212 BRITISH MOTHS 



bearing an angiilated striga between it and the preceding stigma. This is followed by a curved pale line, broadly 

 edged externally with brown ; and between it and the apical margin is a scarcely distinct pale waved subapical 

 striga. The hind wings are brown, with the costa broadly flavescent ; and the posterior margin and cilife of 

 red. The caterpillar is reddish browu, spotted with white, and with a white slender line on each side. It 

 feeds on the oak ; and the perfect insect appears in September and October, frequenting the flowers of the ivy. 

 It is not of rare occurrence, and is found in most of the woods round London, Hertford, &c. 



SPECIES 2.— ORBONA FERRUGINEA. Plate XLV., Fig. 13. 



Synonvmes. — Xanthia ferruginea^ Hiibner ; Tieitschke ; Du- I NocHia macilenla, Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 10, 

 ponchcl ; Boisduvul ; Stephens, 111. 3, p. 68. I fig. 18G. (Orthosia in.) 



This species measures from 1 V to 1 r inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which .are of a testaceous or 



reddish colour, with four darker strigas, and a brown spot at the base of the outer stigma. The male antenn£B 



are slightly pectinated. The head, thorax, and fore wings testaceous or brick red, with obsolete strigae ; the 



first at the base, sometimes evanescent ; the second flexuose, preceding, and the third formed of evanescent 



arches beyond the stigmata ; and the fourth near the tip slightly undulated, and more distinct than the rest, 



and rufescent, rather indistinctly margined with paler colour. The two ordinary stigmata are distinguishable 



only by their margins, except that the outer one has a dusky spot at the base. A rather dusky striga broader 



than the others, passes in some specimens between the stigmata from the costa to the hind margin of the wing. 



The hind wings are brown, with a dusky central lunule. The costal margin broadly whitish, and the ciHeb 



rufous. The caterpillar is reddish brown, with dusky spots, with whitish stripes on the back and sides. It 



feeds on the oak and elm ; and the moth appears in September, frequenting places where the elms abound. It 



is a rare species, but occurs in various localities. Combe Wood, New Forest, Huntingdonshire, &c. 



GORTYNA, OcHSENHEiMER. (GORTYNA and HYDR/ECIA, p. Gu^n.) 

 This genus is characterised by the setaceous antcnuEe, short palpi, long conical abdomen, wings forming a 

 triangle when at rest, with the sides slightly deflexed, and the disc marked with strong characters. The 

 thorax is slightly crested. The larvae are cylindric fleshy grubs, with the first segment scutellated, and the 

 others furnished with small black piliferous tubercles ; they are internal feeders, residing in the stems or roots 

 of plants. 



SPECIES 1.— GORTYNA MICACEA. Plate XLV., Fio.s. 14, 1.5. 



Sy-no-nyms.—Noctuamicacea, Esper ; Teitschke ; Curtis, Brit. Ent., pi. 252 ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 15, fig. 35.3. Duponchcl ; 



Fieyer. JVoctua cl/priacn, Hiihner; Haworth. 



This species measures from 1^ to rather more than H inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a 

 rosy brown colour ; towards the base of the wing are two slight dusky strigas, the first abbi-eviated, and the 

 second waved. The characteristic portion of the wing forms a very broad dark fascia (narrowed behind), on 

 which arc placed the stigmata, which are concolorous, with dark edges. The third striga forms a strong nearly 

 straight edge to the fascia, followed outwardly by a broad paler streak, through which runs a very indistinct 

 subapical striga. The hind wings are pale ochre-coloured, with the ciliae darker. The veins, and a slender striga 

 across the wing beyond the middle, dusky. The markings, as well as the ground-colour of the wings, vary in 

 intensity of tint. The caterpillar is fleshy-coloured, with a brown head, and scutellated first segment ; the 

 body minutely dotted with black, and with a dusky line down the back, and the head red. It feeds on the 

 roots of (_'yperacese ; and the motli appears in July and August. It is not a rare species, frequenting the sides 

 of ditches in various distant parts of the country. 



