246 LEPIDOPTERA. 



pair extend on each side from the head to the anal extremity, 

 and divide the dorsal area into three nearly equal parts; 

 the other white markings are irregularly arranged in waved 

 linear series, often imparting a reticulated appearance to the 

 surface; at each interstice of the segments adjoining the 

 principal white stripes are blotches of darker or olive-green ; 

 spiracles extremely small and inconspicuous, pale brown with 

 a darker margin. 



In the varieties, some of which are extremely beautiful, all 

 the parts usually pale green have become extremely dark 

 bottle-green or almost black, the white markings remaining 

 almost unaltered, and being thrown up in strong relief by 

 the contrast. (E, Newman.) 



In the darker varieties figured by Mr. Buckler the middle 

 and hinder segments are barred across the back with black, 

 black-brown, or greenish-black. 



April and May, on hawthorn and blackthorn ; occasionally 

 on heath or whortleberry, feeding up rapidly. 



Pupa yellow-brown ; with two divergent hooks on the 

 wart-shaped cremaster. In the earth. (Hofmann.) Not 

 further described. In this condition during the first portion 

 of the winter. 



The moth conceals itself during the day among dead leaves 

 at the bottom of a hedge, or on the ground, and at dusk 

 flatters or crawls up — the female certainly crawls — the male 

 flies so short a time that its flight is hardly noticed — but as 

 soon as it is dark both sexes may be found sitting on the 

 outermost twigs of hawthorn bushes in the hedges, particularly 

 in country lanes. Sir Thomas Moncrieffe states that it has 

 been taken ^o/iref? on the wing, and he suggests that it is in 

 this manner that species having small apterous females are 

 distributed about the country. This suggestion has been 

 adopted and confirmed by other excellent observers, and it 

 may possibly be correct, but I have for years sought to find 

 certain evidence of this fact, and have not succeeded. The 



