220 BRITISH MOTHS 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XLVIII. 



Insects. — Fig. 1. Simyra musculosa of some collections (properly Leucania Phragoiatidis). See Plate XLVII., fig. 16. 

 " Fig. 2. Leucania musculosa of the Continent. 



** Fig. 3. Simjra nervosa (the tawny-veined wainscot). 



" Fig. 4. Simyra venosa (the powdered wainscot). 



" Fig. 5. Phlogophora meticulosa (the angle-shades). 6. The Caterpillar. 



" Fig. 7. Cucullia verbasci (the iWuUein). 8. The Caterpillar. 



" Fig. 9. Cucullia scrophularix (the water betony). 10. The Caterpillar, 



" Fig. 11. Cucullia Thapsipbaga (the shepherd's purse). 12. The Caterpillar. 



" Fig. 13. Cucullia Lychnitis. 14. The Caterpillar. , 



" Fig. 15. Cucullia Prenanthis. 



Plants. — Fig. 16. Verbascum pulverulentum (the powdered mullein). 

 Simyra venosa is from a Continental specimen, in which the characters are much better defined than in any British specimens 1 have, which 

 may perhaps not be the true venosa; the musculosa of the Continent is from Duponchel's figure. 



As there is some confusion in British cabinets respecting the species of Cucullia here figured, I have had recourse to Ramhur's plate in the 

 Transactions of the French Entomological Society, in which each species is carefully figured with its larva, all from specimens reared by himself. 

 The common Verbasci, however, is from a specimen in the cabinet of Mr. Bentley, and the Lychnitis from a small Continental specimen, which 

 perfectly agrees with Ramhur's figure, except in size, in which it seems to vary much, some specimens being even larger than Verbasci. The 

 distinctions in the four first species, though slight seem constant and tolerably well-defined, whilst in the larva state it will be seen that they are 

 more distinct, Thapsipliaga being quite differently marked ; that of Verbasci is more powdered with the smaller black spots, and in Lychnitis the 

 ground is more yellowish, while the deep yellow m-irkings form a continuous stripe through the black spots, not being separated as in Scrophularix. 

 Prenanthis (Blattarise Dup.) is from Duponchel's figure, and accords very closely with two dark specimens in Mr. Stephens's cabinet, which 

 are certainly distinct from the former species. H.N.H. 



SIMYRA, OCHSENHEIMEH. 



This genus has the fore wings sublanceolate, and very acute at the tip, and destitute of the ordinary stigmatic 

 markings ; the palpi moderately acute and parallel ; the antennsB simple in both sexes ; those of the males stout 

 and pubescent beneath ; the thorax rounded. The caterpillars are pilose, somewhat resembling those of the 

 genus Acronycta, and more or less clothed with hispid tubercles. They feed on herbaceous plants. The pupee 

 are enclosed in a cocoon. 



SPECIES 1.— SIMYRA VENOSA. Plate XLVIil., Fig. 3. 



Synonymes. — Noctua venosa, Borkhausen ; Treitschke ; Ste- I Noctna degener, Hiibner. 

 phens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 16, fig. 395. I Noctua atomina, Haworth. 



This species measures rather more than \ij inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a hoary white, 

 or buif colour, thickly irrorated (as well as the thorax) with minute dusky atoms, which are scarcely visible to 

 the naked eye ; with several long, slender, brownish streaks, visible more or less clearly in certain positions, and 

 in different specimens ; the hind wings and abdomen are white and spotless. 



The caterpillar is thick, and clothed with fascicles of erect hairs ; yellowish on the upper side of the body, 

 with spots and dots of red, brown, and black ; and with a yellow lateral stripe, which is interrupted by brown 

 spots ; on the underside of the body it is rufescent, with the fore legs and head spotted with black. It feeds 

 on a species of Carex, at the end of Jul)', and the moth appears in the following June. It is found in marshy 

 places, especially the feus of Huntingdonshire. 



SPECIES 2.— SIMYRA NERVOSA. Plate XLVIII., Fig. 4. 



Synonymes. — Noctua nervosa, Wieu. Verz. Fab. ; Hiibner; Treitschke; Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 16, fig. 412. 



Noctua ojcyptera, Esper. 

 This species measures about 1;^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are sublanceolate, pale ashy 

 brown, with the veins, in certain positions, of a fulvous or brownish hue, with broad whitish stripes running 



