NOCTTJAS. 



377 



the reniform in this respect ; the lower portion 

 of the area of the reniform is nearly black, but 

 interspersed with gray scales, and has an 

 appearance of being burnt ; several irregular, 

 interrupted, and inconspicuous trans verse dark 

 lines croes the wing ; there is also a broad 

 band of slightly darker brown on the hind 

 margin, and this is traversed throughout by a 

 very narrow pale waved line : the hind wings 

 are paleochreous, along the costal margin, and 

 have a broad fringe of the same colour the 

 median area is smoky : the head and thorax 

 are of the same colour as the fore wings ; the 

 body is smoky, with the sides and extremity 

 paler. 



The head of the CATERPILLAR is narrower 

 than the second segment, porrected in crawling, 

 and not notched on the crown ; the body is 

 smooth and almost uniformly cylindrical, but 

 gradually increases in ske to the twelfth 

 segment, which is the largest; the anal 

 claspers are small and closely approximate ; 

 the colour of the head is umber-brown and 

 very glabrous, the body is brown, with a 

 medio-dorsal series of triangular markings, the 

 points of which are directed backwards : it 

 feeds on the buds of the sallow (Salix caprea) 

 and aspen(Po/rtt&M tremula)in April and May. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in September, 

 and is the most universally distributed of the 

 genus ; It occurs in all the English, Scotch, 

 and Irish counties that have been investigated 

 by entomologists. (The scientific name is 

 Xanthiaferruginea. ) 



604. The Centre-barred Sallow (Currhoedia rcw- 

 pelina). 



604. THE CENTRE-BARRED SALLOW. The 

 palpi are inconspicuous, the terminal joints 

 very small and naked; the antenne are 

 simple : the fore wings are slightly arched 

 towards the tip and pointed, am* *-b> k ; nd 



margin distinctly scalloped ; their colour is 

 orange-yellow, with a median band, and a 

 hind marginal band ferruginous-purple ; there 

 is also a dot of the same colour near the base 

 of the wing ; the median band scarcely reaches 

 the costal margin ; its inner border is broadly 

 excavated near the top, its outer border very 

 oblique ; the orbicular is wanting ; the reni- 

 form only indicated in the median band ; both 

 borders of the median band are delicately 

 pale-margined : the hind wings are very pale 

 and slightly iridescent, they are rather darker 

 and inclined to rosy-ferruginous towards the 

 hind margin : the head and thorax are of the 

 same colour as the fore wings ; the body of 

 the same colour as the hind wings. 



The CATERPILLAR has been described by 

 Guenee, and more recently and fully by Mr. 

 Buckler in the 42nd number of the Entomo- 

 logists' Monthly Magazine. Mr. Buckler re- 

 ceived two caterpillars, one from Mr. Greene, 

 in April, 1866, and the other from Mr. 

 Hutchinson, in May, 1867. I quote Mr. 

 Buckler's description : 



" The first caterpillar was found before the 

 ash-trees had put forth blossoms, and ash-buds 

 were given it for food, into which the cater- 

 pillar ate round holes, burrowed, and devoured 

 the interior. The second and full-grown 

 caterpillar came after the ah had assumed its 

 foliage, and it partook of young shoots for a 

 few days before spinning. The caterpillar, 

 had then attained nearly one inch and. a 

 quarter in length, and was rather broad in 

 proportion, the head rather smaller than the 

 next segment. Viewed sideways, it appeared 

 : tapering gradually towards the head, and 

 from the eleventh segment to the anal extre- 

 mity ; but even on the back it looked- of 

 almost uniform width, excepting just at each 

 end. The divisons deeply cut, giving each 

 segment a plump appearance. The caterpillar, 

 when two-thirds grown, is very suggestive of 

 lichen, and of a lichen-feeder. Its head is 

 shining dark gray-brown, mottled and streaked 

 with darker blackish-brown ; a black shining 

 plate on the second segment, having two rather 

 broad angulated whitish stripes. The back 

 and sides are brownish-gray, delicately mottled 



