ATTACID^E. 285 



the wing-covering. Thus in Actias luna the general wing-covering 

 is said to be rather generalised, but the brilliant eye-spots are 

 composed entirely, except for the clear pupil, of rather short, broad, 

 short-pointed scales, with no intermixture of scale-hairs, offering 

 a striking contrast to the general, loose, hairy covering of the wings. 

 In Hyperchiria io, which possesses a covering of lowly scales, there 

 is a conspicuous eye-spot at the centre of each hindwing. The 

 eye-spot has a brown iris composed of scales about like the general 

 covering, but the white pupil is composed of highly specialised 

 scales. The eye-spot on the hindwings of Smerinthus cerisyi is 

 characterised by a more highly specialised condition of scale covering 

 within its borders, than is shown on the rest of the wing. As to 

 the colouring matter itself, reference should be made to Mayers 

 papers": " The development of the wing-scales and their pigment in 

 butterflies and moths," and " On the colour and colour-patterns of 

 moths and butterflies," in which the pigments of Callosamia promethea, 

 Philosamia cynthia, and their development, is exceptionally well 

 treated. Bacot has made the following interesting notes on the habits 

 of the imagines of a few well-known Attacids : 



i. Telea polyphemus. — ? . Rests with its wings hanging over its back, 

 Geometrid-like, and "calls" in this position. If startled it drops, shortens its 

 abdomen, draws up its legs, spreads its wings fully, and adopts a most peculiar 

 attitude with its head down, the costa of forewings almost, or quite, touching 

 the ground, the hindwings considerably raised (reminding one somewhat of the 

 display attitude of the Argus pheasant), throwing the conspicuous ocellated spots 

 on hindwings into startling prominence. The suddenness with which it changes 

 from its resting-position, with its motionless, half-decayed -leaf-like appearance, 

 to its remarkable display posture, would almost certainly affright any bird that 

 attacked it. 



2. Platysamia cecropia. — $ and ? paired about 9 p.m., on June 27th, 1901. 

 Both moths hung from the top of the cage, one sex did not carry the other. 

 They separated at 9.30 p.m. the next evening. In a second pairing on June 

 28th, the ? carried the g , i.e., the latter hung from the abdomen of ? ; these 

 also remained paired almost 24 hours. The imagines rest much like T. polyphemus, 

 and also resemble this species somewhat in their startled attitude, but the legs 

 are not drawn up nor the abdomen shortened and swelled out, or if so to a much 

 less extent; it falls to the ground in the same way to display, and gently waves 

 its wings meanwhile. 



3. Actias luna. - The imago rests with its wings spread, but the forewings 

 are dropped somewhat in order to cover the hind ones. 



4 Hyperchiria io. — The imago rests with its wings sloping and the 

 forewings dropped to cover the hindwings much as does Saturn ia pavonia. In 

 copulating the c? and ? hang face to face. They pair from 9 p.m. — Q.30 p.m. 

 and separate during the earlv hours of the morning. When startled, this species 

 also exposes its ocellated spots, and sometimes drops to do so. There is an ocellated 

 spot on the upper side of hindwings and a less developed one (black with white 

 centre) on underside of forewings, so that by raising the forewings both are 

 exposed. 



Sharp observes that about seventy genera and several hundred 

 species of this interesting superfamily are already known ; they are 

 widely distributed on the globe, though there are but few species in 

 Australia. 



Family : Attacid^e. 



Following Dyar's grouping (based on larval structure), we 

 have three subfamilies in the Attacidae, viz., Agliitiae, Attacinae 

 and Saturniinae. Following Grote's grouping (based on neuration), 

 we also have three subfamilies in the Attaa'dae, viz., Attacinae, 



