118 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



of distingxiishing them, either by words or 

 representations, is one of considerable diffi- 

 culty ; ai d a curious phenomenon observable, 

 more or les-s, throughout the class Lepidoptera, 

 finds an interesting illustration and exposition 

 in this pretty genus; I allude to the existence 

 of pairs of species, that is, that two species 

 of which the caterpillars are totally unlike in 

 food, form, colour, and size, shall so closely 

 resemble each other when arrived at the 

 perfect state, that it is found impossible to 

 distinguish them. Confused by these diffi- 

 culties, entomologisis have very frequently 

 united, under one name, two species which 

 are perfectly and permanently distinct ; and, 

 still more frequently, have described, under 

 new names, species which have been im- 

 perfectly and unintelligibly described under 

 previous names. Heirich-Schaeffer, Guenee, 

 and Doubleday have done their best to reduce 

 into order the chaotic mass of names thus 

 created, but it must be admitted that the 

 synonymy of the species requires still more 

 careful investigation before it can be per- 

 manently and satisfactorily settled. 



256. The Netted Pag (Eupithecia venosata), 



256. THE NETTED PUG. The fore wings 

 are smoky gray, with a tinge of wainscot 

 brown ; in some specimens this tinge prevails, 

 in others the smoke-colour prevails ; there are 

 two transverse zigzag white bars, the first 

 rather less than a third of the distance from 

 the base towards the tip, the second rather 

 more than two thirds ; both these bars are 

 intersected throughout, and also bordered on 

 each side by a black line ; between these 

 bars is a curved black line, unaccompanied 

 by any white, and between the first bar 

 and the base is a nearly straight black 

 line, bordered outside with white ; there 

 are two longitudinal black lines connecting 

 the two transverse bars, and five short black 

 lines connecting the outer oar with as many 



transverse black lines on the hind margin ; 

 the hind wings are nearly of the same colour 

 as the fore wings, with several darker trans- 

 verse zigzag lines; the head, thorax, and 

 body are also of the same colour ; the thorax 

 has a round black spot, and the body a black 

 belt. 



The CATERPILLAE, as described by Mr. 

 Crewe, is by no means uncommon. " It is 

 very easy to rear ; when young, it is quite 

 black, but when full fed, it is short, thick, 

 and stumpy ; its back is dull leaden gray, 

 sparingly studded with minute white spots 

 and short hairs ; the belly and sides are dirty 

 greenish white ; the head is black. It feeds 

 inside the seed-capsules of the bladder ^mpion 

 (Silene inflata), and the common red Lychnis 

 (Lychnis dioicd), and is full fed from the 

 middle to the end of July. When about to 

 assume the CHRYSALIS state, it comes out of 

 the capsule and enters the earth, where it spins 

 a very slight cocoon, and turns to a bright 

 red chrysalis." 



The MOTH appears on the wing from the 

 beginning to the end of .May, and at the be- 

 ginning of June, and has been taken in many 

 of our English and Irish counties. (The scien- 

 tific name is Eupithecia venosata). 



257. The Pinion-Spotted Pug (Eupithecia consignata). 



257. THE PINION-SPOTTED PUG. The fore 

 wings are gray, with a glaucous tint, and 

 having several transverse, dark brown, waved 

 lines, three of them terminating on the costal 

 margin in large dark blotches, the middle one 

 of which is united to the discoidal spot in a 

 manner that eclipses the latter, and renders 

 it inconspicuous ; the hind wings are pale 

 gray, with a dark discoidal spot, and certain 

 waved, but very indistinct, lines parallel with 

 the hind margin. 



The CATERPILLAR, so far as I am aware, has 

 not been found in this country, but is well 

 known on the continent, and is described by 

 several European entomologists. Guenee sajr 



