CUSPIDATES. 



225 



, less so in the female ; the fore wings 

 e the costal margin straight, the tip pointed, 

 hind margin slightly scalloped, and the 

 er margin with two decided angular pro- 

 ions or lobes ; their colour is pale wainscot- 

 wn, with three ohscure bands of darker 

 wn ; one of these occupies the hind margin 

 the others are parallel to it at short dis- 

 nces; 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. The 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 conspicuous, 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 intense 

 black ; on the second and third segments is a 

 le patch of delicate lilac immediately ad- 

 ing the yellow stripe ; the two dorsal 

 pes and the yellow spiracular stripes, to- 

 gether 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 varieties 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 writingof 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 situations, 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 PaJpina, shake the sod 

 well, and the cocoon, which is gruyish and of 

 weak consistency, will generally be found 

 among the dry roots ; it is easily distinguished 

 from that of Dicttea, being much smaller (i.e., 

 the cocoon), and not so much mixed up with 

 earth. End of September." 



399. The Coxcomb Prominent (Notcd-onta cameling,}. 



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 promi- 

 nent ; their colour is rather pale brownish 

 rust-colour; in some specimens 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 projection : 

 this second bar has an acutely zigzag margin ; 

 a slight cloud occupies the sight 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 



nwAKH NEWMAN'S BKITISH ( 



U-llTIIS. Xu. IS. 1'Kll'K Ull. ) 



I L.ON-IION : AV. TWKKIM K X 

 t :M7, STKANU. 



