NOCTUID.^. CALOPHASIA. 



93 



anterior stigma, and a larger bluish-lilac one in lieu of the posterior stigma; 



posterior margin pale rosy-ochraceous, with a dusky line at the base of the 



cilia, which are fulvous-white : posterior wings white, with a fuscous fimbria, 



bordered exteriorly with rosy; cilia whitish. 

 This brilliant species varies considerably in colour: one of ray specimens has 



the anterior wings suffused with a rich bluish-purple, and the posterior 



with a broad fuscous fimbria scarcely margined with rosy. 

 CaterpiUar yeUowish, spotted with black, with two yellow lines ;-it feeds on 



the Delphinium consolida :— the imago appears in June. 

 Few indi2:eiious examples of tliis truly beautiful and rare insect 

 are to be found in British cabinets ; in that of the British Museum, 

 and in my own collection, are specimens from the neighbourhood 

 of Windsor, caught about fifteen years since, in June; and in some 

 of the older cabinets are others which have occurred in the vicinity 

 of London; but I grieve to add, that from the great rarity and 

 beauty of the insect, many individuals persist in the execrable 

 practice of introducing continental specimens into their cabinets, 

 thereby diminishing instead of increasing the value of their collec- 

 tions, and misleading instead of instructing the student who is de- 

 sirous to obtain a knowledge of our indigenous productions, as it 

 is rarely that the proprietors of such specimens take the pains to 

 distinguish them by any visible mark:— upon this point see re- 

 remarks, vol. i. p. 129, &c. 



Genus CXLII.— Calophasia* mild. 



Palpi very short, subclavate, porrected, densely clothed with elongate hair-Hke 

 scales, the terminal joint slightly visible; mcwiUc, longer than the antennae. 

 Antennw elongate, slender, simple in both sexes ; the basal joint very stout, and 

 pubescent beneath: head smaU, subovate, with a dense fascicle of scales on 

 the front: thorax with an acute crest anteriorly : abdornen short, acute, with- 

 out dorsal fascicles of scales : wings entbre, deflexed; anterior short, elongate- 

 triangular; cilia very long; posterior ovate-triangular, rather smaU; cUia 

 short. Larva naked, smooth, funiform: pupa enclosed in a stout web ; us 

 head-case recurved into a short horn on the breast. 



This and the preceding genus form a portion of the fourth section 

 of the artificial group Xylina of Ochsenheimer ; a genus which, as 

 I have elsewhere shown, ought to be subdivided, although the 

 British species are but few in number, as it is not the mere extent 



KZy.ov, lignum ; (p«<r;;, apparitio. 



