108 THE BULRUSH MOTH, 



For this purpose it begins to gnaw its way out 

 of the reed, and eats a circular hole large enough 

 to serve as a passage for the Moth. It does not, 

 however, cut completely through the stem, hut 

 leaves a very thin layer of epidermis, so that 

 there is no aperture in the reed to betray its 

 retreat to an enemy, while the delicate epidermis 

 yields easily to the efforts of the Moth when it 

 comes to push its way into the open air. 



Several Moths act in this curious manner. 

 The Eulrush Moth, for example {Nonagria 

 typhce), acts in precisely the same manner 

 with the reed-mace or cat's-tail {Typha latifolia), 

 and the Breeze-fly Clearwing {jEgeria asili- 

 formis) spends its larval life in the interior of 

 poplar branches, and prepares its exit by eating 

 a hole which almost but not quite penetrates 

 through the outer layer of bark. This insect 

 is allied to the Hornet Moth, described in 

 page 18. 



The generic name of Calamia is derived from 

 the Latin word calamus^ which signifies a reed. 



We now come to some pretty Moths, which 

 go by the popular name of Gothics, because 

 the nervures of the wings are very distinctly 

 marked, and look something like the tracery 



