38 



CCT-WOnUB. DESCRIPTION OF THE WINGS CONTINOED. 



point. Its anterior end is cut off, either transversely, obliquely or irregu- 

 larly, by a faint pale grey streak, which is a portion of the anterior or 

 extra-basal band. (See generalties preceding the description of the wings 

 of the Tobacco-worm moth ). In the best specimens this pale streak is dis- 

 tinctly seen to be prolonged backwards along the outer side of the black 

 spot almost to the stigma, and then suddenly turning at a right angle, it 

 runs obliquely foward and outward in a straight line to the outer margin, 

 between the two small black spots whicli are here placed on the margin. 

 In the opposite direction this pale streak is also prolonged from the for- 

 ward end of the black triangular spot, inward and backward and curves 

 slightly foward to the inner longitudinal vein, and beyond this, with 

 another similar curve, is extended to the inner edge of the wing, it being 

 margined on both sides by a black line, that along its hind side being 

 commonly more conspicuous. And a short distance back from tiiis line, 

 equidistant between the inner midvein and tlie inner vein, may always be 

 seen a black dot or short dash, which is the extreme point of a black 

 stripe called the teliform stigma, which is common upon the wings of the 

 moths of this genus, but in this variety of this species is wholly wanting, 

 except this minute vestige of its apex. And also crossing this inner half 

 of the wing obliquely at about two-thirds of the distance from the base 

 to the hind edge are two other parallel blackish lines, representing the 

 post-medial band. The anterior one of these lines is irregularly wavy and 

 angular, and turns obliquely forward as it approaches the posterior stigma, 

 and appears to pass into the inner hind angle of the square black spot. 

 The posterior line, as traced from the inner edge of the wing, curves 

 slin-htly backward till it reaches a point a short distance back of the inner 

 end of the hind stigma, wiien it becomes nearly transverse, and then curves 

 foward and obliquely outward to the outer edge of the wing, ending in 

 the posterior one of the two black spots which are on the outer edge oppo- 

 site to the anterior side of the hind stigma. This line, in the middle of 

 the wing, is festooned or made up as it were of crescents united at their 

 ends, these ends projecting backwards and forming about four acute angu- 

 lar point.s; and sometimes this line is made more distinct by a faint pale 

 "•ray line bordering it on its hind side, at least in the concavities of the 

 crescents. But both these blackish lines are commonly quite faint and entire- 

 ly vanish in many specimens. Beyond this, a broad space on the hind bor- 

 der of the wing is darker colored and traversed by a whitish line, which 

 is wavy and often broken into a series of small irregular spots, these spots 

 sometimes having larger black cloud-like spots adjoining them on the fore 

 side. Back of the outer end of this line the tip of the wing is occupied by 

 a triangular gray spot. The hind edge is faintly sinuatcd, with a scries of 

 slender black crescents surmounting the sinuosities. The fringe is con- 

 color with the portion of the wing immediately forward of it. The hind 

 wings are smoky whitish, with a broad dusky hind border, dusky veins, 

 and an obscure dusky crescent near the centre. Their fringe is dull white 

 with a dusky band near its middle. On the underside they are clearer 

 white, with a broad, dusky hind border and sprinkled with dusky scales 



