_Upper Side._ The thorax black; the hair thereof greenish. Abdomen black. All the wings black; posterior ones being furnished with two tails, edged with white. Close to the shoulders, in the anterior wings, rises a stripe of sea-green, which crosses the inferior ones; and, running parallel with the abdominal margin, ends near the extremity of the body. A little below this is a small scarlet spot, placed near the anal angle; with two smaller spots, of a green colour, below it. At a little distance from the shoulders, a second green stripe, rather broader than the first, begins at the posterior edge of the anterior wings, and crosses the inferior ones, parallel with the first, being continued a little lower. On the anterior wings, about the middle of the anterior edge, rises a bar, of a fine sea-green colour, which crossing both wings, terminates at the middle of the posterior, being narrowest at each end. A row of eight white spots runs parallel with the external edge, ending at the lower corner. Near the external edges of the posterior wings is placed a row of five crescents, of a green colour. _Under Side._ Breast and abdomen grey-coloured. Anterior wings light chesnut, having a darker cloud near the anterior angle. All the green spots and marks, seen on the upper side, are also visible here. The ground of the posterior wings is rather paler than the anterior; and the green marks and stripes are rather larger here, than on the upper side. The scarlet spot, on the abdominal edge, is considerably larger on this side. A scarlet stripe also begins on the anterior edge, and fills completely the space between the broad green bar and the second stripe, mentioned above, extending as low as the extremity of the body. The two scollops, next the abdominal corner, are black; whereon appear a few blue powder-like specks. {42}M. Boisduval states that Drury's figure is "peu exacte." It is true, indeed, that the figure does not agree with the description given by that author, who describes the fourth pale fascia as "bifide dans la cellule discoidale des premières ailes." The exact uniformity in the shape of this fascia, in both of Drury's figures, renders its correctness evident, and consequently the insect figured by Drury must be regarded as a variety of the species described by Boisduval. PLATE XXIII. [Illustration] NOCTUA MELICERTA. Plate XXIII. fig. 1. ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Nocturna. FAMILY: Noctuidæ. GENUS. NOCTUA, _Auct._ NOCTUA MELICERTA. Alis anticis variegatis, posticis nigris, fasciâ maculisque tribus marginalibus albis. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 6 lin.) SYN. Phalæna (Noctua) Melicerta, _Drury, Append. v._ 2. _Cramer, tab._ 62. _fig._ C. D.? Noctua mercatoria, _Fab. Ent. Syst._ III. 2. _p._ 62. _No_. 175.? _Gmelin, Linn., S. N._ 2544. 1039. Noctua tigrina, _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ III. 2. _p._ 40. _No._ 105. _Oliv. Enc. Méth._ 8. 277. 131.