186 WOOD LEOPARD-MOTH. 



adjoining plate is of a snowy-white : the wings 

 very sparingly clothed with scales, and the nervures 

 yellowish; the whole surface rather thickly sprinkled 

 with dark-blue spots, which are largest in the 

 female. The posterior wings are white at the inner 

 angle and very faintly spotted at the hase, hut 

 there is a distinct row of spots round the hinder 

 margin. The abdomen is nearly covered with 

 down, of a dark-hlue colour. The wings of the 

 male usually expand about two inches, but those of 

 the female frequently exceed two inches and three- 

 quarters. 



The caterpillar lives in the interior of trees, and 

 seems to frequent indiscriminately most of the kinds 

 that grow in this country. It is of a light yellow 

 colour, with a double series of black spots across 

 each segment. The head is strong and wedge- 

 shaped, well fitted to work its way through decom- 

 posing wood, and the segment immediately suc- 

 ceeding it is protected by a scaly plate of a black 

 colour. (PL xv. fig. 2.) Preparatory to its be- 

 coming a pupa, it encloses itself in a cell composed 

 of triturated particles of wood, cemented by a kind 

 of glutinous substance. The moth emerges in 

 July. It is by no means of frequent occurrence in 

 this country, although it has been found in many 

 different places. In some seasons it has been 

 noticed rather plentifully in the vicinity of London, 

 also in Cambridge, Norfolk, Surrey, Essex, &c. 



