THE NOCTUINA. 133 



to Mr. Stainton, has very depraved tastes. It appears to be 

 omnivorous, and if it is kept with its own brothers, or with the 

 larvae of other moths, it will not confine itself to the plentiful 

 supply of leaves, but will bite and finally eat, like a cannibal, 

 all that comes in its way. The moth has a curious half-moon 

 shaped pattern at the ends of its fore wings, and is therefore 

 called the Satellite. 



The PhalcBnoidcB are a very remarkable family. The moths 

 usually have delicate bodies, much more slender than those of the 

 kinds already noticed ; they have large wings, thread -shaped 

 antennae, which are often pectinated and even fan-shaped ; they 

 have a rudimentary trunk, which, however, is a useless organ ; 

 and very small palpi. The caterpillars are more remarkable than 

 the moths ; they are long and cylindrical, like the twigs of a 

 plant, and they have usually only two pairs of membranous legs ; 

 there are three pairs in a few species, but all the segments in the 

 middle of the body, which in other caterpillars maintain two or 

 three sets of legs, as the case may be, do not have these loco- 

 motive organs ; consequently, the method of walking in these 

 caterpillars is very different to that which is noticed in other 

 larvae. The group of the Geometrina exhibit this peculiarity in 

 perfection. 



In describing the peculiarities of the groups of the Noctuiiia, 

 it was noticed that one of them had caterpillars which almost 

 always loop when they walk, that is to say, that the back part 

 of the body is brought up against the last of the fore legs — the 

 body thus forming an arch or a loop. When the caterpillar 

 wishes to move forwards it lets go its front legs, holds on with 

 the hinder ones, and straightens itself, and does away with its 

 looped shape ; as soon as it is stretched out, the front legs catch 

 hold of the leaf or twig upon which the insect may be moving, 

 and the hind legs are let go, and brought forward. Moreover, 

 from its ability to hold on perfectly by means of its hind legs, 

 the caterpillar is very fond of raising its head and body in the air, 

 and of remaining quite stationary in that attitude even for hours. 

 Their colouring so often resembles that of the plants upon which 

 they feed that, when they are quietly stiffened out, they cannot 

 be distinguished from them ; should they be disturbed they fix a 



