158 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



fore wings are smoky-black, with two white 

 bars ; the first of these, situated near the base, 

 is short and rather narrow; the second is 

 beyond the middle, angled and interrupted 

 by a median series of black dots ; the black 

 area between these bands is slightly marbled 

 with gray, and includes an intensely black 

 and rather large discoida 1 ^>ot ; the broad 

 dark area on the hind margin is tinged with 

 brown, and marbled with gray : the hiud 

 wings are smoky-black, with a broad median 

 white bar, interrupted as in the fore wings 

 with a series of black dots ; the dark basal 

 area includes two transverse white lines, and 

 the marginal area, a median white arrow- 

 head ; the fringe is alternately black and 

 white; the I >ead, thorax, and body are smoky- 

 gray ; the body hus a white margin, and two 

 black spots placed transversely on each seg- 

 ment. 



The CATERPILLAR is cylindrical, slightly at- 

 tenuated in front, and rests in nearly a straight 

 posture, but when disturbed, tucks in its head, 

 and the anterior part of the body is then 

 slightly involute. The head is brown, dotted 

 with black ; the body brown, with a dark, 

 nearly black, narrow median stripe ; on each 

 side of this are two white dots on each seg- 

 ment ; and on each side of the body are two 

 narrow, pale, slightly undulating stripes, the 

 lower of which is immediately above the 

 spiracles; these two stripes are most delicately 

 margined with black. This caterpillar is ex- 

 tremely constant in colour; it feeds on the 

 hedge bedstraw, and is full-fed at the begin- 

 ning of August; it spins a slight cocoon on the 

 surface of the earth, and remains in the CHRY- 

 SALIS state throughout the winter. 



The MOTH appears in June ; nearly all the 

 localities given for this insect are northern 

 ones ; but it has been taken at Stowmarket, 

 in the east, and in Gloucestershire, in the 

 west ; it also occurs in Scotland, and Mr. 

 Birchall says it is widely distributed and 

 common in Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Melanippe tristata.) 



Obs. I possess recently disclosed specimens 

 in which all the parts which are usually 

 black, have a smoky-gray appearance. 



321. The Chalk Carpet (Melanippe procellata). 



321. THE CHALK CARPET. The fore wings 

 are white, with various dark markings, the 

 ground colour of which is smoky-brown, varied 

 with red-brown ; the sub-costal ray is red- 

 brown, and the extremities of the parallel 

 rays are of that colour ; the dark markings 

 are, first, a triangular blotch at the base of the 

 wing ; secondly, a large shapeless blotch on 

 the middle of the costa; and thirdly, a broad 

 hind-marginal band, interrupted in the middle 

 by a large white blotch ; there are a few 

 brown spots on the costa, and a few rivulet 

 markings on the disk : the hind wings are 

 white, with a few transverse dark lines, 

 (specially towards the hind margin, with 

 which they are parallel. The head and thorax 

 are dark brown, the body white. 



The EGGS are laid toward the end of July, 

 and are hatched in a very few days. When 

 full grown the CATERPILLAR is cylindrical and 

 elongate. It rests in nearly a straight position, 

 which it retains when disturbed. The head 

 is rather small, brown, dotted with black, and 

 having two divaricating darker si ripes nearest 

 together on the crown, and most distant at the 



o 



mouth. The body is wainscot-brown, lighter 

 from the tenth to the thirteenth segments, 

 both inclusive. There is a medio-dorsal varied 

 stripe, commencing indistinctly on the third 

 segment, and dilating into a conspicuous dark 

 blotch at the commencement of the sixth, 

 seventh, eighth, and ninth segments ; before 

 and after each of these blotches the medio- 

 dorsal stripe assumes a reddish hue, and again 

 assumes a deep black imim diately after the 

 red ; on each side 'of this varied medio-dorsal 

 stripe is a paler stripe, also slender, and 

 beyond these are three smoke-coloured stripes, 

 rather diffuse and ill-defined; the first of these 

 on each side passes into the head, and termin- 

 ates on each side of the mouth, as already 



