176 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



each wart emits a rather stiff bristle ; the 

 colour of the head is gray, with a median 

 brown stripe, which dilates at the mouth, 

 where it terminates in two black spots : the 

 gray cheeks are adorned with a double series 

 of short narrow black lines : the body is 

 grayish umber-brown, paler and almost pure 

 gray towards the anal extremity ; there is a 

 medio-dorsal, narrow, and almost black stripe 

 extending from the head (where it meets the 

 dark median stripe of the head) to the anal 

 flap ; this is interrupted at the interstices of 

 the segments, and indistinct in the middle 

 of the body, but strongly pronounced at both 

 extremities; the skinfold is pale, the pale 

 colour much interrupted and broken into 

 spots, but extending on each side into the 

 anal claspers, where it is very conspicuous, 

 and bordered on each side with dark brown, 

 approaching to black : the ventral area is 

 dark brown, with a medio-ventral dark stripe, 

 intersected throughout by a narrow light 

 stripe, which is sometimes entire, sometimes 

 broken into shuttle-shaped divisions : legs and 

 ventral claspers concolorous with the body. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June and 

 again in August : it seems to be confined very 

 much to the southern and eastern English 

 counties, and has not been observed in the 

 north of England, in Scotland, or in Ire- 

 land. (The scientific name is Phibalapteryx 

 vitalbata. ) 



Obs. Several specimens of this strikingly- 

 marked moth, among many others, have been 

 sent me to name, a circumstance that leads me 

 to say that I am at all times willing to name 

 insects sent to me with this object, but that I 

 can neither undertake to repack and return 

 the boxes, nor to write a letter about each 

 of such consignments. I do not make this 

 announcement from any disinclination to the 

 task, but because it is impossible to do so and 

 simultaneously proceed with this ''Natural 

 History of British Moths ; " I have not time 

 for both occupations. If, therefore, my readers 

 continue to apply for names, they must seek 

 the replies in the " Entomologist," which is 

 published on the first of every month, and is 

 devoted entirely to the diffusion of informa- 



tion about insects. It may be had of Simpkin, 

 Marshall, & Co., or any other London book- 

 seller, and has long been the means of 

 introducing to each other those entomologists 

 who desire to improve their collections by 

 exchange of specimens. It must be obvious 

 that such matters cannot with propriety be 

 introduced into a systematic work such as this 

 " Natural History of British Moths." Should 

 any entomologist wish to retain the specimens 

 sent for names, they may be had on personal 

 application at this office, between the hours 

 of ten and four, No. 9, Devonshire Street, 

 isho])syate Street. 



m 



345. The Tissue (Scotosia diibitata). 



345. THE TISSUE. The antennse are simple 

 in both sexes ; all the wings are broad and 

 ample, the hind margin of the fore wings 

 slightly scalloped, that of the hind wings 

 deeply so : the fore wings are very glossy, and 

 of an umber-brown colour, with a very beau- 

 tiful tint or reflection of rosy-red ; this rosy 

 gloss, seeming to overlie the rich brown, gives 

 the recently-disclosed insect a remarkably 

 beautiful appearance ; moreover, there are 

 transverse lines and bars traversing every part 

 of the wing ; some of these are darker, some 

 lighter than the ground colour, and all of them 

 are waved and irregular ; some of these trans- 

 verse markings combine to form a broad but 

 rather indefinite median band, which is darker 

 at both margins and lighter in the middle ; the 

 outer margin of this band has two sharp teeth 

 or angles projecting towards the hind margin; 

 the upper of these is very acute, the lower 

 obtuse ; on each side of the median band is a 

 paler bar intersected by a slender rivulet line ; 

 the parallel wing rays extending towards the 

 hind margin are spotted with dark brown and 

 whitish-gray, and there is a slender and indis 

 tinct sinuous pale gray line parallel to the hind 



