GARDEN CARPET MOTH. 85 



JLngland it is very plentiful, in others moderately 

 so, and in others scarce ; while in some, such as 

 the northern counties, it is scarcely if ever seen. 

 The caterpillar feeds on the well-known wild 

 clematis, popularly called the Traveller's Joy, 

 and remains on the plant until it attains its 

 perfect state, passing the winter in a silken 

 cocoon. 



To this genus belong the Carpet Moths proper, 

 though the name is given to several Moths belong- 

 ing to other genera. They derive their popular 

 name from the distribution of their colour- 

 ing, which is fancifully thought to bear some 

 resemblance to the patterns on carpets. It is 

 to be wished that the designers of carpets would, 

 in their turn, take their patterns from the 

 moth- wings, as in that case we should avoid 

 the daily offence to artistic eyes caused by 

 the glaring patterns and ill-arranged colouring 

 which disfigure the carpets of nine houses out 

 of ten. 



The most plentiful of these Moths is the 

 Garden Carpet (Melanippe fluctuata), an insect 

 which is perhaps one of the most common of all 

 the Geometer Moths. Like many other plentiful 

 Moths, it has two broods, one in the spring and 

 the other in the autumn. 



