NOTODONTID^. 171 



rounded with black, and having on each side of it a large 

 bright white spot ; on the twelfth segment another similar 

 tubercle, also dull red, edged at the back with whitish. 

 Head black, shining, rather hairy ; body smoky grey or 

 purplish-black ; dorsal stripe very broad, pale buff or whitish- 

 grey ; immediately below it on each side is a row of large 

 deep black spots, and intermediately below them a row of 

 dull orange spots. Spiracular line orange-yellow ; spiracles 

 orange ; legs black ; prolegs smoky-pink. 



May, June, July, August, and sometimes September and 

 October on poplar and sallow; when young living grega- 

 riously, but when older drawing together leaves of the food- 

 plant with silk, and living alone in the chamber thus formed. 



Pupa rather plump, blackish. In the larval chamber or 

 spun up among leaves. In this state through the winter. 



The moth flies only at night, but so far as I am aware has 

 never been captured — as a moth — in these islands, except 

 that two are said to have been picked up in the street at 

 Deal. Yet it seems to have been known here from a very 

 early date. Haworth, very early in the century, correctly 

 described it, saying that it was most rare in England. Curtis 

 (1838) says, "the only specimens I have seen are in the 

 cabinet of the British Museum ; they were taken near Salis- 

 bury by the late Mr. Spratt." In the very old British 

 Museum collection, now at South Kensington, still exist two 

 specimens which are believed to have been obtained from 

 Mr. Spratt by Dr. Leech, and presented by him to the 

 National collection. These specimens appear to be referred 

 to, also, by Stephens and Westwood. Apparently the 

 species was lost for at least thirty years, but in 1858 two 

 larvse were obtained near Saltwood, Kent, in June, by Mr. 

 Sidney Cooper, and reared, but were not at the time recog- 

 nised. In the following year Dr. H. G. Knaggs found a 

 larva near Folkestone upon poplar, and, recognising it, 

 devoted himself to the search and secured ten more, which 



