154 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



of the long persistent bristles projecting beyond 

 the glumes. The cultivation of rice is peculiar : 

 it is sown in shallow ponds, which dry up as the 

 plants grow. In Germany the word Korn is applied 

 to rye, other words being used in the general sense 

 in which we use our word corn. This is a good 

 illustration of the manner in which the same word 

 alters its meaning in different languages. But a 

 still better illustration of this is to be found in 

 the Latin word domns (original meaning, a house) : 

 it has been adopted into most European lan- 

 guages, but in some it means a house, in others a 

 cathedral, and in English simply a cupola (dome). 

 One of the commonest caterpillars which feed 

 on grasses is that of the Drinker Moth {Odoncstis 



potatoria). It is dark brown, with yellow stripes 

 and white tufts on the sides, and two black 

 pointed tufts on the back — one near the head and 

 one near the tail. The male moth is brownish 

 yellow, and the female brighter yellow, with an 

 oblique black line running nearly to the tip of the 

 rather pointed forewings. The female measures 

 2| inches in expanse; the male is smaller. 



There is a genus of small moths called Elachista, 

 the caterpillars of which mine in the leaves of 

 grasses. They often measure considerably less 

 than half an inch across the wings ; the forewings 

 are generally dark, with white or golden markings, 

 and the hindwings have long fringes ; a few species, 

 however, are grey or whitish, with dark markings. 



