The present species has the upper wings of a yellowish-brown, a dark, grey-edged band. It is a common Moth, crossed with and one of the earliest to appear in spring. The caterpillar is hairy, and when full-fed spins a silken web long and slender, leaves and then changes into a long and slender pupa, among much elongated in order to contain having the head portion or elongated palpi. There are three species bethe ‘snout’ longing to this genus, one of which, called par excellence The proboscidalis), has the upper wings boldly Snout {Hypena at the tips; and another, called, by a remarkable hooked collocation of words, the Beautiful Snout {Hypena (n'ossalis), dark brown, with a patch .of creamy white has the upper wings paler border, in which are a number of at the base, and a rather each surrounded by a ring of cream-white. little black spots, the finest species, named The Snout, is drawn

The largest and Fig. 1. It may at once be recognised by the on Plate XVII. which has already been mentioned, namely, the peculiarity wings. Their colour is yellowbold, hooked tips of the upper are dark-bro^vn. The lower wings ish-brown, and the markings

I are simply pale-brown. The elongated and odd-looking larva 'ii of this species is shown at Fig. 2 of the same Plate. Its

proper food is the common stinging-nettle.

Next come the Pyealides, which some authors class with li the preceding insects. They include, among other insects, the

LTI

V h z-

Hypena rostralis. 2. Pyralia [ farinalis. 3. Aglofsa plngulnalia.

Ennythia octomaciilalis. a. Larva of Hydrooampa stagnalis. b. Do. in its leaf-case.

'1 Meal-Moths, and the beautiful group of Pearl-Moths, so called ‘J because the surface of their wings has a peculiar sheen, much

resembling that of mother-of-pearl.

We will begin with the small group scientifically called i' Pulverulentse, and popularly Meal-Moths, because their larvae

feed on meal, flour, and similar food. I have often wondered

what such larvae fed upon before men discovered the cultivation

of corn, and the process of grinding it into flour. They must

have fed upon something, and yet it is not easy to conjecture what that something was, for there is nothing in nature analogous to flour or meal.

On Woodcut LVI. Fig. 2, is shown one of those curious insects, the common Meal-Moth {Pyralis farinalis). In these Moths the wings have a gloss on the surface, are rather long and narrow, and, when the insect is at rest, fall into a triangular form. The antennae of the males are hairy beneath, while those of the females are plain.

This very pretty little Moth has the upper wings dark hrowm, variegated with yellowish bars, as shown in the illustration. The figure is rather magnified, in order to bring out its markings more distinctly, and the same is the case with most, though not all, of the remaining Moths.

Only three British species of the genus are known, the most familiar of which is the Double-Bah Meal Moth {Pyralis glaucinalis). It is less than the preceding species, and is scarcely so pretty. The colour of the wings is brown, across which are drawn two bands of a paler hue.

On the same Woodcut, at Fig. 3, is drawn the too familiar Tabby Moth {Aglossa jpinguinalis).

The Moth is rather a pretty one. Its upper wings are yellowish-brown, with a very dark and nearly black patch at the base of each wing, and a broad stripe of the same colour lunning parallel with the hind margin, and much wider above below. A narrow white streak divides the dark from the than of the wing. The lower wings are of the lighter portions same pale dun as the upper pair, but they are without the I markings, and have only two jagged narrow streaks of dark white near them. When the wings are expanded, these marks look as if they were continuations of the corresponding marks of the upper wings. almost take rank as one of the Clothes i\Ioths, as

This may in the larval state it feeds on old and greasy clothing. Grease, seems to be a necessity with this insect, which delights indeed, horse-rugs that are neglected by cai'eless especially in old name of pmguinalls signifies fatty or grooms. The specific to the species on account of the substances greasy, and is given on which the larya feeds.

The caterpillar, which does the mischief, is a brown creature with a hard and horny skin, and having a head darker than the rest of the body. Like the ordinary Clothes Moths, it does not meddle with articles that are either in common use or that are carefully aired and looked after. But, should a groom throw a horse-rug into a corner, and let it lie there for several days, the larv® of the Tabby Moth find their opportunity, and make sad havoc with the cloth. When full-fed the larva makes a slight cocoon, and therein undergoes its transformations.

This genus of Moths receives the name of Aglossa, or tongueless, from the fact that the maxillae, which when united form the proboscis or tongue, are almost entirely absent. The antennae of the male are doubly feathered. Like the Meal- Moths, these insects are found abundantly in and about outhouses. There is only one other British species of this genus, namely, the Small Tabby {Aglossa cwprealis). As its name implies, this is a smaller species. The wings are of a lightbrown colour, and across them are drawn some indistinct bands of coppery-brown. It is as common as its larger relative, and the larva possesses similar habits.

Next comes an example of another family, the Luridee or Ennychidse. This is the rare and conspicuous White-Spot {Ennychia octoiTiaculalis'), a figure of which is given on Woodcut LVI. Fig. 4. In this genus the antennae are slender, and long in proportion to the insect, and the palpi, which are not quite so long as the head, are united, so as to form a sort of beak.

This is one of the few Pyralides which it is impossible to mistake. Both pairs of wings are deep-black, and on each wing are two whitish-yellow spots with boldly defined outlines. The hind margins of the wings have a delicate white fringe, which on the inner margin of the lower wings becomes very long and has an exceedingly pretty effect, as it contrasts with the deep-black of the wing which it edges. The body is black, and the abdomen has each segment marked by a very narrow, but very distinct white line, scarcely wider than if scratched with a needle-point. There is scarcely any difference in the colouring of either surface, except that on the lower wings the two white spots coalesce.

This singularly pretty little Moth has been found in most parts of England, but in none does it appear to be common. The specimen from which the above description is taken is from my Oxford collection, the insect having been captured in Bagley Wood. I had at one time four or five of the White- Spot Moth, all taken in the same locality.

Now we come to a very extraordinary creatm'e.

There is one family of Moths, comprising only four species, the larvae of which are dwellers in the water, thus trespassing on the domains of other orders of insects. There is a group of Moths popularly called China Marks, because the general character of the surface of the wing and its markings has very much of a porcelain character about it. The typical species is Hydrocampa stagnalis. In all these Moths, the female is considerably larger than the male, and is rather variable in her colouring, so that the older entomologists have in several cases considered the sexes as forming distinct species. The male has no feathering to the antennae, and the palpi are short, close together, and directed upwards.

The Moths are pretty little creatures, but the chief interest of the insect lies in the larva, which has a mode of existence that seems quite opposed to the whole character of the Lepidoptera. The caterpillars feed upon aquatic plants, and in some species are absolutely sub-aquatic themselves. It is evident that the respiratory apparatus of such larvas cannot be formed like that of ordinary caterpillars, which breathe atmospheric air through spiracles and breathing tubes. Accordingly, these larvae, like those of the caddis, the May-flies, and one or two beetles, such as the whirliwig, all of which have been described in the course of this work, are furnished with gill-like filaments along their sides, by means of which they extract the oxygen from the water just as fishes do.

This is a most wonderful fact, and almost without a parallel in entomology. There is one species of Ichneumon-fly, called A^gnotypus o/rtYiCLtus, which is so far aquatic in its character that it crawls down the sides of stones and water-plants to a considerable depth, evidently for the purpose of laying its eggs in some aquatic larva. It really seems to be fond of diving for its own sake, and if kept in an aquarium will sub-

% merge itself for a considerable time, the appearance of a hymenopterous insect beneath the surface of the water being most extraordinary, and always exciting the admiration and surprise of those who have any practical knowledge of insects. But, that a caterpillar should actually pass its life under the water is still more contrary to all preconceived opinions, and the idea of a water-caterpillar is not one whit more abnormal than that of a water-butterfly. The name Hydrocampa is formed from two Greek words, literally signifying water-caterpillar, and is given to this genus of Moths in consequence of the aquatic life of the larva.

On Woodcut LVI. Fig. a, is drawn one of these larvae, being the preliminary stage of a Moth called scientifically Hydrocampa stagnalis. This larva feeds upon the common duckweed {Lemna). It does not crawl freely upon this vegetable, but remains submerged, and protects itself after the manner of the caddis, which it so closely resembles in many of its habits, by means of a case constructed from the epidermis of the pondweed {PotamogetoTi). From the under surface of the broad, floating leaves of this plant, the larva strips off a sufficiency to form a kind of tent, in which it resides, very much as do the caterpillars of several British Moths with the leaves of the oak and other trees. At Fig. 6, is seen this caterpillar, with the head and legs just protruding from its case, which, being of the same colour as the aquatic plants, serves for concealment as well as for protection.

The Moths themselves are very common, and can be taken in plenty on the banks of ponds and any wet places where duck-weed, pond-weed, and water-lilies grow. The perfect f insect is shown on Woodcut LVII. Fig. 1. It is popularly i known as the Beautiful China Maek, and well deserves its name. The ground colour of the wings is pearly-white, and on these are traced a number of soft brown lines, the most conspicuous of which is a mark near the tip of the upper 'fi T wings, somewhat resembling the letter Y \vith the angle rounded.

We next come to the Pearl Moths, which have already been B casually mentioned, and which are placed in the genus Botys. i A much more appropriate and withal intelligible name was

suggested by Mr. Stephens, namely Margaritia, from the Greek word Margarites, which signifies a pearl. By the way, it is evident that brunettes should never be named Margaret, the name being as inappropriate as Blanche or Lily.

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