AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. OQS 



The antenna; but slightly subdcnticulated in the male, the thorax rounded and sHghtly'crested, the win^s marked 

 with straight transverse suhparallel strigK. The caterpillars are green, flat beneatli, attenuated behind, with a 

 small subglobose head, and which feed between rolled up leaves ; the cocoon is of a very slin-ht texture. 



Phalmia f A'oc^. J 'cftri/so(7/ossa, Beckwitli; HI Lian. Trans, 

 pi. 1, fij. 10, 11 ; Donovan 10, pi. 350, fig. 2; Stewart. 

 Phal. Noct. vetula, Hiibner teste Hawortli. 



SPECIES 1.— PLASTENIS SUBTUSA. Plate XLIV., Fio. 1, 4. 

 SvNONYME. — Noctua subtusa, Wicn. Verz. ; Fabriciua ; Hiibner ; Hawortli ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 14, fi.j. 335. 

 This species measures from 1 to li. inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale ashy buff or 

 brownish olive tinge, with a pale yellowbh abbreviated striga towards the base. Another similar straight, slender, 

 transverse one before the middle, succeeded by the stigmata, which are large, wide apart, and slightly darker tlian 

 the rest of the wing, with pale yellow edges, the supplemental one being present and resting on the second 

 striga ; the third striga is distant, slender, yellow, and slightly bent ; the fourth ordinary striga is almost 

 obsolete ; the hind wings are similarly coloured, without any markings. The caterpillar is a very pale green, 

 speckled with white and with yellow longitudinal lines ; the head black varied with white. It feeds on the 

 poplar, and the moth appears in July, frequenting the trunks of the same trees. It is rather rare, but occurs 

 in the woods round London. 



SPECIES 2— PLASTENIS RETUSA. Plate XLIV., Fig. 2 and 3. (Larva.) 



Synonymf.s. — Phaliena (Noctua ) retttsa, Linnsus ; Hiibner ; 

 Haworlh ; Ochscnhcimcr ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Eut. pi. 14, 

 fig. SSK. 



This species measures about an inch in the expansion of the fore wings, which are rather hooked at the tips, 



and of a greenish-brown hue, with three oblique but regular striga; of a darker brown colour, edged within with 



white, namely, two towards the base of the wing, and a third beyond the stigmata ; the apical portion of the 



wing being brown, within which runs a rather faint undulating fourth striga ; between the stigmata, also towards 



the inner margin of the wing, runs an irregular brown bar. The two ordinary stigmata are accompanied by 



a third teliform one, which is, liowever, almost obsolete, .almost extending from the striga preceding to the one 



following the stigmata. The hind wings are brown, with the margin slightly darker. The cilice p.ale rufescent. 



The caterpillar is of a beautiful green colour, through the transparent skin of which the intestines are easily 



seen. It is very slender and elongated, and in its motion slightly imitates the larvse of the Geometridjs. It is 



found on the great round-leaved willow, and the sallow, in the middle of June ; and the moth appears in the 



following month. It is not a common species. 



Noctua gracilis of Ilaworth is retained as a species by Curtis, Stephens and Wood (pi. 14, f. 33;), 

 although Stephens, as well as Haworth, considers it as a probable variety of the preceding insect ; it is however 

 rather larger, measuring 13 lines in expanse ; the body longer and more slender ; the wings of a brown colour, 

 with the striga; less distinct, the subapical one being entirely obsolete. Found in the middle of July on the 

 trunks of trees. 



CLEOCERIS, BoisDuvAL. BOMBYCIA and CYMATOPHORA, Stephens. 

 As there are some doubts respecting the propriety of the^ employment of Hiibner's name Bonibycia (espe- 

 cially as the group here adopted is not of the same extent as it is found in Jlr. Stephens's illustrations) ; and 

 as neither of the insects to be described in the present group are the types of Trietschke's genus Cymatophora, 

 I have adopted both the views and name of Boisduval. The antenna; are bipectinated in the males and serrated 



