CUSPIDATES. 



219 



each side of each segment a faint indication 

 of a similar whitish cloud ; on the summit 

 of the elevation on the twelfth segment is a 

 narrow transverse line, bright yellow at 

 both extremities, but paler in the middle ; 

 on each side of each segment also are ten 

 raised dots : the two that most nearly ap- 

 proach the median line of the back are 

 yellow, and each emits a single black bristle : 

 then follows a longitudinal series of three 

 white dots, and then a single yellow dot 

 emitting a black bristle, and below this 

 yellow dot is a spiracle, oblong, white, and 

 black-margined ; anterior to the spiracle 

 and in a line therewith are two white dots, 

 and posterior to these one yellow dot emit- 

 ting a black bristle and one white dot; 

 behind the last spiracle, and extending 

 along the edge of the anal flap, is a bent 



white line, in which are two conspicuous 

 yellow dots, larger than either of those 

 previously mentioned : the legs are rather 

 long, green tinged with red-brown ; the 

 claspers are apple-green, with a shield- 

 shaped mark in black outline on each. It 

 feeds on birch (Betula alba), and is full-fed 

 rather before the middle of June, when it 

 measures rather more than two inches in 

 length; it then goes into the earth, con- 

 cealing itself just beneath the surface. 



The MOTH appears at the end of March 

 or the beginning of April, and, as far as 

 the British Isles are concerned, has hitherto 

 been found only at Rannoch, in Scotland. 

 In confinement it rarely attains the perfect 

 state, most commonly dying as soon as 

 full-fed. (The scientific name is Petasia 

 nubeculosa.) 



392. The Buff-tip (Pyycera bucephala). 



392. THE BUFF-TIP. The antennae are 

 serrated in the male, simple in the female : 

 the fore wings have the costal margin 

 straight, the tip obtuse but not rounded ; 

 when at rest, the wings are wrapped round 

 the body, which thus acquires something 

 the appearance of a cylinder cut off at both 

 ends ; their colour is pearly-gray, inclining 

 to purple-gray towards the costal margin, 

 and to silvery-gray at the base, and along 

 the inner margin ; there is a slender trans- 

 verse brown line very near the base, and 

 near this is a transverse bar composed of 

 three lines, the middle one sienna-brown, 

 the outer ones umber-brown ; a second bar 

 coloured in a similar manner originates 

 almost at the tip of the wing, makes a 

 semicircular curve inwards, and then de- 



scends in an obtusely zigzag manner to the 

 inner margin ; the space enclosed between 

 these two bars contains a pale reniform 

 stigmoidal spot, and very numerous short 

 waved transverse streaks ; the tip of the 

 wing is occupied by a large ochreous blotch ; 

 the hind margin is notched and has a triple 

 marginal bar coloured like the transverse 

 bars already described ; the hind wings are 

 yellowish white with a slightly darker cloud 

 across the middle ; the head is ochreous ; 

 the thorax ochreous, with a double brown 

 line on each side and behind ; the body is 

 dingy ochreous. 



At the beginning of June these singular 

 moths may be frequently found coupled in 

 pairs on the trunks of lime, elm, and other 

 trees, or on the herbage below them ; the 



