THE DELTA-MOTHS. 
475 
like that of the Greek letter A. For the same reason ] 
have called them Delta-moths. The bodv, in these moths, 
is lono; and slender. The fore wino;s are lono; and rather 
narrow, and cover the hind wings nearly horizontally when 
at rest. The feelers are generally very long, flattened side- 
wise, and more or less turned up at the end. The tongue 
in some is of moderate length, in others it is veiy small 
or invisible. The antennse are long and generally simple 
or, bristle-formed in both sexes; in some males, however, 
they are feathered, and in a few others they have a singular 
knot or crook in the middle. The leo^s are lono; and slen- 
der; and the first pair is often fringed with tufts of long 
hairs. Most of these moths flv at ni^ht; a few are on the 
wing in the daytime also. They generally ])refer moist and 
shady places, where the long grass and thick foliage shelter 
them from the lio-ht and heat of the sun. Some of them 
O 
frequent houses. 
The meal-moth QPyralis farinalls'), (Plate VII. Fig. 8,) 
the caterpillar of which may be found in old flour-barrels, 
is often seen on the ceilino:s of rooms, sittinor with its tail 
curved over its back. The fore wings of this pretty moth 
are li^ht brown, crossed bv two curved white lines, and 
with a dark chocolate-brown spot on the base and tip of 
each. The tabby, or grease-moth (^Aglossa ping limans')^ 
the larva of which lives in rjreasv animal substances, is also 
to be found in houses, and is known by its narrow glossy 
wings, of a smoky gray color, crossed by wavy lighter- 
colored bands; its tongue is not visible. The motions of 
some of the day-flying kinds (^SimaetJiis^ are very curious. 
When they alight upon a loaf, they whirl round sidewise, 
in a circular direction, with the head in the centre of the 
circle, and then return in the contraiy direction, and repeat 
these, o-vrations several times in succession. 
The larvae or caterpillars of the Delta-moths are long 
and slender, tapering at each end, and naked, or with only 
a few short hairs, which are rarely visible to the naked eye. 
