Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 Excerpt:...triangular black spot is placed on the outer margin; and nearly half way to the tip is a second oblique black stripe, parallel with the first and nearly as long, and from its inner end a very zigzag and serpentine black line runs across to the inner margin. On the hind part of the wing the middle veins are black, commencing at their forks, forming about four slender longitudinal lines. Near the centre of the wing is often a round whitish spot having a black dot in its middle. The hind wings are dull whitish, slightly dusky towards their tips. Both pairs beneath are silvery whitish thickly sprinkled with blackish points towards their outer sides, and on their hind edge is a black line which is slightly interrupted by the tips of each of the veins. The head and thorax are of the same ashy-white color as the outer part of the fore wings. The head has an elevated transverse ridge or crest between the bases of the antennae and another below this upon the middle of the face, the space between these crests being occupied by a black band. On the hind part of the thorax the scales are also elevated, forming a semicircular crest. The antennae in the males are pectinated with two rows of short robust branches. Those of the female (fig. 5 a) have rows of exceedingly fine short hairs along their insides. A species which is closely related to the one now described may be found in the forests early in the spring, before the leaves have put forth. It is of an ashy white color with a large threesided black spot on the middle of the outer margin of the fore wings, from which it may be named The Trtangular-spotted Torthix, Brachytania triquetrana. Its expanded wings measure 0.80. The shoulders or outer bases of the fore wings are occupied by a short broad black stripe, and im...