88 PEBBLE HOOK-TIP MOTH. 



perfectly still for a wonderfully long time, some- 

 times retaining the same position for several days 

 together, so that they possess a similar mode of 

 defence to that which is employed by so many of 

 the Geometer caterpillars. 



Without further comment, we proceed to our 

 first example of the Cuspidates, — namely, the 

 Pebble Hook-tip {Platypteryx falcula), a figure 

 of which is seen on Plate VII. fig. 1. The 

 specific name, Falcula, signifies a little sickle, and 

 the reader will see by reference to the figure that 

 the name has been given to it in consequence of 

 the curved shape of the fore-wings. 



This is a tolerably plentiful insect, and is 

 double-brooded, one set making its appearance 

 about Dklay and the other about September. The 

 colour of the up^^er wings is reddish brown, 

 irregularly striped with a darker tint. There is 

 always a round patch of this dark colour in the 

 middle of the Aving. The lower wings are much 

 paler than the upper, and are crossed by five 

 slight bars of a rather darker hue. 



The larva of the Pebble Hook-tip feeds on 

 the birch, and has a way of doubling over the 

 leaves and tying them with silken threads so as 

 to form a kind of house for itself. Two other 

 species of Hook-tip Moths are known in Eng- 



