NOCTUAS. 



second near the anal angle ; the fringe is 

 spotted ; the hind wings are pale dull gray- 

 brown, with a darker crescentic discoidal spot, 

 and a darker transverse line between this spot 

 and the hind margin ; the fringe is pale ; the 

 head and thorax are of the same colour as the 

 fore wings, the body rather paler and slightly 

 crested. 



The MOTH appears on the wing at Midsum- 

 mer, and has been found in most of our English 

 counties, as far north as Yorkshire. Mr. 

 Birchall says it is very abundant near Galway, 

 and that it has been taken near Dublin by Mr. 

 Barrett. (The scientific name is Xylophasia 

 sublustris.) 



Obs. My predecessor does not mention this 

 common species as distinct from Lithoxylea, 

 probably including the two species under that 

 iiame : the words " magis ferruginea" as 

 applied in reference to Lithoxylea, when com- 

 pared with Hiibner's figure of that insect, 

 induces me to query whether he had not 

 this species before him. Guen6e expresses a 

 doubt as to their distinctness, but appears 

 satisfied to leave them as species, in which 

 view I entirely concur. 



478. The Dark Arches (Xylophasia polyodori). 



478. THE DARK ARCHES. The palpi are 

 porrected, the terminal joint slender ; the an- 

 tennae are slightly ciliated ; the fore wings are 

 liearly straight onthecosta, bluntat the tip, and 



waved on the hind margin ; their colour is a 

 mixture of several shades of brown ; the orbi- 

 cular and reniform spots are very clearly de- 

 fined by a double circumscription, the interior 

 border being nearly white, the exterior dark 

 umber-brown ; the costal margin has a number 

 of oblique dark spots, and three pale ones near 

 the tip ; there is a dark, almost black streak 

 at the middle of the base, a dark brown space 

 below the discoidal spots, bounded by a very 

 dark, almost black, streak, and a dark brown 

 hind marginal band, very irregular and bor- 

 dered towards the middle of the wing by a pale 

 transverse zigzag line, which forms a distinct 

 letter W just below the middle ; the inner 

 marginal area is pale, becoming almost white 

 beyond the middle : the hind wings are gray- 

 brown, with a darker crescentic discoidal spot, 

 and a darker broad marginal band ; the margin 

 is waved, the fringe pale : the head, thorax, 

 and body are pale brown ; the body crested on 

 the back, and tufted at the extremity. 



The CATERPILLAR is figured by Hiibner as 

 of a dull putty-colour, with the dorsal area of 

 the second and twelfth segments considerably 

 darker, and all the segments have shining 

 black warts: it feeds exclusively on the roots 

 of grasses and other herbage. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June and 

 July, and is very common in England, Ireland, 

 and Scotland. (The scientific name is Xylo- 

 pha*ia polyodon.} 



Obs. Through the kindness of Mr. Birchall 

 I have specimens of this common moth from 

 Scotland that are really almost black, but I 

 am not certain that this case of melanism is 

 either constant in Scotland, or confined to 

 that country. The black variety is represented 

 by the lower figure. 



479. The Clouded Brindle (Xylophasia hepitiai). 



479. THE CLOUDED BRINDLE. The palpi 



