GEOMETRID.K—P/n )R( )nESMA. 295 



and the head and h:»o's brown ; but. owing to its being covered 

 so entire!}^ with the dead and brown portions of its food- 

 pLant, it is extremely difficult to make out the exact markings. 

 (G. Elisha.) 



August till ]\Iay on ArtnnWw maritima (Sea-wormwood) 

 on the coast, but in confinement feeding equall}' upon 

 Artemisia ahrotamim (Southernwood), abroad, where it is not 

 restricted to the sea-coast, upon several other species of 

 Arti'uitsi((, as well as on tansy, ragwort, and millefoil. So 

 soon as it leaves the egi^ it begins to form a sort of covering 

 by decorating itself with small vegetable fragments ; after 

 hybernation, while still young, and as soon as its food-plant 

 begins to throw up young shoots, it casts a skin, and then, as 

 it eats, it cuts off the small whitish tips of the leaves and 

 places them upon its back, securing them to the hairs b^■ 

 some glutinous secretion. When older it is said, after casting 

 a skin, to remove each fragment of leaf from the old skin 

 and place it carefulh" upon the new. So long as it is inert 

 the appearance it shows is that of a small mass of dried vege- 

 table morsels held together by some slight attachment, such 

 as spider's-web, but when it stretches its body to feed, the 

 distribution of the fragments along its dorsal surface, each 

 attached to a single hair, becomes obvious. This, however, 

 takes place usually at night, and during the day the creature 

 is so efficient!}' protected that, until familiarised with its queer 

 appearance, no one would think of taking any notice of so 

 worthless-looking a bunch of fragments. Fresh and longer 

 morsels are added as it continues to grow, and the only 

 cocoon made consists of these fragments united together 

 with silk. 



A very remarkable circumstance about this larva, but one 

 fully substantiated, is that no apparent inconvenience is 

 caused to it by the complete submergence of its food-plant 

 in sea-\\ater, which takes ])lace at exceptionally high tides. 



]'UPA much like that of a buttertiy ; the anterior portion a 



