Burnet-Moths. 



233 



flower stems of .ejrasses and spins the long, yellowish, glazed cocoon, of 

 spindle shape, which is attached to the grass by its full length. This 

 is of a stiff, papery texture, which crackles when pressed. The chrysalis 

 wriggles its head out of the upper end just before the moth is ready to 

 escape, and the perfect Insects mav be seen in dozens or scores clinging 

 to the cocoon or the grass flowers whilst their wings expand. 



Thereafter they may be seen 

 congregated on flower-heads, show- 

 ing a preference for composite 

 flowers — thistles, dandelion, daisy, 

 and particularh' scabious. Half 

 a dozen of the moths may be con- 

 gregated on one flower-head, giving 

 it a most remarkable appearance. 

 They sit quieth' for hours, as though 

 conscious of the fact that their 

 warning colours protect them from 

 molestation, and the flower ma\' 

 be gathered and carried in the 

 button - hole without disturbing 

 their eqvuinimitw Its fa\'ourite 

 haunts are sea-clift's and sand-hills, 

 and on chalk-downs and heaths 

 inland. 



The other species, though they 

 (lifter in the number of crimson 

 s])ots, the depth of ground colour, 

 and the width of the margin to the 

 hinder wings, are in a general way 

 very mvu'h like the common species. 

 Two of them have semitrans})arcnt 

 wings owing to the paucity ot 

 scales. One of these two is known 

 as the transparent burnet,^ and it 

 has the spots on the fore-wings 

 replaced by three crimson streaks. 

 It occurs only on the western coasts 

 of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, ^'-'"^^i ^,^^^^^^ ^^ Burnet-Moth. 



The other is the Scotch blirnrt. The stout, greenish caterpillar is spotted with yoUow and blark, and feeds 

 . . . , , ^ , , , upon clover and vetches. One is seen having climbed a grass stem to spin 



WtllCtl iiaS tlie tlVe reel marks on tlie its papery cocoon. .\ number of the cocoons are shown spun up. 



fore-wings as definite spots instead of streaks. The only British localities for it are 

 in Aberdeenshire. The five-spot burnet - also has onh" livi' crimson spots on the fore- 

 wings, and the hind-wings have a broader, dark margin. Another species, the New 

 Forest burnet,^ is restricted, as its name indicates, to the New Forest in Hampshire ; 

 and is found onh* in Cfrtain localitic^s i'\'en there. 



[E. Step, F.L.S. 



Zygaona jnirpuralis. 



• Z. trifolii. 



' Z. nidiloti. 



