CUSPIDATES. 



225 



nated in the male, less so in the female ; 

 the fore wings have the costal margin 

 straight, the tip pointed, the hind margin 

 slightly scalloped, and the inner margin 

 with two decided angular projections or 

 lobes ; their colour is pale wainscot-brown, 

 with three obscure bands of darker brown ; 

 one of these occupies the hind margin and 

 the others are parallel to it at short dis- 

 tances ; scattered over the wings are certain 

 black dots and streaks, always seated on the 

 wing-rays : the hind wings are smoky- 

 brown, paler at the base, and have a very 

 pale fringe : the palpi, head, thorax, and 

 body are of the same colour as the fore 

 wings; the body of the male has a split 

 tuft at the extremity. 



The CATERPILLAR has rather a small head 

 and the body is without hairs or humps, 

 but rough, with transverse wrinkles. Ths 

 colour of both head and body is glaucous- 

 green, with six stripes ; two of these are 

 slender, white, and tolerably near together, 

 running parallel down the back, each of 

 them being composed of minute, raised, 

 white warts ; on each side is a lateral stripe 

 of the same hue, but more slender, less con- 

 spicuous, and less evidently composed of 

 warts ; and below this on each side, just 

 above the spiracles, is a most distinct yellow 

 stripe, delicately margined above with in- 

 tense black ; on the second and third seg- 

 ments is a little patch of delicate lilac im- 

 mediately adjoining the yellow stripe ; the 

 two dorsal stripes and the yellow spiracular 

 stripes, together with their black margin, 

 extend along the head to the very mouth ; 

 but the middle stripe on each side does not 

 enter the head. It feeds on several varie- 

 ties of willow and sallow (Salix), and on 

 more than one species of poplar (Populus) 

 and is full-fed at the beginning of October : 

 it spins on the surface of the ground ; and 

 remains in the CHRYSALIS state all the 

 winter. 



The MOTH appears in June, and is by no 

 means uncommon in England : Mr. Birchall 

 also records it as having been taken by Mr. 

 Bristow, in the county Wicklow, in Ireland. 

 (The scientific name is Ptilodontis palpina.) 



Obs. Mr. Greene, in writing of the 

 chrysalis, observes, it is " occasionally found 



at poplars, but much more frequently at 

 willows, especially when on the banks of 

 ditches and streams. When in such situa- 

 tions, that side of the trunk which faces 

 the stream is often clothed with grassy sods 

 of loose dry friable earth ; this is the place 

 for Palpina, shake the sod well, and the 

 cocoon, which is grayish and of weak con- 

 sistency, will generally be found among the 

 dry roots ; it is easily distinguished from 

 that of Dictsea, being much smaller (i.e., 

 the cocoon) , and not so much mixed up with 

 earth. End of September." 



399. The Coxcomb Prominent (ffotodonta camelina). 



399. THE COXCOMB PROMINENT. The 

 palpi are very small and insignificant ; the 

 antennae are slightly pectinated in the male, 

 quite simple in the female : the fore wings 

 have the costa almost straight from the 

 base to the tip, which is pointed ; the hind 

 margin is scalloped, and has six points or 

 angles besides the tip ; the inner margin 

 has two angular projections or lobes, one 

 small and obscure near the anal angle, the 

 other half way between this and the base, 

 and very prominent ; their colour is rather 

 pale brownish rust-colour ; in some speci- 

 mens the brown tint prevails, in others the 

 rust-colour ; there is generally a broad 

 darker hind-marginal band, but in some 

 specimens only the inner half of this is 

 perceptible, reducing the band to a mere 

 bar ; parallel with this bar is a second 

 oblique bar commencing on the costa, and 

 ending in the large inner-marginal projec- 

 tion ; this second bar has an acutely zigzag 

 margin ; a slight cloud occupies the site 

 of the usual discoidal spot ; the wing-rays 

 are slightly darker than the disk : the hind 

 wings are paler, except towards the hind 

 margin ; at the anal angle of each is a very 

 dark blotch interrupted by a rather long 

 transverse pale spot : the head and thorax 

 are nearly of the same colour as the fore 



M 15 



