'316 MOTHS OF GAY COLOURING. 



with black spots, surrounded mostly by a yellow circlet, the 

 body being also scarlet barred with black. 



The Tiger caterpillar, seen more frequently even than the 

 moth, and sometimes in winter as well as summer, has a black 

 velvety skin, covered with long brown-tipped hairs, proceeding 

 from white tubercles. It is a feeder on dandelion, lettuce, and 

 other salad plants, and, from its habit, when touched, of rolling 

 round (an innocent measure of self-defence), has acquired the 

 misnomer of Devil's Ring.* 



A few among other very differing night-fliers arc distin- 

 guished by gay colouring. There is the beautiful Red Under- 

 winy, the Yellow Brimstone, the little bright Green Moths of 

 the 0<ik, and the more splendid "Emerald' of the elm and 

 lime; with many conspicuous in the gloom from their robes 

 of white. And there wants not gilding and lacquering, as well 

 as painting, in the bla/onry of moth " standards," as in the 

 " Y," so called from that character inscribed in gold or silver 

 on its wings, and in the " Burnished Brass" a name derived 

 from its metallic yellow lustre. The two last, though classed 

 among those composing the nocturnal division of their tribe, 

 are frequently, as well as some others, to be seen 



" floating amid the liquid uoon." 



The " Y ' especially, may be noticed now and on through 

 October, suspended vibrating on wing; while it sips, after 



* Yi-riiHic in "Life in Death/' vol. i. 



