25 



color gives place to a dark brown, and soon aftei^, or in about eight 

 days after commencing to spin the cocoon, the winged insect appears. 



The Moth. — The species of Margarodes are quite numerous, and all are 

 confined to warmer regions. From a list of specimens in the collection 

 of the British Museum, published in 1859, it is seen that 39 species had 

 been described up to that year. One species is found in Southern 

 Europe, one in North America, three in the West Indies, ten in South 

 America, seven in Africa, eleven in Southern Asia, five in Australia, 

 and one in the Sandwich Ishmds. The Euroj^ean species is very similar 

 to the one under consideration, and has been confounded with it by Du- 

 ponchel. Margarodes qnaclristigmalis Gn., described vaguely as occur- 

 ring in North America, is found also in the island of St. Domingo. 



All the species of this genus are characterized by white or greenish 

 hyaline wings with more or less opaque margins. The males possess a 

 hidden tuft of long hairs at the tip of the abdomen, which they can 

 spread out like a fan if excited. 



The expanded wings of the Privet Moth measure 30™"' and its body 

 is 12""" long. The general color of the moth is iridescent white, with 

 very transparent wings, that possess opaque white veins. The anterior 

 borders of the upper wings are light brown, and this color extends 

 over the margin of the thorax, forming thus a continuous brown edge. 

 Three darker brown, almost black, spots are situated just below it, and 

 join the posterior edge of this brown border j the fourth discal spot is 

 of the same brown color. The outside edge of the ui)per wings shows 

 a very narrow brown line, ornamented towards its summit by four or 

 five small brown dots. The outer edges, the fringes of hairs, and the 

 posterior edges of the wings are opaque white. The white, hyaline 

 color, a very narrow brown line with two dots near its summit on the 

 outer edge, an opaque white fringe of hairs, a small, discal, dark brown 

 spot, and a faint line of the same color above it, which is sometimes 

 connected with this spot, distinguish the lower wings. The head is 

 white, with brown eyes and trophi. The thorax, excepting its brown 

 antf?rior edge, is covered with very large white and iridescent scales, 

 w^hich are loosely attached. The abdomen is also white, with a distinct 

 greenish tinge j the last abdominal joints have at their edges a faintly 

 marked brown and oblique line 5 the last joint in the male moth is tipped 

 with the same color, and if the fan-like tuft is partly extended, a num- 

 ber of black and brown hairs are visible. The under side of the body 

 and the legs are white 5 the first pair of legs are ornamented by having 

 the upper side and tips of first joint of tarsi yellowish-brown, with a 

 golden luster; the second pair of legs have also sometimes the tips of 

 the upper sides of their tibiiB marked with the same color. 



NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL REMEDIES. 



The sudden and quite unexpected disappearance of these insects so 

 soon after the first brood was mainly .due to the attractiveness which 



I 



