79 
THE BROWN TAIL MOTH. 
Phalena Pheorrhea.—Brirain. 
PLATE XXVILs 
Phalena Pheorrhaa, Curtis's Hist. 1782.—Marsh, Linn. 
Tr. v. p. 68.—Donovan's Brit. Ins. xvi. p. 39, pl. 555. 
Tur antenne taper from the base ; the wings 
of the male are yellowish, or cream yellow, and from 
one inch and a third to one and a half inch; the 
female is from one inch and a half to two-thirds, 
and pure white aboye. The first pair of wings 
haye a dusky cloud on the upper edge in the male ; 
the antennee ferruginous ; the abdomen dark umber 
brown, with the last segment of an orange brown. 
The caterpillar is black, with longitudinal double 
lines of red along the back; and each segment 
spotted with white along the sides. The pupa is 
brownish black. 
The history of this little moth is very interest- 
ing, and was given at considerable length by Mr 
W. Curtis, author of the “ Flora Londinensis.” 
In the year 1782, the inhabitants of London and 
its vicinity were thrown into the utmost constemna- 
tion by the appearance of a phenomenon far from 
usual in the northern regions of the earth,—a host 
of insects, in numbers like the locusts of the deserts, 
