DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES OF CONSPICUOUS SPECIES 203 



fore-wings are of a greyish ochreous, a little paler 

 beyond the middle, with a reddish-brown stripe along 

 the costa, not sharply defined, and another along the 

 inner margin more sharply expressed ; it is intersected 

 near the middle by two whitish crescents forming a 

 W-like mark ; the hind-wings are whitish-ochreous at 

 the base, shading into greyish fuscous at the hind 

 margin, and with the veins fuscous ; in the female the 

 hind-wings are almost entirely greyish-fuscous. 



The conspicuous and handsome larva is greenish- 

 white, with a broad, bright yellow transverse band on 

 each segment, and with numerous large black spots. It 

 feeds on mullein (Verbascum) and water betony (Scro- 

 phularia), in the months of June, July, and August, 

 sitting perfectly exposed on the upper surface of the 

 leaves during the day, so that it is most easily collected. 



The perfect insect appears at the end of April and 

 beginning of May ; I believe it is not often met with at 

 large ; collectors generally breed it from the larvae, 

 which are so readily seen. 



There are other allied species of Shark Moths, with 

 conspicuous day-exposed larvse, but the Common Shark 

 (C. umbratica) has a very different habit ; of that, the 

 perfect insect may constantly be seen buzzing Sphinx- 

 like at flowers in the evenings of June and July, or it 

 may be found at rest on palings, and not unfrequently it 

 comes to light ; but the larva is always concealed during 

 the day and only comes out to feed at night ; hence 

 very few entomologists have had the pleasure of seeing 

 the larva of the Common Shark, which is remarkably 

 handsome, of a bright ochreous-yellow, curiously 

 marbled with blackish-brown on the back. It feeds 

 on sow-thistle, in July and August. 



