DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES OF CONSPICUOUS SPECIES 149 



tawny patch. In the allied C. curtula the fourth trans- 

 verse pale line (the third line in both species is often 

 very faint) precedes the chocolate-tip of the wing, and 

 does not intersect it. 



The larva is velvety-black mottled with grey, with a 

 whitish dorsal line ; the fifth and twelfth segments are 

 humped, and the humps are of a bright chestnut-brown, 

 that on the fifth segment has a snowy- white spot on 

 each side ; it feeds on sallow and poplar in June and 

 July. 



The perfect insect makes its appearance in August 

 and September. 



FAMILY III. NOTODONTIM;. 

 PYGjflRA BUCEPHALA. THE BUFF-TIP. 



(Plate IV., Fig. 5.) 



This beautiful insect, so destructive in the larva state 

 that it frequently strips the branches on which a brood 

 of the larva is feeding, seems to be pretty generally 

 distributed throughout the country. 



The expansion of the wings is from 2J to 2J inches. 

 The fore-wings are purplish -grey, tinged with whitish 

 towards the inner margin ; before the middle is a black 

 transverse line, preceded by a chocolate-coloured one ; 

 beyond the middle is a more wavy, black, transverse 

 line, followed by a chocolate-coloured one ; the entire 

 apex of the wing is occupied by a large, pale ochreous 

 spot, clouded with buif ; the hind-wings are yellowish- 

 white, with a pale, grey, central cloud ; the thorax is 

 dark ochreous, with two chocolate-coloured lines on 

 each side and behind the middle ; below these lines it is 

 whitish-grey. 



