68 ORCHARD CATERPILLARS. 



&c. ; SO that this species was appearing about, or a little before, the 

 customary time. The " Satellite " Moth, the Scopelosoma sateUitin, of 

 which it is mentioned that a few specimens were observed, hybernates 

 in the moth condition, and is stated to come out in the spring, and lay 

 its eggs in March ; therefore, this kind also could not be considered to 

 be suffering from the preceding cold. This moth is larger than the 

 previously named species, and in shape, size, and general colouring, 

 not at all unlike the well-known Turnip Moth, to which it is nearly 

 allied. The chief difference is that the fore wings of the " Satellite" 

 are reddish brown in the ground colour (instead of being pale gi*ey- 

 brown or dark u:nber-brown), and the hinder wings are smoky instead of 

 whitish. This species is one which, if possible, should always be 

 spared, because the caterpillars (at least, until nearly attaining their 

 full size), are recorded as being carnivorous, and feeding on the cater- 

 pillars of other moths ; amongst the kinds preyed on, young caterpillars 

 of the Winter Moth are especially mentioned. 



The " Satellite" caterpillar is described as being of a rich velvety 

 brown colour, with three paler lines placed lengthwise on the second 

 segment, and occasionally observable as faint stripes continued the 

 whole length of the body. There are also about four white spots on 

 each side of the body, but these may be variable in number. 



I have not had the opportunity of studying the above-named insect 

 myself in living state, and therefore acknowledge the above notes, as 

 taken from the very good description given in Edward Newman's 

 * British Moths,' at pp. 371, 372. 



With regard to the date of appearance of the moths, in reply to 

 some observations or inquiries sent to Mr. Doeg by Mr. Gibbon, 

 of Seaford Grange, Pershore, Chairman of the Evesham Fruit 

 Growers' Experimental Committee, Mr. Doeg wrote, on Jan. 30th as 

 follows : — 



"I went to Seaford Grange last night. It was a mild dark 

 evening, with a misty sort of drizzle ; just the sort of night that yields 

 a grand harvest of insects to the ' sugarer ' when it occurs in July or 

 August ; and, as we anticipated, there were plenty of moths about. 

 We took female bnimata and defoliaria on the trunks of Apples and 

 Plums, some of the latter trees being amongst the Gooseberries, where 

 we noticed the ' borers ' at work last spring. The Plum trees them- 

 selves were not much attacked last season, for Mr. Gibbon is an ardent 

 believer in the (irease-band. The males were not much on the wing, 

 and my experience is that the Geometrfe, as a group, fly principally 

 just at dii.sk; so one would not expect to find many flying between 

 9 and 10 o'clock on a night in January. In support of the probability 

 that many were about earlier in the evening, I may mention that 

 a large number of livini/ and freshly -cauyht males of the ' Mottled 



