2. Lactuca F. ; 3. lucifuga Hub. ; 4. Jissina Haw. ; 5. Tana- 

 ceti F. ; 6. Gnaphalii Hub.; 7. Chamomillce F. ; 8. Asteris F. ; 

 9. Verbasci L. ; 10. Scrophularia H'lib. ; H. AbsintJiii L. ; 

 most of them derive their names from the plants upon which 

 the caterpillars feed, and many of the Moths are to be found 

 in July resting upon pales during the day, or flying about 

 flowers in the evening, when they are very strong upon the 

 wing. 



The caterpillars, which vary considerably in colour, have 

 great muscular power, are very lively, perfectly smooth, and 

 have a fleshy appearance. 



For the following account, as well as a drawing of the Cater- 

 pillar, I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Blunt. " On the 

 24th Sept. 1821, at Darent, in a pai't of the wood which had 

 been cut down the preceding spring, I found three larvae feeding 

 on the Jlowers of the Solidago virgaurea, from which on the 2nd 

 of July following I bred one, and two or three days after- 

 wards another specimen of Cucullia asteris : from the situa- 

 tion in which I keep my breeding cages, I feel satisfied that 

 the time of an insect's appearance with me and in a natural 

 state corresponds precisely; in this particular instance I am 

 perfectly convinced of it, from the circvmistance of my taking 

 another specimen whilst mothing (on the same spot where 

 I took the larvae) towards the end of the month; it was some- 

 what wasted, as would be the case with an insect that had 

 been out two or three weeks. In the following autumn I 

 again found the larva, and bred a specimen of tlie moth on 

 the 20th July : the difference of time between this and the 

 preceding year, may be accounted for from the severity of 

 the winter of 1822-3, which would cause all insects that had 

 been in the pupa state during that season, to be later than 

 usual in their appearance." 



Although our insect evidently is attached to the Solidago, 

 it feeds also upon the Chinese Aster {Aster C/iinensis) from 

 which it receives its specific name ; and C. J. Thompson, Esq. 

 of Fulham, beat a considerable number off a Copper Beech 

 in his garden (one of which he reared): this specimen is 

 smaller and not so brilliant in colour as the others ; it is there- 

 fore possible it may be another species, differing materially 

 only in the caterpillars, and this is the more probable because 

 it is general throughout the Genus. 



Solidago virgaurea (Common Golden Rod) is represented 

 in the plate. 



