58 MANGOLD. 
spots.” Of this moth John Curtis says there are two broods yearly ; 
customarily (according to foreign observation*), the half-grown cater- 
pillars live through the winter, and apparently the moths occasionally 
do so, as they have been found at the beginning of May. The eggs 
are generally laid beneath the leaves, singly or in clusters, as the case 
may be, and soon hatch. The caterpillar, when full grown, is green, 
covered with short hairs; the head brownish green; six white or pale 
lines along the back, and a yellow line along each side. It has three 
pairs of claw-feet, and two pairs of sucker-feet or prolegs beneath the 
body, besides the pair at the end of the tail, which are green and 
fleshy ; and, consequently on having the two pairs of sucker-feet, it is 
what is called a ‘half-looper’’ caterpillar (see figure 2, p. 56). It 
raises itself in a loop when walking, but not as high and complete a 
loop as is characteristically formed by caterpillars with only one pair 
of abdominal sucker-feet. 
A ‘probably hitherto undescribed form of the larva” is mentioned 
by Mr. Geo. Porritt} as having been sent him by Mr. C. Whitehead 
in July, 1892. These specimens were smaller than the ordinary 
form, only an inch in length at full growth; the ground colour dark 
olive green,—in one specimen nearly black; head and prolegs intensely 
black and shining (for full description see reference). Of these only a 
moderate proportion (half the number or so) appear to have spun, and 
of these again a very small proportion of the chrysalids produced the 
moth, but enough to show that though very small, less than half the 
size of ordinary specimens, with which they were compared by Mr. 
Porritt, and also paler in colour, there was nothing to distinguish 
them from the true P. gamma. 
When full-fed the caterpillars spin a white woolly cocoon, either 
in the folds of a leaf or on some plant, and in it they change toa 
black or pitchy chrysalis (see figure 3, p. 56). 
The caterpillars appear to be very general feeders, including in 
their food-plants leguminous crops, as Peas, Beans of different kinds, 
and Clover, also Turnip and Cabbage leafage, also Lettuce, Beet, and 
Mangold leafage, &c., and have also been known to attack Oats. 
Amongst weeds they have been found to attack Thistles (Carduus), 
Burdock (Arctium), Nettles (Urtica), and also grasses. 
The species appears to be more or less present every year during 
summer and autumn, and sometimes very abundantly, as, for instance, 
in 1892, when Mr. Geo. Porritt observed, on September 8th (see re- 
ference above), that on the Lancashire coast the moth was flying in 
thousands a fortnight previously. 
* See ‘Praktische Insektenkunde,’ of Dr. Taschenberg, pt. ili. p. 154. 
+ See ‘Larve of British Butterflies and Moths’ vol. vi. pt. iii. p. 112. London: 
Ray Society. 
