114 OKEITICUS KIRBYI. 
the apex serrulated. Extension of the wings about 
an inch and three-quarters ; length of the body one 
inch two lines. (Plate IX. fig. 4.) 
The female has more the appearance of a pupa 
than a mature insect, the three great divisions of 
the body being scarcely defined, and the whole en- 
closed in a tough envelope. Here exist neither 
spiral tongue (this, indeed, seems to be wanting in 
the male also), palpi, nor antenna?; the feet are 
spurious, very short, and destitute of claws. The 
eyes are rufescent ; the general colour of the b6dy 
brownish ; the neck and anus clothed with wool-like 
hairs. (Plate IX. fig. 5.) 
It may well appear surprising, under such cir- 
cumstances, how the sexes can communicate with 
each other for the continuance of the species, the 
female being continually enclosed in the pupa case, 
which might be supposed to present an insuperable 
obstacle to the approaches of the male. The mode 
in which this is accomplished has already been 
hinted at ; the ridge on the upper side of the thorax 
splits asunder, and such is the length and flexibility 
of the abdomen, and the peculiar construction of 
the organs of generation, that this suffices for the 
purpose. * 
The insect appears to be plentiful in many parts 
of the AVest Indies, and is extremely injurious to 
fruit-trees in gardens. It is difficult to determine 
the proper relations of this moth ; in its habits and 
* Glans penis longitudine corporis, extensilis, non retraetilis ? 
spinulis recurvis sparsus. Guildivg 
