270 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Light Emerald {Metrocampa {Eudalimia) 

 viargaritarid). 



When quite fresh, this species (Plate io8, Fig. 6) is of a 

 delicate whitish-green colour, but the green tint is apt to fade 

 or to change colour, so that the wings are almost ochreous 

 white sometimes. 



The eggs shown on Plate io6, Fig. 3, were kindly supplied by 

 Mr. Norman Riley. 



The caterpillar ranges in colour from greenish brown to 

 purpli-sh brown, and is frequently freckled with a darker shade 

 of the general colour ; there is sometimes a pale patch on 

 rings 6 and 7, and the sides are fringed with fine bristles along 

 the spiracle area. It feeds, from September to May, on the 

 leaves of oak, birch, beech, elm, etc., and during the winter will 

 nibble the bark of the younger twigs, and also eat the buds. 



The moth, which is partial to the woodlands, is out in June 

 and July, and is pretty generally distributed over the British 

 Isles, except the Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetlands. 



Large Thorn {E?i?iomos atLtnnmarld), 



This fine species was first definitely ascertained to occur in 

 Britain in 1855, but it had been reported as British at a much 

 earlier date, and was figured by Wood in 1839. Up to 1859 it 

 had only been recorded from the North Foreland and Margate 

 in Kent, and from Brighton, Sussex. In 1862, a specimen was 

 taken at Brighton and one at Deal, the latter a female. Two 

 examples were secured at Gosport, Hampshire, in 1865, and one 

 at Deal in 1867. Then, after an interval of ten years, three 

 were captured in Hants (Alverstoke), and two years later a 

 round dozen were obtained at Gosport. During the last thirty 

 years specimens have been recorded from Margate, Deal, 



