CUSPIDATES. 



225 



nated in the male, less so in the female ; 

 the fore wings have the costal margin 

 straight, the tip pointed, the hind margin 

 slightly scalloped, and the inner margin 

 with two decided angular projections or 

 lobes ; their colour is pale wainscot-brown, 

 with three obscure bands of darker brown ; 

 one of these occupies the hind margin and 

 the others are parallel to it at short dis- 

 tances ; scattered over the wings are certain 

 black dots and streaks, always seated on the 

 wing-rays : the hind wings are smoky- 

 brown, paler at the base, and have a very- 

 pale fringe : the palpi, head, thorax, and 

 body are of the same colour as the fore 

 wings; the body of the male has a split 

 tuft at the extremity. 



The CATERPILLAR has rather a small head 

 and the body is without hairs or humps, 

 but rough, with transverse wrinkles. Tha 

 colour of both head and body is glaucous- 

 green, with six stripes; two of these are 

 slender, white, and tolerably near together, 

 running parallel down the back, each of 

 them being composed of minute, raised, 

 white warts ; on each side is a lateral stripe 

 of the same hue, but more slender, less con- 

 spicuous, and less evidently composed of 

 warts ; and below this on each side, just 

 above the spiracles, is a most distinct yellow 

 stripe, delicately margined above with in- 

 tense black ; on the second and third seg- 

 ments is a little patch of delicate lilac im- 

 mediately adjoining the yellow stripe ; the 

 two dorsal stripes and the yellow spiracular 

 stripes, together with their black margin, 

 extend along the head to the very mouth ; 

 but the middle stripe on each side does not 

 enter the head. It feeds on several varie- 

 ties of willow and sallow (Salix), and on 

 more than one species of poplar (Populus) 

 and is full-fed at the beginning of October : 

 it spins on the surface of the ground ; and 

 remains in the CHRYSALIS state all the 

 winter. 



The MOTH appears in June, and is by no 

 means uncommon in England : Mr. Birchall 

 also records it as having been taken by Mr. 

 Bristow, in the county Wicklow, in Ireland. 

 (The scientific name is Ptilodontis palpina.) 

 > Obs. Mr. Greene, in writing of the 

 chrysalis, observes, it is " occasionally found 



at poplars, but much more frequently at 

 willows, especially when on the banks of 

 ditches and streams. When in such situa- 

 tions, that side of the trunk which faces 

 the stream is often clothed with grassy sods 

 of loose dry friable earth ; this is the place 

 for Palpina, shake the sod well, and the 

 cocoon, which is grayish and of weak con- 

 sistency, will generally be found among the 

 dry roots ; it is easily distinguished from 

 that of Dictsea, being much smaller (i.e., 

 the cocoon) , and not so much mixed up with 

 earth. End of September." 



399. The Coxcomb Prominent (Notodonta camelina). 



399. THE COXCOMB PROMINENT. The 

 palpi are very small and insignificant ; the 

 antennae are slightly pectinated in the male, 

 quite simple in the female : the fore wings 

 have the costa almost straight from the 

 base to the tip, which is pointed ; the hind 

 margin is scalloped, and has six points or 

 angles besides the tip ; the inner margin 

 has two angular projections or lobes, one 

 small and obscure near the anal angle, the 

 other half way between this and the base, 

 and very prominent ; their colour is rather 

 pale brownish rust-colour ; in some speci- 

 mens the brown tint prevails, in others the 

 rust-colour ; there is generally a broad 

 darker hind-marginal band, but in some 

 specimens only the inner half of this is 

 perceptible, reducing the band to a mere 

 bar ; parallel with this bar is a second 

 oblique bar commencing on the costa, and 

 ending in the large inner-marginal projec- 

 tion ; this second bar has an acutely zigzag 

 margin ; a slight cloud occupies the site 

 of the usual discoidal spot ; the wing-rays 

 are slightly darker than the disk : the hind 

 wings are paler, except towards the hind 

 margin ; at the anal angle of each is a very 

 dark blotch interrupted by a rather long 

 transverse pale spot : the head and thorax 

 are nearly of the same colour as the fore 



M 15 



