GEOMETRllDiE.— ABRAXAS. 245 



practice *. From all the preceding genera the totally immaculate 

 superior surface of the wings, exclusively of other characters, at 

 once distinguishes it ; but the dark neuration of the under surface 

 of the wings is a very prominent character, which exists in no 

 other indigenous species. 



Sp. 1. dealbata. Alis supra alhis immaculatis, suhtus venis 7nacul(n/ue medio 

 nigris, fasciolfique subposticd fused. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 8—9 lin.) 



Ph. Ge. dealbata. Linne.—IA^B, dealbata. Steph. Catal. part ii. p. 136. No. 

 6587. 



White above; wings immaculate; beneath the nervures of the anterior wings 

 are dusky-black, the colour suffused so as to cause them to appear dilated, 

 with an obscure repanded striga beyond the middle, the costa and hinder 

 margin also black ; posterior wings with the nervures and margin beneath 

 also black, but the colour not suffused: eyes dusky; antenna and maxillae 

 fuscescent ; legs the same, with scattered whitish scales. 



Rare : it has occurred in several parts of Kent, and at times not 

 uncommonly : it was foriuerly taken at Darenth-wood. " Tunbridge 

 Wells."—/. G. Children, Esq. " Charing, Kent, once abundantly." 

 • T. Marshall, Esq. 



Genus CCIX. — Abraxas, Leach. 



Palpi not visible from above, very short, densely clothed with short scales, obtuse; 

 terminal joint concealed ; triarticulate, the basal joint short, robust; second 

 longer, compressed ; terminal minute, globose : maxillcB long. Antenna; simple in 

 both sexes, ciliated in the males, fulvescent in the females : head broad ; fore- 

 head slightly prominent: ^/iorax slender, spotted : w;mg-5 broad, entire, rounded 

 on the hinder margin, expanded during repose; anterior aU traversed rather 

 behind the middle by two rows of crowded spots, more or less confluent; 

 posterior ample: abdomen spotted, slender in the males, with a shght anal 

 tuft, shorter and stouter in the females, the apex obtuse. Larva with 10 legs, 



■ stou't, slightly wrinkled, not tuberculated, lineated or maculated : pupa formed 

 in a slight web among leaves. 



Amongst other manifest external characters, the luteous, black- 

 spotted abdomen of the insects of this genus form a prominent one; 



* The names Larentia, Enuomos, Lampetia, Halia, Zerynthia, Idsa, &c. are 

 twice used in Lepidoptera alone, to distinguish very different msects ! 



