144 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



The peculiar disagreeable odour of this larvae enables us 

 to detect its presence at some distance. 



The insect appears in the perfect state in July, and 

 may be noticed resting on palings, or on the trunks of 



trees. 



FAMILY III. NOTODONTID.E. 

 GEKURA VINULA. THE PUSS MOTH. 



This handsome insect is common throughout the 

 country. 



The expansion of the wings varies from 2J to 3 inches. 

 The fore-wings are whitish, with a transverse row of 

 black spots near the base, followed by several wavy 

 transverse grey lines, those beyond the middle being so 

 deeply waved as to form a succession of <-like mark- 

 ings. The hind-wings are white in the male, clouded 

 with grey in the female ; in both sexes they have a 

 dark central lunule. 



The singular larva is dark green, with a hump on the 

 fourth segment, behind which is a brownish blotch along 

 the back; this blotch is edged with white, attains its 

 greatest breadth at the eighth segment, where, however, 

 it does not reach so low as to include the spiracles, and 

 from that point it gradually diminishes towards the tail, 

 where there are two projecting caudal appendages, from 

 which the larva can at pleasure dart out long red 

 filaments. (The anal prolegs in the larvae of this genus 

 are entirely wanting.) This larva, which when young- 

 has even a more comical appearance than when full 

 grown, feeds, in July and August, on the leaves of 

 sallows, poplars, and willows. 



The perfect insect appears in May or early in June, 



