EMPEROR -MOTH. 197 



The centre of each wing is ornamented with a large 

 ocellus, placed on a whitish ground, and consisting 

 of a large black pupil with a whitish streak and a 

 yellow or grey iris, surrounded with black, and 

 surmounted by a reddish and light blue crescent. 

 On the apex of the anterior wings there is a patch df 

 purple, accompanied with a black and whitish mark. 

 The body is covered with fulvous or brown hairs, the 

 hinder margin of the abdominal segments whitish. 



The caterpillar feeds on a variety of plants, par- 

 ticularly the common ling or heath (Calluna vul- 

 garis), blackthorn bramble, willow, &c. It is at 

 first black, but ultimately becomes of a lovely green 

 colour, having each of the segments cinctured by a 

 black band which is adorned with a series of pink 

 tubercles, each bearing a whorl of six hairs, diverg- 

 ing like a star, the central one being longer than th'e 

 others and capitate. (PL xvn. fig. 2.) 



The insect is of frequent occurrence through- 

 out the greater part of England : the moth is not 

 abundant in Scotland, but the caterpillar and the 

 empty cocoon are often observed on heaths. The 

 female lays between 200 and 300 eggs, which she 

 attaches by a glutinous liquid to the stem of the 

 plant which is to afford nourishment to the larvae. 

 They are deposited in several separate packets, 

 which are placed at some distance from each other, 

 probably with a view to increase the chance of some 

 of them escaping the effects of accidents, as well as 

 to afford a greater supply of food when the young 

 are hatched. 



