44 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



with short legs and antenna;, and broad flattened 

 thorax and wing-cases, projecting over and con- 

 cealing the head and abdomen, giving them a 

 fancied resemblance in shape to a tortoise. The 

 handsomest species is Cassida nodi/is, which is 

 yellowish, with a shining silver or golden band on 

 the wing-cases ; the under-surface of the body is 

 black. 



The Sea Campion (Silene maritima) is especially 

 worthy of the attention of entomologists. It grows 

 abundantly on the sea-slopes of the Hill of Howth, 

 near Dublin, on the sea-cliffs near Douglas, Isle of 

 Man, and in other localities, where many rare 

 moths, the caterpillars of which feed in the pods 

 or on the leaves, may be found flying over the 

 flowers in the evening. Several of these belong to 

 the genus Dianthxcia, which includes various brown 

 or grey stout-bodied species, more or less varied 

 with white, and measuring about an inch and a 

 half across the wings. Other moths keep them 

 company; among others the elegant Netted Pug 

 (Eupithecia venosata), a moth rather less than an 

 inch in expanse, with very slender body and long 



delicate wings, which are grey, with white markings, 

 and short black almost reticulated lines. 



Order XV. Malvacece (3 genera) 



The Mallows are herbaceous or shrubby plants, 

 more or less hairy, with alternate palmate leaves, 

 and large bright-coloured flowers, with 5 sepals and 

 petals, and numerous stamens, fused together into 

 a tube ; the carpels are clustered round an axis, 

 and resemble a green miniature cheese in shape. 

 They are often called "cheeses" by children in the 

 country, and eaten. The plants grow in hedges, 

 or by roadsides, and the flowers are generally rose- 

 coloured, but occasionally bluish. 



The Marsh Mallow {Althcea officinalis) is 

 clothed with a thick pubescence on the stems and 

 leaves. The stem is upright and woody, and the 

 leaves are ovate, and more or less lobate. The 

 shoots grow to the height of two or three feet, and 

 bear clusters of pale rose-coloured flowers towards 

 the extremity. The plant is very mucilaginous, and 

 is cultivated in some places, a preparation of the 



