate breadth, the 

 anterior wings rather long, adorned with typical 

 markings (the stigmata and transverse lines varying 

 only in intensity or sharpness of design), the posterior 

 wings rather broad, generally of dingy colours. The 

 larvae generally have sixteen legs, but in a few genera 

 they have only twelve. 



4. The G-EOMETRINA. This extensive group com- 

 prises 282 British species ; many are very gaily marked, 

 and some are of comparatively small size. The antennae 

 are setaceous, frequently ciliated or pectinated, and are 

 longer than the thorax ; the body is generally slender 

 (in one or two genera the bodies are thick, and these 

 insects might readily be mistaken for Bombycina, but 

 their larval structure clearly shows that they are 

 Geumefrina) ; the wings are broad, of slight structure, 

 and the posterior pair are brightly coloured, being 

 generally exposed to view when the insect is in repose, 

 in those species of which the anterior wings cover the 

 posterior pair when the insect is at rest, the posterior 

 pair only show the rudiments of markings on the 



