AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 45 



cream-coloured, with yellowish extremities and the lateral stripe of the same colour and dotted with black, and 

 others greenish blue, with the extremities and numerous small dark lines of black. It feeds on the elm : the moth 

 appears at the end of May and through the following month ; it is found in various parts of the country, especially 

 in the north, in some profusion. 



Synonymes. — Phaltena ulmata, Fabricius ; HUbner ; Donovan ; 

 9, pi. 293, fig. 1. ; Haworth ; Curtis, Brit. Ent. pi. SIS ; Stephens ; 

 Wood, fig. 599. 



Phaltena Geomeira syleata, Villers. 

 Geometra pantherata, Borkhausen. 



Species 3. — Abraxas grossdlariata''. — (Plate LXV., Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.) — Varies from 1| to 2 inches 

 in expanse of the fore wings, which are ordinarily white, with a black patch at the base, including a fulvous dash, 

 some irregular black spots in the middle towards the costa, a curved black spotted bar beyond the middle, 

 followed by a more irregular row of black spots, the space between being fulvous, and a marginal row of black 

 dots : hind wings vrith the disc and margin spotted with black ; body fulvous, spotted with black. The 

 markings of this species are liable to endless variations, occasionally extending nearly all over the wing, and in 

 others, being nearly obliterated, as in the variety represented in my " Entomologist's Text-Book," pi. 5, from 

 a specimen in the Collection of Mr. Gray, of Dudley. The caterpillar is yellowish white, with a fulvous stripe 

 down each side, and numerous black dots, those on the back being the largest. It feeds on the currant, black- 

 thorn, &c. : the chrysahs is black, with gold-coloured rings ; and the moth appears in July and August. 



' Synonyme. — Phaltena Getymetra grossulariala, Linnajus ; Albin, pi. 43, fig. 71, d — g; Wilkes, pi. 85 ; Harris ; A«reli,an, pi. 12, 

 fig. f — h ; Hiibner ; DonovaD 1, pi. 4 ; Haworth ; Stephens ; Wood, fig. 601. 



MELANIPPE, DupoNCHEL. ZERENE, p. Curtis. 

 ' The palpi are porrected but short, with the terminal joint distinct ; the antennae slender and simple in both 

 sexes ; the wings entire, with the tips of the fore ones not acute ; the disc marked with large irregular and very 

 variable black blotches. The caterpillars are smooth, elongated, strigated, and with a rounded head. 



Species 1. — Melanippe hastata '. — (Plate LXV., Figs. 10, 11, 12.) — Measures from 1^- to 1| inch in 

 expanse : wings white, with black markings ; a large black patch at the base, with the outer margin waved, 

 bearing a slender white line ; across the middle of the wing a broad duplicated fascia, very irregular and variable, 

 the outer part often obsolete, and interrupted near the hind margin ; apical margin of the wing black, separated 

 by a toothed white line from an irregular black bar which is broken in the middle, forming a white trident : 

 hind wings varied with black markings, nearly resembling those of the fore wings. I have followed Boisduval 

 in regarding hastulata as a variety, which differs (judging from the specimen represented in our fig. 12,) in being 

 somewhat smaller, and with the centre of the disc of the fore wing more thickly clouded with black markings, 

 and a row of black dots beyond the middle of the wings ; but these, as well as the trident white mark, appear 

 here as well as in some specimens of hastata. The caterpillar is brown, with yellow lines at the sides ; it feeds 

 on the birch ; and the moth appears in woods about the end of May, but it is not a very common insect. 



' Synonyme. — Phaltena Geomeira hastata, Linnasus ; Donovan, 4, pi. 129, fig. 1, 2, 3 ; Harris ; Aurelian, pi. 15; Stephens ; Wood, fig. 602. 



Geometra hastulata, HUbner ; (variety). 



ZERENE, Treitschke, nec Bdv. MELANTHIA, p. Bdv. 



These insects have a peculiar delicacy of appearance, arising from their pale white wings, banded or bordered 

 with dark colours, and of a large size, with the margins entire. The palpi are porrected into a beak in front of 



