248 TORTRJCJNA. 



length as the basal, slender, straight, cylindrical ; middle joint three 

 times the length of the apical, curved at its base, thickest beyond the 

 middle. Maxilla? rather longer than the palpi. Thorax robust, tri- 

 gonate and tufted behind. Anterior wings : length greater than twice 

 the width ; costa slightly arcuated in the <5 , more so in the $ ; apex 

 subacute ; apical margin rounded, oblique ; dorsal margin rounded. 

 The costal vein reaches the margin at the middle ; subcostal nervures 

 not equidistant. Discoidal cell situated towards the middle of the 

 wing; widest at the insertion of the submedian nervure, and scarcely 

 extending two -thirds its length. Posterior wings : apex obtuse ; 

 apical margin concave ; dorsal entire. Abdomen : tufted in both sexes, 

 slender in the tf . 



An extensive genus, and for the most part containing insects 

 of exceedingly common occurrence, although many are local, and 

 affect the coast. The larvae only of the commonest species are 

 known. In the perfect insects, the colouring is almost always of 

 white or grey, with darker markings. Most probably this genus 

 will become modified when the preparatory states have been 

 accurately observed. 



In Britain there are, at present, eleven species, which are 

 arranged in the following order : 



A. Anterior wings with a distinct patch at the base. 



a. Posterior wings white Species . 1 



b. Posterior wings fuscous grey Species . 2 



B. Anterior wings without a distinct patch at the 



base, but with an abbreviated curved fascia beyond Species 3-10 



C. Anterior wings smoky black Species . 11 



1. cinctana, Schiff. Alis anticis niveis, punctis cinereis sparsis; 

 fascia basi, medio obliqua maculaque costali postica aureo-brun- 

 neis, punctis atris ; posticis lacteis vel submargaritaceis ; punctis 

 cinereis sparsis. 3 Exp. al. 8-8^-. 



Head dull ferruginous brown, paler behind. Face darker above, 

 paler below. Eyes black. Palpi longer than the head, above and at 

 the sides ferruginous brown, slightly paler beneath and between. 

 Antenna? ferruginous at the base, grey towards the apex. Thorax 

 dull brown, mixed with ferruginous, the crest bright ferruginous. 

 Patagia dull brown, at the apex glossy. Anterior wings glossy, 

 snow-white, with ferruginous markings, speckled and edged with 

 umber, with numerous iron-grey freckles at the apex. The basal 

 patch extends one-sixth along the costa, and attains the dorsal 

 margin by a nearly direct undulating line. At the middle of the 

 costa commences a broad, sharply-defined, oblique fascia, reaching 

 the dorsal margin near the anal angle ; its anterior edge angulated 

 before the middle, and its posterior indented shortly after its origin, 



