OOS BRITISH MOTHS 



strongly curved pale slentler striga, beyond which on the costa is a somewhat triangular grayish patch, bounded 

 by a dusky line, which indicates the rudiment o( the submarginal striga. Along the apical margin is a row of 

 minute black dots. The hind wings are shining, and variable in colour from brown to reddish, with a dusky 

 margin. 



The caterpillar is of a light transparent green or a dusky colour, with a line of light yellow along each side. 

 It feeds on the oak, birch, and various other trees. It will, however, devour other caterpillars. When full- 

 grown it spins up amongst the leaves, and changes to a red chrysalis, covered with a fine bloom, about the end of 

 June ; and the moth appears in July. It is a very abundant species. I have described and figured a singular 

 anatomical peculiarity exhibited by this species in the Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects, 

 vol. ii. p. 395. 



SPECIES 5 — COSMIA FULVAGO. Plate XLIV., Fig. 14. 



Synonymes. — Noctua fiihmgo, AVien. Vcrz. ; Hiibncr; Treitschke; i Noctua (^ilvogo, Borkhausen. 

 nuponcliel ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. 15, fig. 344, but not of Linnaeus. Noclua angrdago^ Ilatclictt, Eut. Trans, (old series) vol. i., 



Noctua pallacea, Esper. p. 244, pi. fig. sup. Hawortn. 



This species measures from I/j. to 1^ inches in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a clay or yellow 



colour, marked at the base by a very short transverse striga. The second is angulatcd and reddish brown, being 



jilaccd before the middle of the wing, followed by the stigmata, which are pale and edged with a reddish brown 



pale line ; the outer one marked within with a dusky spot behind, which is rather darker clouded, extending 



to the inner margin of the wing. Beyond the stigmata is a much curved slender third striga. The apical 



portion of the wing being pale, or with a slightly indicated subapical undulated pale line ; the margin with dusky 



reddish spots more or less distinct. The under wings are pale yellowish. The caterpillar is green, with pale 



dorsal and lateral lines. It feeds on the birch ; and the moth, which is extremely rare, api)ear3 in Augusts 



Taken occasionally at Birch Wood, Kent. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XLV, 



Insects. — Fig. 1. Xanthia flavago (tlie pink-harred sallow). 2. The caterpillar. 

 *' Fig. 3. Xantliia fiilv.igo (the sallowj. 4. A more strongly-marked variety. 



" Fig. 5. Xanthia aurago (the barred sallow). 



" Fig. 6. Xanthia eentrago (the centre-barred sallow). 



" Fig. 7. Xanthia citrago (the orange). 8. The caterpillar. 



" Fig. 9. Xanthia croceago (the orange upper wing). 10. The caterpillar. 



" Fig. 11. Orbona rufina (the flounced rustic). 12. The caterpillar. 



" Fig. 13. Orbona ferruginea (the brick-coloured uioth). 



" Fig. 14. Gortyna micacea (the rosy rustic). 15. The caterpillar. 



" Fig. 16. Gortyna flavago (the frosted or.ange). 17. The caterpillar. 



Fig. 1 is from thcVabinet of Mr. Marshall. Figs. 11, 13, and 14 arc from specimens furnished by Mr. IT. Doubleday, and all the others are 

 from the cabinet of Mr. Bentley. 



The caterpillars of X. flavago, G. micacea, that of X. croceago from Duponcliel, .aud the others from Hiibncr. II. N. H. 



XANTHIA, HiiBNER. 



This genus is distinguished by the setaceous antennae, ciliated with hairs beneath, the palpi obliquely 



projecting, the terminal joint short and obtuse, the thorax crested, the fore wings generally of a bright yellow 



or occasionally red colour ; they are deflexed at the sides of the body while at rest, and are slightly hooked at 



the tip. The caterpillars are glabrous, thick and fleshy, with the first segment scutellated ; the others, with 



