126 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Small, retractile, and slightly recurved humps on the fifth, 

 sixth, seventh, and eighth segments, and another, rather 

 conical and pointing forward, on the twelfth. Head larger 

 than the second segment, notched, rounded, rather flattened 

 in front ; anal prolegs raised in repose. Yellowish-green 

 shading into sulphur-yellow on the back ; a broad lilac 

 dorsal stripe from the second to the fifth segment ; all the 

 humps tipped and marked with reddish-lilac ; spiracles 

 purplish, edged and centred with white ; a yellow spiracular 

 shade is only distinct on the middle segments and terminates 

 on the tenth, where it is continued down the prolegs, and 

 edged with a conspicuous, oblique, purple dash. Below the 

 spiracular shade is an ill-defined purplish stripe, often much 

 waved, continued on the prolegs. Under surface rather 

 shining grass-green, tinged with purplish, ferruginous, or 

 orange-brown, with a purplish central line on the eleventh 

 and twelfth segments. Head pinkish-brown dotted with 

 black ; legs and prolegs tipped with purplish. When young 

 pale reddish-ochreous or light chocolate, the dorsal shade 

 darker and the humps often tipped with ochreous. (0. 

 Fenn.) 



June, July, August, and, where double brooded, also in 

 September and October. On birch, alder, and hazel. 



Pupa stout, rounded, anal extremity very round, with three 

 minute diverging spikes ; glossy dark brown. In a rather 

 large cocoon of silk mixed with loose earth, underground, 

 often at the foot of a tree. In this condition through the 

 winter, in rare instances through two winters. 



The moth flies at night only, but is very rarely, if ever, 

 captured during flight. An occasional sj^ecimen may be found 

 in the daytime sitting on a fence or a tree trunk, but th& 

 vast majority of the specimens in collections are reared, the 

 larva being, at times, not scarce on birch and alder. From 

 the secluded habits of the moth, however, it seems more rare 

 that it re.illy is. Probably its favourite place of repose is on 



