GEOMETERS. 



157 



319. The Argent and Sable (Melanippe hastata). 



319. THE ARGENT AND SABLE. All the 

 wings are white, with a broad black marginal 

 band, and each wing having a distinct white 

 arrow-head running into this marginal band 

 about the middle ; the black is also inter- 

 rupted by a short zigzag white line near the 

 tip of the fore wing, and a white spot at the 

 anal angle of each wing ; there are also 

 numerous black markings at the base of the 

 fore wings, a black spot, sometimes double, on 

 the middle of the costal margin, several black 

 spotsabout themiddle of the inner margin, and 

 others again, in the centre of the wing ; there 

 areafew black markingsat the base, and on the 

 inner margin of the hind wings; the fringe of 

 all the wings is alternately black and white ; 

 the antennae are black, with white rings; the 

 thorax is black, with four transverse white 

 lines; the body is gray, with two black spots, 

 and a white margin to each segment. 



The head of the CATERPILLAR is of moderate 

 size; the body, when at rest, almost straight; 

 the head not tucked in, and hence the anterior 

 part of the body not involute ; the second 

 segment is covered with a shining plate ; the 

 other segments regularly and transversely 

 wrinkled, and of a texture like leather ; the 

 tenth segment is rather the largest, and from 

 that the larva tapers slightly to both extremi- 

 ties. The colour of the head is black and 

 shining ; the body is generally black, but 

 sometimes rich black-brown ; on each side is a 

 continuous series of miuute black dots, which 

 form a slender lateral stripe along all the 

 segments except the second and thirteenth ; 

 this stripe is above the spiracles; the spiracles 

 are black, and each is enclosed in a white spot, 

 and below each white spot is a crescentic white 

 marking, the convexity of which is towards 

 the belly, the cusps towards the back ; above 

 the slender lateral stripe already described 



there is sometimes an interrupted sub-dorsal 

 stripe ; all these markings vary occasionally 

 from white to brick-dust red. It feeds on 

 birch (Betula alba) and sweet gale (Myrica 

 gale). The economy, habit, structure, and 

 distribution of colour in the caterpillar of 

 Melanippe hastata are entirely different from 

 those of any other of the genus Melanippe. 

 It spins together the leaves of its food-plant, 

 and feeds from the inside of the chamber thus 

 formed, sometimes eating through the sub- 

 stance of the leaf, at others eating only the 

 upper surface ; it is full-fed towards the end 

 of August, and soon afterwards becomes a 

 CHRYSALIS, in which state it passes the winter. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, and 

 appears to be generally distributed, occurringin 

 both northern and southern English counties, 

 in Scotland, and in Ireland, in which island 

 Mr. Birchall says it is common at Killarney. 

 (The scientific name is Melanippe hastata.) 



Obs. 1. A variety of great beauty and 

 distinctness occurs in the north of England 

 and in Scotland, in which the black greatly 

 predominates, and the white is consequently 



Variety of Melanippe hastata. 



less; it nearly agrees with the Melanippe, 

 hastulata of Guenee, but Mr. Doubleday 

 informs me it is not that insect. 



Obs. 2. I have to acknowledge my great 

 obligation to the Rev. John Hellin, for the 

 free use of his valuable notes in describing the 

 caterpillars of the genus Melanippe, and also 

 of a most beautiful series of exquisitely 

 coloured drawings of each species, by Mr. 

 Buckler. 



320. The Small Argent and Sable (Melanippe tnsiaia). 



320. THE SMALL ARGENT AND SABLE, The 



