434 INSECTS AT HOME. 



The caterpillar, which is drawn at Fig. b, feeds on ibe 

 Bird's-foot trefoil {Trifolium ornitlwpodioides) or the Common 

 Deepwort {Spircea filipendula), from the latter of which tbe 

 insect derives its specific name. The colour is yellow, with a 

 slight brownish tinge, and it is diversified by a double row of 

 black spots. "When the larva is full-fed it climbs up a grass 

 stem, and there spins a very curious cocoon, shaped exactly like 

 a spindle, or, to speak more familiarly, like the wooden ' cats ' 

 that boys are apt to make in more profusion than is agreeable 

 to adult pedestrians. These cocoons are pale straw-colour, 

 rather tough, and very firmly fixed to the grass. The cocoon is 

 shown at Fig, c. The perfect insect makes its appearance at the 

 beginning of summer, and always flies in the hottest weather, 

 so that the sunbeams play gloriously upon its splendidly 

 coloured wings and body. Cold seems to paralyse the insect, 

 and though on a hot calm day the Moths may be flying in 

 hundreds over the field, a change of wind, bringing with it a 

 blast of cold air, will send them all under cover, so that, though 

 the field be actually studded with their cocoons, not a Motli 

 will be seen. 



The insect does not appear to travel far, but, like manj 

 others, to restrict itself to certain favoured localities. There 

 were one or two fields near Oxford, which absolutely swarmed 

 with these beautiful Moths, while at the distance of half a 

 mile not a Burnet Moth was in sight. Owing to the great 

 similarity of the different species, the entomologist who wishes 

 to make a good collection must catch pretty well every Burnet 

 Moth that he sees. With the exception of the Transparent 

 Burnet {Zygcena Minos) — which I believe is an Irish, and not 

 VOL English insect — it is absolutely impossible to distinguish 

 •jne species from the other on the wing, and much care is 

 required to separate them even when they are safely in tb^ 

 collecting box. I well remember, when beginning my practicaJ 

 researches into entomology, how puzzled I was with the difi'eren.'- 

 species of Burnet Moth, and how difficult it was to believe that 

 they really were different species, and not merely varietie? oi 

 one species. 



Passing of necessity over many Moths, we come to an insect 

 which is both pretty and interesting. This is the Cinnabar 



