THE YOUNG 



neath, and has the outer striae on the elytra 

 very fine and indistinct, whilst those next 

 the suture are very deep. 



(For the use of those students of the 

 Coleoptera who use Dawson's Geodephaga 

 I may point out that the descriptions of the 

 two insects last given are the reverse of 

 those described by him. Mr. Dawson's 

 erythropus is the insect described above as 

 the sfrenuus of Panzer, whereas Mr, Daw- 

 son's strenuus is described above as the 

 diligens of Sturm.) 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



By John E. Robson. 



ZYGiENA FILIPENDULiE. 



The Six-spotted Burnet. 



The approach of summer besides bringing 

 out either from chrysalis, or their winter 

 retreat, butterflies — dayfiiers, and sun-lovers 

 in all cases in this country ; also brings us a 

 a number of species belonging to other 

 groups, whose diurnal flight, and love of 

 sunshine is quite as noticeable. Though the 

 Burnets are placed by Doubleday in the 

 group which he called Nocturni, yet the 

 whole of the species fly by day only, and 

 never except when the sun is bright and 

 hot. Six are recognized as British, some 

 of which are very difficult to distinguish 

 £rom each other, four of them being five- 

 spotted. The Irish Burnet imihigena) is 

 readily known by the fore-wings having 

 oblong blotches, not spots. The present 

 species is equally easy to distinguish, hav- 

 ing six red spots on the fore wing. The 

 other four are very much more really allied, 

 and I doubt if any one could name with 

 certainty a single specimen of any of the 

 species, except exiilans (which is much 

 more transparent than the others), unless 



NATURALIST. 161 



he had a very typical example. While 

 there is this difficulty about the species, 

 trifolii, lonicerte, and meliloti, it has been 

 argued with some show of probability that we 

 have two species mixed under the first name. 

 Particulars of this matter must be reserved 

 until that species is separately treated of, but 

 it will be noticed that an enquiry in our 

 columns, asking if there were difference 

 enough between trifolii and lonicer(S to 

 mark them as two distinct species, has 

 remained so far unanswered, and a similar 

 enquiry in the " Feuille des Jeunes Natu- 

 ralistes" made some little time before, has 

 not been replied to either. Possibly these 

 remarks may be disputed by some, but I 

 only speak for myself, and shall be glad to 

 be contradicted, if any one can give depend- 

 able characteristics. The six-spotted Burnet 

 is common enough to be taken by everyone. 

 Its larvae are easily found, and easily 

 reared ; the cocoon is very noticable among 

 the herbage ; and the insect itself is very 

 conspicuous as it " booms" along in the 

 sunshine, or sits at rest on flowers in the 

 later hours of the day. It is rather difficult 

 to kill, and will crawl about a long time in 

 the Cyanide bottle, and if pinned as soon as 

 killed, a yellow liquid will exude from the 

 wound. 



" FiLiPENDUL^, L., Filipeti'dulcB, from the 

 common Dropwort (Spiraea fiUpendula) ; 

 but the larvae feeds on various leguminous 

 plants." — A.L. 



Imago.—- Forewings long and narrow, 

 dark bronzy green, with six crimson spots 

 arranged in pairs, the two at the base being 

 nearly confluent ; bind wing bright crimson, 

 with a narrow purplish-black border at the 

 hind margin ; antennae black, long and con- 

 spicuous, thickening towards the tip and 

 then tapering to a point. 



Larva. — Greenish yellow, with two 

 rows of black spots on each segment ; head 

 and fore legs black. Rather stumpy, but 



