AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 



SPECIES 1.— ABROSTOLA TRIPLASIA. Plate L., Fig. G, 7. 



SvNONVME.-PAa/. Nootua trip/asia, Linna;u3 ; Ocliscnheimer ; Hiibner; Hawortl, ; Stephens ; Wood. lud. Ent. pi. 16, fjg. 393. 



Tlds species measures rather more than It inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of an Ishy-brovvn 

 colour, with the base rusty-gray, shaded with ratlior paler tints, and followed by a slender, curved, black line, edged 

 within with reddish-grey; the characteristic portion of the wing is very broad, and bears three stigmata,'rather 

 paler than the disk of the wing, with slender black edge-lines ; beyond the stigmata is another arched black line, 

 directed outwards, and edged externally with gray, followed by two obsolete, lunulated striga,, and two or three 

 black dashes near the tip : the hind wings dusky, with the margin and central lunule darker. The caterpillar is 

 olive-green, with white streaks on the podigerous segments ; the two following with large black spots on the 

 back, and all the following with lateral, oblique, white streaks, edged with black. It feeds on the common nettle, 

 and the moth appears in July, and is a common species in the south of England. 



SPECIES 2.— ABROSTOLA URTICiE. Plate L., Fig. 8, 9. 

 Synonymes.— A^oc/ua urticm, Hiilmer; Stephcus ; Wood, Ind. I Noclua asclepiadis, Umiovth. 

 Ent. pi. IG, fis. 331. | Noctua triplacea, Donovan, 9, pi. 298. 



This species is rather larger and paler-coloured than the preceding ; the thorax is more distinctly marked in 

 front, with two ocellated spots ; the fore wings are whiter at the base, without any tinge of rust-colour ; the 

 stigmata are paler, with black edge-lines ; the striga beyond them is less arched, and the striga next the apical 

 margin is broader, forming a fascia attenuated towards the apex, where it passes through two black dashes, which 

 are confluent. In other respects it closely resembles the preceding, but the caterpillar is different, varyincr in 

 colour from grass-green to fleshy-pink, with a pale line on each side, above the feet ; the fourth and fifth segments 

 with a black dorsal patch, and some white spots on the sides of the other segments. It feeds on the nettle, and 

 the moth appears in July. It is a common and widely dispersed species. 



SPECIES 3.— ABROSTOLA ASCLEPIADIS. Plate L., Fig. 10, 11. 



SvNONVME. — Noctua asclejnadis, Wicn. Vera. ; Fabricius ; Stepbens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 54, fig. 50. 



This species measures 1^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are blackish-brown, paler at the base, 

 with an abbreviated, duplicated, black, angulated, basal striga, followed by a black one, curved and crossinc the 

 wing, edged within with rusty-colour ; the characteristic part of the wing dark, and bearing three stigmata, 

 the first and supplemental ones being confluent ; the third striga is straighter and waved, strongly angulated in 

 front, and edged externally with rusty ; the fourth striga is pale, wavy, passing through a duplicated black spot 

 near the tip of the wings. The hind wings brown, paler at the base. The caterpillar is pale, with black dots, 

 and a .slender, pale-green, dorsal line, and a yellow lateral stripe. It feeds on Asclepias vincetoxicnm. It is 

 doubtful whether this be a native species. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE LI. 



Insects. — Fig. 1. Cloantha perspicillaris. 



" Fig. 2. Phisia illustris (the purple sbades). 3. Tlie Caterpillar. 



'• Fig. 4. Plusia percontatiouis (the plain golden Y). 



" Fig. 5. Plusia bimaculata (the double spotted spangle). 



** Fig. 6. Plusia interrogationis (the scarce silver Y). 



" Fig. 7. Plusia gamma (the silver Y). 8. The Caterpillar. 



