I04 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Whittlesea, and the dissimilarity of the indigenous "specimens 

 (which are invariably paler, with stronger markings) to the 

 foreigner, sufficiently refute that opinion." There appears to be 

 no doubt that some time near 1840 the Gipsy moth began to 

 decrease in numbers, and that about 1850 it had almost or 

 quite ceased to exist, as a wildling, in England. At the present 

 time, and probably since the date last mentioned, the species 

 has been semi-domesticated, and so reared year by year, at 

 first possibly direct from the original wild stock, but afterwards 

 from fresh stock derived from eggs of foreign origin. Futile 

 attempts have been made to re-establish the species in various 

 parts of England, and also in Ireland. Such failure is curious, 

 seeing that in America the accidental introduction of a few 

 moths has resulted in the species becoming so numerous that 

 at least one state has been expending thousands of dollars in 

 endeavouring to destroy it. The eggs are laid in batches and 

 covered with the down-like scales from the anal tuft of the 

 female. 



The caterpillar hatches in April, and in warm weather feeds 

 up pretty quickly. It is grey, covered with black dots and fine 

 marks ; the hairs arising in spreading tufts from the raised 

 warts, are longer on the sides than on the back ; these warts 

 on the back on each side of the pale central line are bluish on 

 rings one to five, and reddish thence to eleven. Head, pale 

 brown marked with black. Feeds on the foliage of most fruit 

 trees, also on oak, elm, sallow, hawthorn, and sloe. 



Chrysalis rather hairy, brownish in colour, in a fairly strong- 

 silken cocoon, which is spun up in any suitable angle. 



The moths appear in August, and there is a striking difference 

 in the size and coloration of the sexes. The male is pale or 

 greyish brown, lined and clouded with darker brown on the 

 fore wings, and the female is whitish with brownish cross lines, 

 and a black central V-mark on the fore wings. 



Pistributed over the whole of the Palaearctic Region, except 



