The larva affords caterpillars. It is exceedingly variable in colour, but is i | filing always some shade of brown. It has seven bud-like humps, , ^ ^ along the sides. It is a vei*y general i ; and a few pale stripes and may be found on a considerable number of trees i feeder, quite common, and but for its curious | and plants. It is certainly be found much more frequently than is i form would insect appears about July, and can be ) the case. The perfect beaten out of bushes and hedges. Though the wings are large, very powerful, so that there is no diffithey are thin and not culty in capturing the insect.

Next comes the family of the Ennomidae, popularly called b nearly thirty species, two of which we the Thorns, containing for examination. In this family the hind wings will select Our first example is the Bbimstone Moth i are not tailed. which is shown on Woodcut XLVIII. 7 {Rumia cratcegata), Fig. 3. I plentiful Moth is of a bright sulphur- yellow, with >

This very and several ruddy chestnut spots on the a few irregular streaks, edge of the upper wings. has three liumps, and possesses four pairs ot

The caterpillar of two. The first and second pairs are, howclaspers instead This larva is shown at Fig. /), ever, not used for progression. of the general aspect of a Geometra

and gives a good idea is stretched out at full length. It feeds larva when the body whitethorn, and when lull- e

both on the blackthorn and close to the ground, and sometimes on it.

spins a thick cocoon the summer, as may the

The Moth may be found throughout

caterpill-ar.

Ouu next example is tbe ()ak Heautv {Aiu'phydasis 'prodromaria), which is shoAvn on Woodcut XLIX. Fig. 1.

Although the colours of this insect are nothing but various shades of black, grey, and white, it is a very pretty Moth. The ground colour of the wings is greyish-white, and across tlie upper pair are drawn two irregular broad bands of a rich brown colom’, edged with black. The dots and speckles which

Gonepteryx libatrix. 2. Catocala nupta. 3. Rmnia a. Gonepteryx, larva. b. Rumia cratsegata, larva. cratregata.

are SO profusely scattered over the wings are also black. The Mck Of the thorax is browi., the sides grey, and the head tate. The antennas of the female are thread-like, and those of he male are feathered. The caterpillar feeds on the oak ", “'“’.O'”'* the Moth is developed in the spring. This

thelittlp'^ ^he little projections ^- f.*® on mottled with white, and the back G G are reddish.

On Plate XVI. Fig. 4, is shown one of the prettiest of the G-eometrse, the Large Emerald {Geometra papilionaria), belonging to the family of the G-eometrida3.

There is little need to describe the colouring of this beautiful Moth, further than to say that the wings are rather pale leaf-green, and the scalloped markings and dots are white. The head and thorax are green, and the body is greyish-white. The sexes can he distinguished by the antennae, those of the male being feathered, and those of the female, as shown in the illustration, simple and thread-like. Both the antennae and the fore legs are whitish. The name papilionaria is given to it because it has a sort of butterfly appearance about it. This is a tolerably common Moth, and is mostly found in woods and copses, where it can be taken by beating the bushes. The caterpillar is green, like the perfect insect, and has many humps. It feeds chiefly on the hazel, but may be found on other trees.

Passing, of necessity, over many of the Geometrse, we come to that very familiar insect, the Currant Moth (^Abo'cixas which is shown on Plate XVI. Fig. 5. In congrossulariata), sequence of its boldly contrasted markings, it is sometimes called the Magpie Moth.

This is invariably one of the first Moths of the young collector’s cabinet, and its larva is perhaps the best known of the GeometrjE.

The colour of the wings is white, with a yellow patch at the base of the upper wings, and a rather ciuwed band of a similar rather beyond the middle. Upon both wings are a colour number of deep black spots and blotches, varying greatly in Sometimes the black spots are so large different specimens. with each other, and make the Moth look as if that they unite and yellow. Sometimes the reverse takes place, it were black is almost entirely white and yellow, with a and the insect uncertain markings of a darker colour, while in few pale and preponderance either of the many specimens there is a decided or the dark portions of the wings. The antenn® of the lio-ht are thread-like, and those of the male very slightly, female I but decidedly, feathered.

This Moth is one of the partial day-fliers, and may be capin gardens where the gooseberry or blacktured in any numbers

|| currant is grown. The insect is a very bold one, and while it is engaged in depositing its eggs, may be picked up with the fingers without much difficulty.

The larva, which is represented on Plate XVI. Fig. 6, is coloured very much like the perfect insect. Being so common, I have been accustomed to watch it from childhood, and have much to say on the subject. But Mr. Xew^man has so com-

Ajnphydasis prodromaria. 2. Scodiona belgiaria. 3. Hibernia defoliar a. I^ton, larva. Hibernia, female. c. Hibernia, lai*va.

pletely made it his own that I can do no better than nive his ; I have seen the females of this species busily engaged in viposition, not only in the evening, but in the middle of a warm summer’s-day, depositing a single egg on a leaf of goosewatched black-currant, and then flying off to another. I once atched ten females simultaneously occupied in this manner c ong a garden wall less than eighty yards in length.

^ike the eggs of most diurnal Lepidoptera, they remain but

a short time before hatching. The young caterpillar feeds for two, three, or four weeks, rarely longer, and then spins together the edges of a gooseberry leaf, having first taken the precaution of making the leaf fast to its twig by numerous silken cables, which prevent the possibility of its falling when dehiscence takes place in the autumn. In the little cradle thus fabricated the infant caterpillar sleeps as securely as the sailor in his hammock. Snow-storms and wintry winds are matters of indifference to him, but no sooner have the gooseberry bushes begun to assume their livery of green in the spring, than instinct informs him that food is preparing to satisfy his appetite, so he cuts an opening in his pensile cradle, emerges, and begins to eat.

‘ The full-fed caterpillar commonly rests in a straight posture, lying parallel with the branch ; but when annoyed, he elevates his back, and tucks in his head until it is brought into contact with the abdominal claspers. If the annoyance be continued, he drops from his food, hanging by a thread, and rarely falling to the ground ; but when this is the case, he is bent double, and remains a long time in that posture.’

In spite of the very conspicuous colouring of this caterpillar, it is not eaten by birds, seeming to be distasteful to them. It is also distasteful to toads. If one of these larvae be placed before a toad, it will be snapped up as soon as it moves, but will at once be rejected, the toad moving off as if disgusted with a creature on which it hoped to feed. The colour of this larva is creamy white, spotted and striped with orange, and , having a number of bold black spots and stripes, as seen in the ^ illustration. j

The pupa is smooth and black, with a slight tinge of red, j banded with yellow, so that the caterpillar, the pupa, and the perfect insect have all the same colouring. The Moth appears in the middle of summer. ,

The family of the Hybernidae is represented by the INIottled ^ i defoliaria), the male of which is shown < j

Umber Moth {Hihernia on Woodcut XLIX. Fig. 3.

The colour of the upper wings is very pale browm, across which

are drawn two bold brown bands, as seen in the illustration. The ^

under wings are paler brown than the upper, and aie sprinkled

Plate Xvi. Geometers And Noctu/E.

Agrotis segetum. 2. Agrotis larva. 3. Xanthia flavago. 4. Geometra papilioiiaria. 5. Abraxas grossulariata. 6. Abraxas grossulariata, larva.

Plants : — Cui-rant and Strawberiy.

with very tiny black clots. It is an exceedingly variable

insect, and there is one variety which now and then occurs in

which the brown bands are absent and the whole of the wings

is covered with the little black dots. There is no difficulty

in distinguishing the female from the male, as may be seen by referring to Fig. h in the same Woodcut. The wings are reduced to the merest rudiments, and are not only useless for flight, but absolutely useless for any purpose whatever. Like those of the ostrich and emeu, they are inefficient as wings. But the two birds which have been mentioned are exceedingly swift of foot, and the wings, though they are not used for flight, do at least assist them in running. But the female Mottled Umber is by no means swift of foot, and indeed a distance of six inches is quite a journey to her. The body of the female is warm brown in colour, and on each segment are two conspicuous black spots. This larva is shown at Fig. c in the same Woodcut.

The larva is one of those which are furnished with a spinning apparatus, and use it for defensive purposes.

I may here remark that, in all silk-spinning caterpillars, the machinery is the same, though the length, quantity, and quality of the silk differ greatly. Along each side of the body, and closely pressed against the digestive organs, grows the silk- vessel. This is a tube of greater or less capacity according to the needs of the insect, in which is secreted the pecrdiar substance which is known as silk. Each of these tubes ends in a very slender outlet, scarcely as thick as a human hair, and the two outlets unite in an instrument which very much resembles the barrels of a double-barrelled pistol. Through these tubes or barrels the gummy secretion is forced, and hardens as soon as it comes in contact with the atmosphere.

Those larvas in which the supply of this secretion is small are very chary of it, and only use it for the purpose of spinning the cocoon or hammock in which the caterpillar changes to the pupal and perfect states. Those, however, in which the supply is more abundant employ it in various ways, and are often indebted to it for their escape from many foes. Whatever they may be doing, or wherever they may move they always draw with them their silken thread, one end of which is attached to the leaf or branch on which they are walking, so

that, like Goldsmith’s Traveller, they ‘ drag at each remove a lengthening chain.’ If they be alarmed in any way, they at once drop towards the ground, supported by their thread. Generally, they drop only a few inches ; but if the alarm continue, they drop more and more, until they reach the ground, where they lie until they are assured of safety. Tliey climb up again rather slowly, but steadily, using their legs for the purpose, and packing up the line into a Series of loops as they proceed.

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