278 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



Plume Moths, on account of the structure of the wings- 

 In those Lepidoptera which we have hitherto examined 

 the wings are formed of a thin membrane stretched 

 between certain strengthening nervures, or wing-rays, 

 the principal of which radiate from the base of the 

 wing. But in the Plume Moths there is no membrane, 

 each nervure being furnished with long, hair-like 

 plumes by which the insect is sustained in the air. 

 In the under wings, the nervures are separate nearly 

 from the base to the tip, but the upper wings are only 

 divided from the middle. 



THE commonest and one of the prettiest of the 

 Plume Moths is popularly known as the LARGE WHITE 

 PLUME, the SKELETON, or the PHANTOM, all names 

 being perfectly appropriate. Its scientific name is 

 PteropJwrus pentadactylus. 



This very beautiful though simply coloured insect 

 has the wings pure snowy-white, and divided into 

 separate plumes. In all cases the feathering of the 

 plumes is much wider on the inner than the outer side 

 of the nervure, very much like the structure of an 

 ordinary bird's feather. If the wings be examined 

 with the microscope, it will be seen that the long 

 fringes which form the feathering are composed of the 

 ordinary scales which cover the wings of the Lepido- 

 ptera, such scale being drawn out to a great length. 

 Indeed, length of scale is one of the leading charac- 

 teristics of these Moths, and the scales which clothe 

 the base of the wings are also remarkable for their 

 length. When viewed by a side light, these plumes 

 have a satiny lustre, which quite disappears when they 



