342 LEPIDOPTERA. 



August to June on ivy, hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, 

 bramble, even larch, and various other trees and plants. In 

 gardens it will eat scarlet geranium, indeed is not very par- 

 ticular as to its food, and in confinement has been induced to 

 feed on holly. When walking it has a tremulous habit, as 

 though tottering, and it assumes very strange attitudes when 

 at rest. Upon its favourite food, the ivy, it poses in various 

 positions all exactly resembling the different forms of twigs 

 of that plant, balancing itself at the same time by a strong 

 silken thread from its mouth ; indeed it cannot easily be 

 distinguished from one of these twigs except by the sense of 

 touch. Its hybernation is imperfect, since it will feed when- 

 ever the weather is mild, and thus in some seasons becomes 

 full grown very early. It feeds principally at night. 



Pupa slender and much elongated, bluntly flattened at the 

 head, the cover of the palpi slightly projecting in front ; at 

 the back of the head is a curious raised ridge ; covers of the 

 wings, antenna?, and limbs most beautifully stippled all over 

 with minute irregular, faintly incised, mossy, black lines on a 

 pale brown ground, the lines of the limbs, the edges of the 

 antennas and the nervures of the wings, their tips especially, 

 indicated in faint clouds, streaks, and dots ; the back of the 

 thorax is dusted with somewhat similar cloudy streaks on the 

 pale brown ground ; abdominal segments red-brown or 

 purple-brown, dotted and streaked with black, and finely 

 sculptured in minute closely arranged cross-lines ; cremaster 

 decided^ projecting and rather flattened, armed with two 

 small conical spines and some strong minute curved bristles. 

 In a long, loose cocoon, or silken elongated bag, or cradle, on 

 which are placed morsels of leaf or rubbish, and in which 

 the pupa is easily visible, hanging by its anal hooks to the 

 silk ; placed among leaves or rubbish. No pupa is more 

 worthy of notice for the extreme elegance of its minute 

 markings, or for the graceful lightness of its pendulous 

 cocoon. 



