3078 



THE JOINTED ANIMALS 



the front and hinder segments, the central portion of the body being thus raised in 

 the form of a loop. The pupae are sometimes, as in the butterflies, encircled with a 

 silken thread, but the majority spin together a few leaves, and change within the 

 receptacle thus formed, or burrow into the earth among dead leaves and moss. Of the 

 first subfamily (Boarmiince} we select as a representative the handsome pepper moth 

 (Biston betularia) which is one of the largest of the European geometers, and re- 

 sembles members of the family Bombycidce in the possession of a stout abdomen. 

 The form of the larva, however, is quite distinct, and closely resembles that of a 

 dead twig. Doubtless such a likeness saves it somewhat from the attacks of birds 



and ichneumon wasps. When fully 

 extended, and clinging only by its 

 hindmost claspers, the caterpillar 

 assimilates so marvelously with the 

 brown and olive tints of the boughs 

 among which it takes up its station, 

 that it is almost indistinguishable 

 from its surroundings. Another 

 handsome member of the same group 

 is the mottled umber {Hibernia 

 defoliaria), which appears very late 

 in the season, long after the majority 

 of the members of the order have 

 completed the term of their exist- 

 ence. By night the male circles 

 around the trunks of trees in search 

 of his wingless partner. In the 

 former sex the large wings are pale 

 ochre in color, with a darker wavy 

 transverse bar. The female, on the 

 other hand, is variegated black and 

 ochreous yellow, and bears no small 

 resemblance to some species of spider. 

 The larvae feed on the buds of various 

 trees, and descend into the earth to 

 change into the pupa; the latter 

 being dark mahogany, with a sharp 

 spine at the tail. The species is 

 PEPPER MOTH, WITH I.ARVA AND PUPA. not rare in England and on the 



(Natural size.) Continent. The scarce umber (H. 



aurantiaria) , which is figured in the 



same illustration, is less common than the last, but appears at the same season. 

 Nearly allied is the winter moth {Cheimatobia brumata), which in mode of life is 

 somewhat similar to the mottled umber, but, as indicated by its scientific name, flies 

 still later in the year. The larva lives partially secluded among the leaves which it 

 draws together with silk. When occurring in great numbers, these caterpillars do 



