CREAM SPOT TIGEll MOTH. 39 



vstate. It is rather swift of foot, and when 

 cowering in the evening among the herbage, 

 with its brown upper wings closed over the 

 splendid scarlet of the lower pair, it looks so like 

 a mouse that my cat has often been deceived, and 

 pounced on the Moth thinking he had caught a 

 mouse. 



This beautiful Moth is shown on Plate III. 

 fig. 3. 



There is another species belonging to the same 

 genus, namely, the Cream Spot Tiger Moth {Ghe- 

 lonia [or Arctid\ villica). This is a smaller and, if 

 possible, a handsomer insect. In this Moth the 

 fore-wings are deep brown-black with patches of 

 creamy white, and the body and posterior wingj 

 are rich orange with black marks. 



This is said to be a plentiful insect. I am in- 

 clined to consider it to be locally plentiful, but 

 generally rather scarce. The larva is much darker 

 than that of the preceding species, and not so 

 hairy. It feeds upon the groundsel and one or 

 two other plants. 



The general name of Arctia was given to these 

 Moths on account of the popular title of Woolly 

 Bear which has been conferred upon their larva, 

 and I personally much prefer it to the word 

 Chelonia. 



