94 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



counties of England, and it is also found in South Wales. Its 

 range extends into the Eastern Counties and through the Mid- 

 lands northward to Cumberland. It does not seem to have 

 been noted from Scotland or Ireland. Abroad it is distributed 

 over Central Europe and northward to Denmark and Livonia, 

 and southward to South France and Andalusia. 



L^^ ^T 4_c( a. e 



Tussock-moths (^irTfiiiiiiii^n'Vui'i^, 



About seventy-two species, referred to this family, are known 

 to occur in various parts of the Paleearctic region ; ten of these 

 are found in our islands. The Black V-moth {Leucoma 

 v-nli^nun or Arctornis l-albiiin) has been reported as British, 

 but if the few examples that have been recorded were natives, 

 the species has long since disappeared from this country. 



Some of the caterpillars, as, for example, those of the Brown 

 and Yellow-tails, are not altogether pleasant to handle, as the 

 hairs with which they are covered have a disagreeable trick of 

 transferring themselves to our hands, whence they find their 

 way to our face, and when there are apt to set up most un- 

 pleasant irritation and swelling of the parts affected. These 

 urticating hairs are more troublesome when received from the 

 caterpillar or cocoon, but those from the moth itself communicate 

 a very respectable simulation of the skin trouble known to the 

 doctor as Urticaria. 



The Scarce Yapourer (Orgyia goNosfigma). 



The male of this species, and also of the next, flies in the 

 sunshine, but the female of each is wingless, or nearly so, and 

 has to remain at home on the cocoon from which she emerged. 

 Here she lays a large number of eggs, from four to five hundred, 

 upon the exterior. The eggs of this specios are whitish and 

 rather glossy when first laid ; the top is sunken. Apart from 



