588 



Insects. 



THE WINTER MOTH. 



(Geomeira, or Cheimatobia brumata.) 

 THE Caterpillar delights in newly-opened leaves ; it is 

 not so ravenous as many others, making long intervals 

 between its meals, but it seldom quits a leaf until it has 

 entirely consumed it. The colour is very elegant. The 

 upper part of the body is of a fine yellowish green ; but 

 it is by no means so beautiful after as before feeding, its 

 skin being so thin as to transmit the hue of whatever food 

 it eats. They are also called looper Caterpillars, because 

 when they crawl they draw their hind and fore feet to- 

 gether, so as to form their bodies into a loop. They go 

 into the pupa state towards the end of June, burying 

 themselves for that purpose in the earth ; and in Novem- 

 ber or December the perfect insect is brought forth. 



It is evident that they possess great muscular power, 

 and hence their positions during repose are very striking. 

 Fixing themselves by their hinder feet alone, they extend 

 their bodies in a straight line, holding it in that posi- 

 tion for a long time. This, together with their obscure 

 colours, and the warts on their bodies, render it often 

 difficult to distinguish them from the twigs of the trees 

 on which they feed. When alarmed, these Caterpillars 

 have the instinct to drop from the leaves, and suspend 

 themselves by a thread, which enables them to remount 

 when the danger is over. 



