422 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



a rather large gray spot ; a transverse 

 waved line, not very distinct, crosses the 

 wing before the orbicular, and another beyond 

 the reniform ; these two lines are connected 

 below the lozenge-shaped spot already noticed 

 by a longitudinal black line, somewhat resem- 

 bling the letter I ; at the middle of the base 

 of the wing is a second black line not so con- 

 spicuous as the first ; beyond the discoidal 

 spots is a gray band, very pale at its lowest 

 extremity, and between this and the hind 

 margin is a zigzag white line, resting on 

 which are several dark wedge-shaped marks, 

 having their points directed towards the base 

 of the wing ; the hind wings are pale gray, 

 slightly suffused with saffron : the head and 

 thorax have the same colour as the fore wings; 

 the body is gray -brown, and crested, the tips 

 of the crests being dark brown. 



The CATERPILLAR rolls in a ring when 

 touched, but soon unrolls itself and commences 

 crawling with great rapidity : the head is 

 shining, and of a dingy green colour reticulated 

 with rufous-brown ; the body is orange-ochre 

 coloured, inclining to rufous on the back, and 

 to dingy yellowish-green on the sides and 

 belly ; the rufous tint of the back is due to 

 reticulated markings, which are crowded and 

 clustered in certain parts, so as to form a 

 series of eleven Y's down the middle, the apex 

 of each V pointing towai'ds the anal extremity ; 

 a narrow and interrupted rufous stripe on 

 each side includes the spiracles. It feeds 

 on the common birch (Betula alba) and oak 

 (Quercus Kobur], and is full-fed at the end of 

 September. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, 

 and although by no means an abundant 

 species, seems to be widely, and I think I 

 may say generally, distributed in England, 

 Scotland, and Ireland. (The scientific name 

 .is Hadena contigita.) 



Obs. The English names of the Hadenas 

 are adapted for the sake of uniformity : I 

 cannot say that I regard them as either very 

 descriptive or appropriate : the present species 

 for instance is not distinguished from the rest 

 by its greater beauty. 



656. The Light Brocade (Hadena Genista). 



656. THE LIGHT BROCADE. The palpi are 

 inconspicuous, the terminal joint small and 

 pointed ; the antennae are simple : the fore 

 wings are beautifully mottled and marbled 

 with various tints of gray and brown ; the 

 orbicular is round and has a slender black 

 circumscription ; the reniform has not so prr- 

 fect a circumscription; the median area is gray 

 in both ; immediately below them is a longi- 

 tudinal blotch of rich dark brown ; at the 

 costal base of the wing is a rather large gray 

 spot, and below this a very distinct linear 

 longitudinal black mark ; beyond the discoidal 

 spots is a broad pale gray band extending 

 entirely across the wing, and beyond this a 

 pale gray zigzag line accompanied by dark 

 margins and a few dark wedge-shaped marks 

 which point towai'ds the base of the wing ; 

 the hind wings are gray-brown with darker 

 wing- rays and paler fringe : the head is gray : 

 the thorax is gray and crested ; it has a very 

 distinct transverse black line on the collar ; 

 the body is gray-brown and crested. 



Mr. Buckler has described the CATERPILLAR 

 from specimens sent him by my friend Mr. 

 Doubleday. He says : " When young the 

 colours of these caterpillars were brighter and 

 darker than they afterwards became, with dis- 

 tinct paler dorsal and sub-dorsal lines outlined 

 with darker and black spiracular lines. When 

 full-grown they were very plump creatures, 

 varying from an inch and five-eighths to an 

 inch and three-quarters in length, cylindrical 

 and tapering towards the head ; the back and 

 sides, as far as the row of spiracles, of very 

 mottled dull brown, brownish - gray, dull 

 greenish-gray, deep purplish-brown, or dirty 

 olive-greenish for all these tints were found 

 in the brood. The dorsal and sub-dorsal 

 stripes are outlined with darker brown, in 

 many instances only visible on the anterior 



