3. lucifiiga Hiib. ; ^.Jissina Haw.; 5. Tanaceti F. ; 6. Onapkalil 

 Hiib.; 7. Chamomillce F. ; 8. Asteris F. ; 9, Verbasci L. ; 10. 

 Scrophularice Hiib.; 11. Absinthii L. ; most of them derive 

 their names from the plants upon which the caterpillars feed, and 

 many of the Moths are to be found in July resting upon pales 

 during the day, or flying about flowers in the evening, when they 

 are very strong upon the wing. 



The caterpillars, which vary considerably in colour, have great 

 muscular power, are very lively, perfectly smooth, and have a fleshy 

 appearance. 



For the following account, as well as a drawing of the Cater- 

 pillar, I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Blunt : — " On the 

 24tli Sept. 1821, at Dareut, in a part of the wood which had 

 been cut down the preceding spring, I found three larvae feeding 

 on the ^/lowers of the Solidac/o virgaurea, from which on the End of 

 July following I bred one, and two or three days afterwards 

 another specimen of Cuadlia asteris: from the situation in which 

 I keep my breeding cages, I feel satisfied that the time of an 

 insect's appearance with me and in a natural state corresponds 

 precisely ; in this particular instance I am perfectly convinced of 

 it, from the circumstance of my taking another specimen wliilst 

 mothiug (on the same spot where I took the larvse) towards the 

 end of the month ; it was somewhat wasted, as would be the case 

 with an insect that had been out two or three weeks. In the fol- 

 lowing autumn I again found the larva, and bred a specimen of 

 the moth on the 20th July : the difference of time between this 

 and the preceding year, may be accounted for from the severity of 

 the winter of 1822-3, which would cause all insects that had been 

 in the pupa state during that season, to be later than usual in their 

 appearance.'^ 



Although our insect evidently is attached to the Solidago it feeds 

 also upon the Chinese Aster {Aster Chmensis) from which it re- 

 ceives its specific name ; and C, J. Thompson, Esq. of Fulham, 

 beat a considerable number off a Copper Beech in his garden (one 

 of which he reared) : this specimen is smaller and not so brilliant 

 in colour as the others ; it is therefore possible it may be another 

 species, differing materially only in the caterpillars, and this is the 

 more probable because it is general throughout the Genus. 



Solidago virgaurea (Common Golden Rod) is represented in the 

 plate. 



