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■22 AUSTliALIAN LEPIUOPTEKA 



TliB Cocoon is fixed firmly either to tlie brauch or trunk of the tree, and in many instances even on th.. Mails of adjacent 

 buildings or palings or in the fissures of well sheltered rocks ; the form being of an elongated oval, much produced at the ends, 

 and composed of a strong silken texture, thickly set with fine hairs, the points projecting outwards, that manufactured by tlie 

 female is a brownish colour, wliUe that by the male is of inferior size and whitish satiny hue. 



These Cocoons are constructed principally towards the end of January, and may readily be mot with from their frequency, 

 especially in the neighbourhood of Sydney, although our own experience more particularly relates to the still uncleared land on 

 the eastern slope of Darling Point, where Nve have taken as many as twenty of them from between the rough bark of the Mono- 

 toca alhcns? ranged side by side like so many hammocks. AVe there also found thimi in considerable numbers under the over- 

 hanging ledges of rocks from the top of which water is continually dripping, nourishing in its course a luxuriant growth of 

 various ferns. We may remark that on examination it will be seen that very many of these cocoons are punctured and the 

 chrysalids within destroyed by some parasitical depredator : the same Cause may likewise affect fatally the almost mature larvae, 

 and constitute one of the means which render their rearing in captivity so difficult. 



The Chrysalis (Fig. 1) is 3}. inches in length, of a rich reddish brown, and with the terminal segment setose. 



The perfect insects take wing at irregular periods, the majority appearing in June. The female measures in expanse of 

 wings 7|- inches ; the male C)^ inches. 



The Antenmc, long, bipcetinated ; in the male (Fig. 3) deeply, along its whole length ; in the female (Fig. 2) slightly. 



The Labial palpi, porrected to a little beyond the front of the head ; of the female, (Fig. 1) terniinal and basal johits 

 small, and nearly equal in length, the 2nd being twice the length of either ; 2nd and basal joints 

 thickly covered with hairs and scales, terminal nearly naked and pointed. Of the male similar but 

 larger and more robust, with the terminal joint rounded at the tip. 



The Ila.iUlcf, obsolete. 



The Leffs, tibiic and tarsi thinly covered with hair, coxa' and femora densely lanuginose, (Fig. 5, anterior leg) 



2nd paiis \^ith 2 apical, and posterior pairs with 1 small spurs on tibiaj. 



"Wings partly dellexed in repose. 



In the female the ground colour of the superior wing is of a light tawny brown ; through the centre runs a broad scal- 

 loped transverse bar of rich brown edged with black, having within it a large whitish discoidal spot, and, on the outer side, a 

 pale indistinct band, which however becomes white and well defined towards the inner margin ; beyond this, approaching the 

 apex, arc two or three oval semi-transparent spots of dull yellow, from Mhieh two irregular undulating bands of light gray 

 branch oii, and terminate at the anal angle, the exterior border being broadly edged with brown. The anterior margin towards 

 the apex is grayish, having within it a short wavy distinct suh-costal black band. A strongly defined irregular transverse black 

 band near the base completes the superior wing. The basal moiety of the inferior wing is of a dark neutral tint ; and divided 

 by a whitish transverse hand from the outer half, which is brown, and which contains two irregular transverse bands, the outer 

 being dull yellowish and scalloped, the inner faint and indistinct. Thorax and abdomen tawny brown ; very large and robust. 



The inner half of the under surface of the superior wdng is brown, bearing in the discoidal cell two whitish spots, the 

 outer one placed on the disc being the largest and lunuled. The exterior moiety, together with the whole of the under wing, 

 brownish gray, relieved by irregular scalloped brown markings ; the nervures assuming a yellowi^h tint. 



Thorax and abdomen densely lanuginose. 



The male is, in general colour and the various markings, very similar to the other sex, but considerably darker and richer, 

 the principal variations being that the short sub-costal band before described is here continued in regular scallops across the 

 upper wing ; the internal edging of the broad transverse bar which contains the discal spot more indented ; a distinct saturnine 

 hue pervades the disc and adjoining portions of the wing, and the outer transverse band is brighter and more distinctly 

 scalloped. 



Beneath, the similarity is continued with the like exceptions, that of the markings being brighter in colour and more 

 sharply defined. 



The male and female moths, the larva at full maturity, and the cocoon of the female are delineated in this plate, on or 

 about a branch of the Eucalyptus corymbosa in flower. 



The consideration of the foregoing fine insect, the Chelepteryx Collesi, haa necessarily brought under our notice Mr. H. D. J. Wallengren of Stockholm, the 

 writer on the Lepidoptera collected during the voyage of the Swedish Frigate " Eugenie," as he has described and figured this well known moth as a nevj genua 

 and new species by the title of Festra ajfahricata, and we now venture a few genera! remarks on that portion of his pubhcation which treats of our Colonial insects ; 

 and we also append a list of others which we deem erroneously n:inicd, in the hope that by so doing we shall be of some service in obviating that perplexity 



