CHAPTER U. 



THE GEOMETER MOTHS. 



We now come to the Geometry or Loopers, a 

 very large family of Moths, which derive their 

 name from the curious mode of progression em- 

 ployed by the larvse. 



The name of Geometrae signifies " earth 

 measurers," and is given to them for the follow- 

 ing reasons : — 



Instead of crawling like other caterpillars, they 

 seize some object with their front legs, and then 

 draw up the tail so as to form the body into a 

 loop. They then grasp with the claspers, or fals e 

 legs at the end of the body, and stretch themselves 

 out to seize another object with the front legs. 

 Thus they have a fauciful resemblance to those 

 Indian devotees who " measure the way ' to their 

 place of worship by prostrating themselves on 

 the ground, marking the spot where their out- 



