NOCTUAS. 



463 



there are two white spots on the costa near 

 the tip, and the hind margin is occupied by a 

 broad pale band, the inner margin of which is 

 very irregular : the hind wings are smoky for 

 a very small space at the very base, and along 

 the inner margin there is a long somewhat 

 triangular snow-white space occupying the 

 basal portion of the wing to nearly one third 

 of its area: thisis followed by avery broad black 

 band which i,s interrupted at the apical angle, 

 and again at the anal angle, by a longish but 

 narrow snow-white mark, which includes that 

 portion of the fringe that adjoins it. The 

 thorax is densely clothed with long erect 

 scales, and the body is crested in both sexes ; 

 the colour of the head, thorax, and body is 

 smoky black, the extremity of the body being 

 slightly paler. 



Guenee observes, that Esper's figure of the 

 CATERPILLAR in no respects resembles it : he 

 therefore describes it de novo : the colour is 

 gray mixed with reddish ; it has no distinct 

 stripes, but the border of the second segment 



is bright yellow; the trapezoids are salient 

 and of a yellow colour surrounded with black, 

 those on the fifth and twelfth segments are 

 elevatedinasomewhatpyramidalform, notched 

 at the summit, and crowned with a few hairs ; 

 a number of black dots are sprinkled without 

 order amongst them; the ventral areais bluish- 

 white, with a black spot on those segments 

 which have no legs or claspers ; the spiracles 

 are yellow in black rings : it feeds on oak 

 (Qaercus Robur) in August, and when full-fed 

 spins a slight cocoon, and therein changes to a 

 stout CHRYSALIS the anal extremity of which is 

 squarely truncate. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in May: it 

 occurs, although very rarely, in central and 

 northern Europe, and a single specimen has 

 been taken at sugar by Dr. Wallace in the 

 Isle of Wight : this specimen is unique as 

 British, in the rich cabinet of Mr. Bond, to 

 whom I am indebted for the opportunity of 

 figuring and describing it for this work. (The 

 scientific name is Catephia Akhymista.) 



715. THE CLIFDEN NONPAREIL. -The palpi 

 are porrected and slightly curved upwards, 

 the terminal joint being slender, pointed, and 

 almost naked ; the antenna? are long and 

 slender, pxibescent in the male, and simple in 

 the female : the fore wings are somewhat 

 arched on the costa, the arch being gradual 

 from the base to the tip ; they are regularly 

 scalloped on the hind mai'gin; their colour is 

 gray with various transverse and longitudinal 

 darker markings; the reniformis distinct, the' 

 orbicular apparently absent; adjoining the 



715. The Clifden Nonpareil (Gaiocala Fraxini). 



reniform on its inner side is a pale-gray blotch 

 without defined boundaries, and below the 

 reniform is another pale blotch with well- 

 defined boundaries ; beyond the middle is an 

 acutely zig-zag bar, its outer moiety pale 

 gray, its inner moiety black : the hind wings 

 are black, with a median blue-gray band, and 

 a marginal white band, which is narrow and 

 delicately bordered with a waved black line : 

 the fringe is white; the head and thorax are 

 mottled-gray ; the body is smoky-black, with 

 delicate blue-gray rings. 



