CUSPIDATES. 



and on each side of each segment a faint 

 indication of a similar whitish cloud ; on 

 the summit of the elevation on the twelfth 

 segment is a narrow transverse line, bright 

 yellow at both extremities, but paler in the 

 middle ; on each side of each segment also 

 are ten raised dots : the two that most nearly 

 approach the median line of the back are 

 yellow, and each emits a single black bristle > 

 then follows a longitudinal series of three 

 white dots, and then a single yellow dot 

 emitting a black bristle, and below this yellow 

 dot is a spiracle, oblong, white, and black- 

 margined ; anterior to the spiracle and in a 

 line therewith are two white dots, and pos- 

 terior to these one yellow dot emitting a black 

 bristle and one white dot ; behind the last 

 spiracle, and extending along the edge of the 



anal Hap, is a bent white line, in which are two 

 conspicuous yellow dots, larger than either of 

 those previously mentioned : the legs are 

 rather long, green tinged with red-brown ; the 

 claspers are apple-green, with a shield-shaped 

 mark in black outline on each. It feeds on 

 birch (Betula alba), and is full-fed rather be- 

 fore the middle of June, when it measures 

 rather more than two inches in length ; it then 

 goes into the earth, concealing itself just 

 beneath the surface. 



The MOTH appears at the end of March or 

 the beginning of April, and, as far as the 

 British Isles are concerned, has hitherto been 

 found only at Eannoch, in Scotland. In con- 

 finement, it rarely attains the perfect state, 

 most commonly dying as soon as full-fed. 

 (The scientific name is Petasia nubeculosa.} 



392. The Buff-tip (Pygara bucephala). 



THE BUFF-TIP. The antenn are 

 serrated in the male, simple in the female : 

 the fore wings have the costal margin straight, 

 the tip obtuse but not rounded ; when at rest, 

 the wings are wrapped round the body, which 

 i thus acquires something the appearance of a 

 ( cylinder cut off at both ends ; their colour is 

 i pearly-gray, inclining to purple-gray towards 

 the costal margin, and to silvery-gray at the 

 base, and along the inner margin ; there is a 

 slender transverse brown line very near the 

 base, and near this is a transverse bar com- 

 posed of three lines, the middle one sienna- 

 brown, the outer ones umber-brown; a second 

 bar coloured in a similar manner originates 

 almost at the tip of the wing, makes a semi- 

 circular curve inwards, and then descends in 



an obtusely zigzag manner to the inner mar- 

 gin ; the space enclosed between these two 

 bars contains a pale reniform stigmoidal spot, 

 and very numeious short waved transverse 

 streaks ; the tip of the wing is occupied by a 

 large ochreous blotch ; the hind margin is 

 notched and has a triple marginal bar coloured 

 like the transverse bars already described : 

 the hind wings are yellowish white with a 

 slightly darker cloud across the middle : the 

 head is ochreous ; the thorax ochreous, with a 

 double brown line on each side and behind ; 

 the body is dingy ochreous. 



At the beginning of June, these singular 

 moths may be frequently found coupled in 

 pairs on the trunks of lime, elm, and other 

 trees, or on the herbage below them ; the 



