XIV INTRODUCTION. 



markable, the broad winged females having lost almost entirely the 

 angulations on the margin which are so conspicuous in the males of 

 these species. 



(6). SCALE PATCHES IN THE MALE. Besides the " scale patches " 

 referred to in certain " hairstreaks " under the head " venation," 

 Scudder also records them in certain species of the genus Eurymm 

 (Colias) at that " part of the base of the hind wings which is always 

 covered by the fore wings." In the males of Anosia plexippus and some 

 of its allies " next the middle of the lower median vein of the hind 

 wings " there is a thickening of the membrane coarsely covered with 

 black scales. In Laertias pJiilenor, the inner border of the hind wings 

 of the male is folded back upon itself, concealing what Scudder calls 

 " some pure white floss -like scales and hairs which are apparently 

 exposed at the will of the creature when it is moving forward in its 

 flight." But we have illustrations in our own fauna. Take for ex- 

 ample the Argynnidce. In A. paphia, if we compare the males with 

 the females, we find the nervures of the fore wings densely clothed 

 with scales, so dense in fact as to give a very decided appearance of 

 thickening to the nervures of the whole of the wing. The same holds 

 good with A. adippe, and it is remarkable that in a male specimen 

 which Dr. Chapman brought from the Pyrenees, the character was 

 more marked than is usual in the males of this country. Then there 

 is the tuft of black scales in the centre of the fore wings, extended 

 into the form of a longitudinal streak, so characteristic of some of our 

 " skippers " as in Pamphila sylvanus, linea, lineola and comma, whilst 

 Scudder says that "a faint oblique patch of minute and crowded 

 lustreless scales, accompanied by long silky hairs, is often seen 

 crossing the wings of some of the Satyridce or " meadow browns." 

 Indeed we might readily find numerous further examples among our 

 own fauna. The males of Eucosmia undvlata have a striking patch of 

 scales on the hind wings, whilst thoracic crests and crests on the 

 abdominal segments are frequently better developed in the male than 

 in the female. Certain genera of NOCTU^E too, have a remarkable 

 pencil of scales coming out from the abdominal part of the first segment. 

 This was first noted by me in a species of Mamestra, but as I made no 

 note at the time, I will quote an observation recently made by Dr. 

 Chapman on Xylophasia rurea. He writes : " In a male X. rurea 

 that emerged to-day, I found a remarkable plume of hairs under the 

 abdomen on each side. It took its origin from a small fleshy pro- 

 jection immediately behind the first abdominal spiracle, apparently 

 its posterior lip, passing in a waved line towards the middle line 

 beneath, and then outwards again. The ends of the hairs were en- 

 folded in a slit in the side of the fourth abdominal segment at about 

 the spiracular line. When set free from this slit the extremities 

 spread out somewhat in the fashion of a fan " (in littJ). Then there 

 are again the scale tufts which are so strikingly characteristic of the 

 " fan-footed waves," a portion of the genus Acidalia in which the hind 

 tibias of the males are developed into pencils of hair. Such are found 

 in Acidalia bisetata, remutaria etc. Similarly developed tufts occur on 

 the front legs of certain Deltoides, as Herminia cribralis, H. barbalis, 

 H. tarsipennalis etc., whilst the anal tufts characteristic of Scotoaia 

 rhamnata, vetidata etc. appear to be so intimately connected with the 

 nrimarv sexual organs that thev fihould hardlv find nlace here. 



