236 MOTH. 



in 1(385, contributed in a great degree to promote 

 the silk manufacture in England, as did also the 

 invention of the silk throwing machine at Derby 

 in 1719. So high in reputation was the English 

 silk-manufacture, that even in Italy, according to 

 Keysler (trav. vol. l. p. 28Q.) the English silks 

 bore a higher price than the Italian. 



In the next division, or Noctuce, stands the beau- 

 tiful Phalcena Nupta, a moderately large species, 

 with the upper wings of a fine grey colour, ele- 

 gantly clouded and varied with shades and lines 

 of dark brown, &c. and the under wings of a vivid 

 crimson, with two broad transverse black bars: 

 the body is grey, but white underneath. The 

 caterpillar, which is of a pale, flesh-coloured grey, 

 is distinguished by a dorsal tubercle on the fore 

 part of the body, and feeds chiefly on the willow: 

 it changes to a chrysalis in July? and the Moth 

 appears in August and September. The divi- 

 sion Noctuce, like that of Bombyx 1 , is extremely 

 numerous. 



As an example of the Geometrtz we may adduce 

 a very elegant moth often seen towards the middle 

 of summer on the Elder, and called Phalcena sam- 

 bucaria : it is moderately large, of a pale sulphur- 

 colour, with angular wings, marked by a narrow 

 transverse brown line or streak. It proceeds from 

 a green caterpillar, which like those of the rest 

 of this section, walks in a peculiar manner; viz. 

 by raising up the body at each progressive move- 

 ment into the form of an arch or loop, the extrer 



