the Lepidoptera of St. Helena. 231 
pliical variety. The fore wings, however, are a little less 
deeply scooped out along their hinder edge; and their silvery 
line is a little more transverse (or less vertical) in position, as 
well as not quite so straight (or a little more curved) towards 
its base or commencement. 
The caterpillar, when full-grown and extended, is about an 
inch and a quarter in length, tapering slightly towards the 
head. It has but four ventral claspers, and arches its back 
when walking, after the manner of the Geometridas. It is of 
a clear green, ornamented on either side of the dorsal region 
with irregular thread-like subconfluent undulating white lines, 
which are interrupted by minute white dots (each of which 
emits an erect dark bristle). The head is yellowish green, 
dotted sparingly with black; the spiracle-line is narrow and 
of a whitish yellow. When full-grown it spins a white 
silken cocoon, and changes into a chrysalis which at first is 
green, but which soon becomes dark brown. The imago 
emerges in about three weeks. 
Genus 12 . Plusia, Ochsenh. 
Plusia aurifera , Hiibn. 
This beautiful Plusia , which abounds at Madeira, and which 
seems to have gained for itself a wide geographical range, is 
extremely common, and ascends to the highest central ridge. 
At Plantation and the immediate vicinity it often swarms, 
darting over the flowers early in the evening and rather 
before dusk. Godart observes (in 1829), “ Cette belle esp&ce 
dont les premiers Gats ne sont pas encore connus, se trouve en 
Espagne et en Portugal; elle habite aussi les lies de Teneriffe 
et de Sainte-Hdlhne.” It has also been found in Java, as 
well as along the western coast of Africa, and in Madagascar, 
Hindostan, and Ceylon. 
The caterpillar of P. aurifera is very abundant, mainly on 
the foliage of the geraniums ; but it is not easy to rear, unless 
each grub is kept in a separate box, on account of its grossly 
cannibal propensities. When fully extended it is about an 
inch and three quarters in length, cylindrical, and of a pale 
dingy olivaceous brown. The segmental folds are distinctly 
marked ; and there is a black narrow dorsal band bordered 
with yellow, on either side of which (extending close to the 
spiracles) are a succession of yellow disjointed thread-like 
lines. A broadish ochreous band (bordered with yellow) 
extends the whole length of the caterpillar on either side, 
within which the spiracles are placed, the middle spiracles 
being rounded. The second segment is black, but ornamented 
