172 TORTR1C1\A. 



the crest rich purple-brown. Patagia deep purple-brown, edged 

 with grey or drab at the apex. Anterior wings glossy, rich purple - 

 brown, with whitish or very delicate pale green markings ; one broad 

 and oblique near the base, not always attaining the costa ; its an- 

 terior edge undulate, the posterior nearly straight. Towards the anal 

 angle is another mark much curved, and of nearly equal width, in 

 contour somewhat reniform ; a few pale spots on the costa and in the 

 apical angle, also at the base, towards the dorsal margin. The pale 

 markings more or less freckled with the ground-colour of the wing ; 

 sometimes the Vitta, on the dorsal margin, as in some of the varieties 

 of P. cristana, is visible. A small tuft of elevated scales, of the 

 ground-colour of the wing, is towards the base, on the anterior 

 margin of the oblique pale mark, and another of black and ochreous 

 colour on the opposite edge of the same mark. Apical scales rich 

 purple-brown, with paler bases, and sometimes with the tips whitish. 

 Cilia purplish brown. Posterior wings very glossy, pale grey at the 

 base, merging into fuscous at the margins ; of a speckled appearance, 

 from the dusky maculations of the under-surface showing through. 

 Abdomen grey, the caudal tuft drab. $ Exp. al. 8J-9-J- lin. 



Like P. cristana is exceedingly variable, not only in the 

 colours, but in the character of the markings ; it is distin- 

 guished from that species by the absence of the large tuft of 

 elevated scales in the centre of the anterior wings. In its 

 typical form it resembles P. maccana, but is less glossy, and has 

 the costa at the base more obtuse. 



The named varieties are exceedingly numerous, but our space 

 will not admit of a separate notice of them ; we, however, con- 

 sider, upon the whole, that the variation is not so distinct or 

 decided as in P. cristana, where the named varieties are still more 

 numerous. 



There appear to be two broods of the imago in the year ; the 

 first emerging in May, of which the insects are much smaller 

 than the autumnal brood, which emerges in September and 

 October. It is a somewhat common species, occurring among 

 Sallows in the vicinity of London ; at Birch, Coombe, Dulwich, 

 Darenth, and Greenhithe Woods ; at Lewisham and Hampstead, 

 Epping and New Forests, Wimbledon Common ; in Worcester- 

 shire ; at Ripley in Surrey ; and in Perthshire in Scotland. 



The larvae feed on the Sallow, spinning together the terminal 

 leaves, and in some seasons are very numerous. It is of a pale- 

 green colour, with a pale luteous head, and slight indications of 

 narrow chestnut-coloured markings at the base. 



