NATURAL, HIS TOST. 



four inches across the wings. Many of the European species have yellow hind wings (and these are 

 generally smaller than the red species), and in North America, where there is a much greater variety 

 of Catocahi- than in Europe, many species have black hind wings, with a narrow white border. 

 The caterpillars have the first pair of prolegs imperfectly developed, and arch their backs a little in 

 walking. Thoy are sometimes called " Half-Loopers." 



The Ophideridce are a family of tropical Moths, generally measuring about three inches across 

 the wings, which are long, rather narrow, and a little pointed. The hind wings are yellow, partly 

 bordered with black, and with a thick curved black mark in the middle. The palpi are long, and 

 curved upwards, and the proboscis is short, and very strong. These Moths are very destructive 

 to oranges in Australia ; but it has not yet been ascertained with certainty whether they perforate 



the rind themselves with their strong 

 proboscis, or whether they avail them- 

 selves of any injury which the fruit 

 may have previously received, in order 

 to suck out the contents. 



The largest Noctua, and one of 

 the largest Moths known, is the Great 

 Owl Moth of Brazil (Tkysania ayrip- 

 pina), which belongs to the family of 

 the Erebidce, It measures nearly a 

 foot across the wings, 

 which are pale grey, 

 with darker markings, 

 and the hind margins 

 are scalloped. But the 

 wings are not remark- 

 able for their breadth, 

 so that the Atlas Moths 

 are larger insects on 

 the whole. 



The small family 

 of the DeltoidcK, which 

 is sometimes placed 



with the Noctuce and sometimes with the Pyrales, may be illustrated by the " Snout " (Hypena 

 proboscidalis), a brown Moth, with rather slender body, and very long palpi, resembling a beak. It 

 measures about an inch and a half across the fore wings, which are broad and triangular, and is 

 a very common insect among nettles. 



The Geometrce (or Land Measurers) are an extensive group of Moths known as " Loopers " 

 in England, on account of the peculiar structure of the larvae, which have only ten legs, the two first 

 pairs of prolegs being absent. When they wish to walk, they fix themselves firmly by their last pair 

 of prolegs (the only pair which they possess) and their claspers, and stretch out their bodies to their 

 greatest length ; then, fixing themselves by the six true legs, they loosen their hold with the four 

 hinder ones, which they draw closely up to their front legs, thus arching their body into a loop ; they 

 then fix themselves again by their hind legs, stretch out the front of their bodies, and proceed as 

 before. This peculiar mode of walking is very rapid ; and their mode of rest is not less singular, for 

 they fix themselves by their four hind legs, and stretch their bodies stiffly out, sometimes remaining 

 motionless for hours. In this position they present a remarkable resemblance to a dead twig, and 

 thus often elude the observation of birds and other enemies. The Moths are generally broad-winged 

 insects, with slender bodies. They fly at dusk, but may often be disturbed in the daytime by beating 

 hedges. The wings are rarely dentated or angulated, and are often brightly coloured, the pattern of 

 the fore wings being generally continued on the hind wings. 



The family Urapterydce contains only one British species, the Swallow-tail Moth (Urapteryx sam- 

 bucaria), which measures about two inches across the wings; the hind wings are angulated outwards into 



ENNOMOS ILLUSTHARIA AND CATERPILLARS. 



