THE PROMINENT MOTHS OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, 101 
Sir Robert Bateson Honey, Bart., of Langley Park. It may at 
once be distinguished from the rest of its family by the almost 
uniform purplish-red colour of the wings, relieved only by a con- 
spicuous white or yellowish spot on the upper edge of the anterior 
pair. The caterpillar, which is bright apple-green marked with 
yellow on the back, and a white yellow and pink stripe on the 
sides, feeds exclusively on the birch in July; and on the trunks 
of this tree the moth may be found sitting in May. 
9. Notodonta dictwa (the Swallow Prominent). — This moth 
and its neighbour the “Lesser Swallow” may at once be dis- 
tinguished from all the rest of their fellows by their long, slender 
shape, when at rest, much resembling that of a swallow with its 
wings closed, and by their uniform whitish-grey colour, with 
a conspicuous dark stripe at the base and tip of the anterior 
wings. In the present species these stripes are chocolate brown. 
If any one will taka the trouble to turn up a number of 
branches of the black, Italian, or Lombardy poplar in August and 
September, the chances are that he will find various small very 
white eggs, or a very long, thin, glossy, whitish-green cater- 
pillar with a yellow stripe on the sides and a red hump at the 
tail. These are the eggs and the larva of the Swallow Prominent 
moth. It feeds upon all kinds of poplar, and sometimes, upon 
sallow and willow. There is a variety of the caterpillar which 
when full fed is of a uniform pale brown. The moth appears at 
the end of May and in June and July. 
10. Notodonta dicteoides (the Lesser Swallow Prominent.) 
This moth in form and marking almost precisely resembles the 
preceding species, but the dark lines in the upper wings are 
always a beautiful rich purplish-brown, whilst the intervening 
portions of the wing are much whiter than in dictea. The larva 
too, is totally different, being of a uniform deep purple with a 
conspicuous yellow stripe on the side. It feeds invariably on the 
birch and is full fed in September and October. I have taken 
both this and the preceding species in this parish (Drayton- 
Beauchamp) and believe that, though they are nowhere common, 
they occur wherever poplar and birch trees are to be found. 
