152 p OWLET-MOTHS. 
The moth is very pretty, of a pinkish-gray color, and 
marked in a very peculiar manner with whitish lines and 
blackish spots, as shown in the illustration, Fig. 151, Plate 
XVI. 
THE GRAY DAGGER-MOTH. 
(Acronycta occidentalis G. & R.). 
There are a large number of ‘‘Dagger-moths,”’ so called 
from the fact that they have on their fore-wings a number 
of short, black streaks crossing the 
transverse lines in such a way that 
the marks have a remote resem- 
blance to a dagger, or to the Greek 
letter psi, placed sideways. The 
; a above species is of a pale silvery- 
oad dnph dian glltbattasl ag“ P De Y 
wtie 2 Sach ’ 4 c 
Ne Ee ORPY PO On es i 
am Avy 
> eraycolor. The fore-wings are pale 
gray, with various black lines and 
markings, the principal one being 
situated in about the middle resem- 
bling an irregular cross; a second 
smaller and similar mark is found 
FES Tea S & Bir ibe bet ween this “and. tie stip cone ae 
Piet wing; a black line starts from the 
base of the wing and extends to near the middle. The 
hind-wines are darker and glossy gray. Both pairs of 
wings are fringed with white, with an inner border of black 
spots. The moths measure with expanded wings nearly 
two inches across. 
The caterpillars of this insect feed upon the leaves of the 
plum,elm, birch,cherry and apple, reaching their full size about 
the middle of July. Their large heads are flat in front and 
are black with vellowish dots on the sides. Their body is 
bluish-gray above, with a wide slate-colored band on the 
back, in which is found a central orange-colored line, extend- 
