BURNISHED BRASS. 255 



The specific name meticulosa signifies fearful or 

 timorous, but I never could find out the reason for 

 giving such a name to the insect. The Angle-Shades 

 is not a whit more timorous than Moths in general, 

 and though it has no distinctive boldness, it certainly 

 has no distinctive timidity. 



ACCOMPANYING this description will be found a 

 representation of the Moth which is appropriately 

 called the BURNISHED BRASS (Phisia chrysitis), in 

 consequence of the metallic colouring of the wings. 

 The specific name of chrysitis, or gilded, is given to 

 it for the same reason. This insect belongs to another 

 family of the Noctuae, namely, the Quadrifidae or 

 Plusidae. 



The colour of the upper wings is bright golden 

 green, which must be seen in a side light before its 

 beauty can be properly 

 distinguished. There is a 

 large and nearly triangu- 

 lar blotch of brown on the 

 middle of the wing, the 

 base of the triangle rest- 

 ing on the costal margin, 



. , . , r , Plusia chrysitis. 



another patch of the same 



colour at the base, and a third on the inner margin, 

 just below the large triangular patch. These two 

 often coalesce, as is the case with a specimen now 

 before me. The hind wings are greyish brown, and 

 so is the body. 



The caterpillar is green, with a row of white dots 

 under the spiracles, a white streak above them, and 

 six white marks on the back of each segment. It 



