274 LEPIDOPTERA. 



The markings of the fore wings are so curious and unusual 

 that attention should be drawn to them. If looked at from 

 the costa they form a curiously-shaped letter M, hence its 

 specific name ; if looked at from the hind margin, and the 

 round black orbicular stigma be supposed to be an eye, the 

 outline of a profile will be seen of the queerest possible 

 nut-cracker face, whence the species has received the name 

 of that most famous of English witches, Mother Shipton. 



On the wing in May and June. 



Laeva about one inch and a half long, rather slender, 

 cylindrical above, a little flatter beneath, of nearly uniform 

 width to the ninth segment, but this and the tenth are a 

 little wider ; from the latter it tapers to the anal extremity ; 

 head larger and slightly broader than the second segment, 

 yellow, the stripes of the body extending in strong relief 

 down to the mandibles ; colour of the body bright lemon- 

 yellow, sometimes tinged with ochreous ; dorsal stripe double, 

 rather irregular, pale chocolate, followed by two broader, 

 darker chocolate lines, these by two more, equally broad, of 

 the paler chocolate, then a narrow one of the darker shade 

 and another still darker edging the spiracular stripe, which 

 is broad and bright lemon-yellow ; the whole ornamentation 

 taken with the ground colour forms a series of alternately 

 chocolate-brown and lemon-yellow stripes. Ventral area 

 less distinctly marked, greyish-yellow in the middle, rust 

 colour at the sides, with a double interrupted chocolate 

 central stripe ; at the sides are similar lines close below the 

 spiracular stripe ; legs and prolegs greyish-yellow, the latter 

 marked on the outside with rust colour. When very young 

 dingy green with a large yellowish-brown head. When half 

 grown very much as above described, but proportionately 

 more slender ; and the ground colour greenish-yellow or pale 

 olive-green. In walking it loops the back precisely in the 

 manner of a Geometra moth, and continues this habit until 

 full growth ; when disturbed it rolls itself up and feigns 



