hen full-fed, the caterpillar spins a cocoon of wonderful toughness and strength. It is shaped very much like an egg (whence the popular name of Oak-eggar), and is brown and very close in texture. About the end of summer or beginning of autumn, the Moth breaks its way through the cocoon and appears in the perfect state. It mostly flies at night, but I have seen it on the wing at mid-day.

On Woodcut XLVI. Fig. 3 is seen the well-known Lappet ]\IoTH {Gastropaclia or Lasiocampa quercifolia). This curious insect derives its popular and scientific names from two totally different attributes. The name quercifolia, or ‘ oak-leaf,’ is given to it on account of the astonishing resemblance which it bears, when its wings are closed, to a brown withered oakleaf.

On reference to the illustration, the reader will see that the edges of the wings are deeply scalloped, just as are those of the oak-leaf. The colour of tlie Moth is warm chestnut-broAvn,

and on the upper wings are three dark bands, scalloped in conformity with the margins. There is also a black dot on the middle of the wing. The lower wings are marked somewhat in the same manner, save that the dark bands are less defined. There is no difference in colour between the sexes, which can, however, be at once distinguished by a glance at the antennae, which are doubly feathered in the male and thread-like in the female. For a short time after it escapes from the pupal envelope, the surface of the Moth is remarkable for a beautiful blue or pirrple gloss, which has been well compared to the bloom on a plum. It is quite as fragile as that bloom, and even more fugitive, for it vanishes in a few hours, no matter what care may be taken of the specimen.

Whether this union of colouring and outline be intended for the purpose of concealment is at present an open question and likely to continue so. Suffice it to say that it certainly does serve that purpose very effectually. The reader must have observed that the oak-tree, late to develope new leaves, is equally late in parting with the old foliage, the old leaves clinging tightly to the branches until actually pushed off by the new generation. Now, if two oak-twigs were put side by side, on one of which were two or three withered oak-leaves, and on the other a leaf and a Lappet Moth, it would be almost impossible to distinguish the animal from the vegetable, except by close examination.

So much for the name of quercifolia, and we come to the term Lappet. This name is given to the insect on account of the construction of the caterpillar, which grows to a considerable size, and is easily recognisable. Along each side is a row of fleshy appendages, or ‘ lappets,’ those of the second, third, and fourth segments being the largest. The colour- of the larva is ^ariable, but it may always be known by the peculiar lappets, the hump on the twelfth segment, and the two stripes of deep velvety-purple between the second and third, and third and fourth segments. Willow and blackthorn are its favom-ite food.

One of these larvse is shown on Woodcut XL VI. Fig. c., as it appears when almost half-grown.

When full-fed it spins for itself a rather large cocoon, looser m texture and darker in colour than the firm, egg-like habita-

tion of the preceding insect. The pupa is l)lacker than that j*, of the Oak-eggar. The perfect insect appears about the be- i . ginning of summer. Large and strong as tliis Moth appears to be, the plumage is in reality exceedingly delicate, and sure i,-' to be rubbed and damaged if the insect be caught in a net. i., Eearing it from the caterpillar, or pupa — the latter plan gene- t I'ally producing the finest specimens — will generally ensure k perfect insects, one of which should be carefully set as it appears when at rest.

OuE last example of the Nocturni is the beautiful Emperou Moth (^Saturnia Carpini or pavonia-minor), the female of which is represented on Plate XV. Fig. 3. The general apj^earance of both sexes is very similar, except that the colours of the male are much more brilliant than those of the female. As she is figured in the Plate, we will describe her first. The colour and markings are so conspicuous that there is no necessity for very minute detail. The wings are pearly-grey, mottled and striped with brown, dark-grey, and chestnut. On each of the wings there is an eye-like spot, black in the middle, and surrounded with consecutive rings of warm buff and black, variegated with dark-crimson and violet.

The male has the upper wings of deeper and richer hues than those of his mate, and the under wings are warm ochreous orange, mottled and striped as in the female. The eye-like spots are similar in both sexes. The male is also distinguished by the antennae, which are shorter than those of the female, and have a beautiful double feathering, widest in the middle, and decreasing towards the base and tip, so as to give the I whole organ an outline much resembling that of the laurel ! leaf.

The caterpillar is quite as conspicuous as the perfect insect, j It is beautiful leafy-green in colour, and the segments are | so very distinctly that they look as if a number of \ marked threads had been tied tightly round the insect at the junctures ; of the segments. On each segment are a number of pink each tubercle bearing a small brusli of black bristles, tubercles, surrounded with a ring of black. It feeds on a and being variety of plants, but I have found it more frequently on heath than on any other plant.

Plate Xv. Night Fliers.

Chelouia cfija. 2. Lasiocampa quercus. 3. Saturnia carpini. 4. Dicranura vinula.

Plants : — Oak and Willow.

t i

When it is full-fed, the larva spins a light-brown cocoon among its food, and the perfect insect appears in the middle of spring.

This cocoon is one of the most remarkable and interesting of insect habitations. Externally it is a simple brown, oval structure, more pointed at one end than the other, and having an outline much resembling that of a balloon. If it be carefully opened, and cut in two longitudinally, a most remarkable structure is seen. The smaller and pointed end is double, and within the outer case is a ring of short and stiff threads, looking much like bristles, their free ends directed towards the mouth of the cocoon, which is allowed to remain open. As these bristle-like threads follow the curve of the wall of the cocoon, it is evident that their ends must converge so as to close the opening against the entry of any insect foe, while they yield to the pressure of any creature within.

In consequence of this arrangement, the pupa remains securely shut up in its habitation, and, when the time comes for its assumption of the perfect state, the newly developed Moth creeps easily out of the cocoon, the guardian threads of wliich yield to its passage, and then close again, so that to all appearance, the cocoon looks just as it did when it contained the chrysalis. As the caterpillar is a tolerably hardy one, there is no difficulty in obtaining the beautiful cocoons.

CHAPTER III.

Geometrje.

Tub large and important group of GEOMETiiyE, or Loopebs, now come before us. These appropriate terms are applied to the Moths on account of the mode of progression adopted by the > larva. The caterpillars are so constructed that they cannot :• walk after the usual fashion of such beings. The reader will ! that the caterpillars hitherto mentioned have a f remember of false legs, or claspers arranged on the under side of t number

body, in addition to the six true legs which are situated : the on that part of the body which will afterwards become the thorax of the perfect insect. Most caterpillars have five pairs of these claspers, but the (ieometra larvae have only two pairs, are set closely together at the very end of the body. which is therefore obliged to adopt a peculiar mode The caterpillar of progression.

When it wishes to move, it clings very firmly with its true grasp of its claspers, and draws them close to legs, loosens the its body is brought into an arch or loop. the legs, so that fix themselves tightly to the object on which The claspers then is moving, and the body is stretched out m the catei-pillar a fresh foothold for the legs. Thus, the caterorder to find bringing its body into the loop-like form pillar proceeds by for another hold. This may seem an and stretching it out progression, but it is nothiug of the kind. awkward mode of is even a sort of grace about the movement, and the There pace, forming its succesgets along at a wonderful caterpillar

sive loops with a rapidity that seems almost incredible. strength of these caterpillars is wonderful.

The muscular acrobats fix their feet to an upright pole, Most of us have seen and stretch out their bodies or grasp it with tlieir hands, attitude retpiires great muscular powers horizontally. This

very carefully applied, as those readers well know who have practically studied gymnastics. The leverage is so great that the strongest and most accomplished gymnast cannot maintain his position for any length of time, the attitude requiring the strongest possible strain on the muscles. Yet this attitude is not only easy to the Greometrse, but appears in some cases to be the chosen attitude of rest.

Several of these larvae pass a large portion of their time stretched out at full length from the twig on which they are chnging. In this attitude they so exactly resemble twigs, that the sharpest eye can scarcely detect them, and even the most experienced entomologists are often deceived, taking veritable twigs for caterpillars, and caterpillars for twigs. Hone of the caterpillars are hairy, and their smooth bodies, often furnished with blunt spikes or humps, bear the most curious resemblance to the smooth-barked, bud-bearing twigs of the trees on which they live. Such caterpillars can be at once recognised as belonging to the Greometrse, and every entomologist knows that if he should find a looping caterpillar, and rear it, the result will certainly be a Greometra Moth of some kind.

In the perfect state it is not so easy to distinguish the Greometrsp, though there is a certain and almost indescribable aspect about them that a practised entomologist rarely fails to detect, even though the species be new to him. We will now proceed to examine some of the most Moths in detail. characteristic of these

The first family of the Greometrse is called Urapterydae, oi Wing-tail Moths, because in them the hinder wings are drawn out into long projections, popularly called ‘ tails.’ In England we have but one insect belonging to this family, the beautiful, though pale-coloured. Swallow-tailed Moth {Urojptei-yx sambucata). The generic name is spelt in various ways, some writers wishing exactly to represent the Greek letters of which It IS composed, and others following the conventional form w ic 1 IS generally in use. If the precisians are to be followed the word ought to be spelled Ourapteiyx. ’ •...J'T™ “ recognising this Moth, the colour y How, and the upper pair are crossed by two narrow brown

stripes, which run from the upper to the lower margin. These je? « stripes are very clear and well-defined, hut besides there are a r vast number of very tiny streaks of a similar colour, which jS look as if they had been drawn in water-colours with the very 1 finest of brushes, and then damped so as to blur their edges. | 1 The hind wings have only one streak, which runs obliquely I > towards the anal angle, and, when the wings are spread, looks T ; j as if it were a continuation of the first stripe on the upper ; ^ ; wings. The shape of the Moth almost exactly resembles that - i of the Brimstone Butterfly, described on page 393. | an admirable example of the twig-resem- ■ ( ■

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