256 



BKITISH MOTHS. 



is black with clearly defined rich brown 

 markings on each side, and a brown mark 

 on the face in the form of an inverted letter 

 V : the body is richly adorned with diversi- 

 fied colours, somewhat after the fashion of 

 tesselated pavement : each segment from 

 the fourth to the twelfth, both inclusive, 

 has on its anterior margin a medio-dorsal 

 orange spot, on each side of which is an in- 

 tensely black velvety spot ; these two being 

 connected behind the orange spot, and com- 

 pletely enclosing it : on each side of the 

 black spot is a somewhat quadrate pure 

 white spot, the hinder margin of which 

 terminates in a wart, also white ; the lateral 

 surface below the series of white spots is 

 smoke-colour delicately lined and irrorated 

 wi>h burnt-sienna brown ; this lateral region 

 contains the spiracles, which are pure white 

 surrounded with intense velvety - black ; 

 there are also on each segment three warts, 

 two of which are above the spiracle and 

 brown, the third below the spiracle and 

 orange-red, being seated in a conspicuous 

 spot of the same showy colour ; below the 

 spiracles and extending from the fifth to 

 the twelfth segment is a zigzag and moder- 

 ately wide pure white stripe, interrupted by 

 the orange spots just described ; the pos- 

 terior half of the dorsal surface of each 

 segment is orange-brown irregularly lined 

 with black ; the ventral surface, legs, and 

 claspers are smoke-coloured, approaching 

 to pitchy -red : the fifth wart on each side 

 is situated at the base of a clasper or in a 

 corresponding site, when the clasper is 

 absent ; it is smoke-coloured ; all the bristles 

 are red-brown. It feeds on the common 

 knot-grass (Polygonum aviculare), dock, and 

 strawberry, both wild and cultivated, and 

 many other plants : it is particularly fond 

 of those strawberries which are cultivated 

 under the name of " alpine : " when full- 

 fed, it spins a cocoon near the ground and 

 therein turns a CHEYSALIS, and remains in 

 that state during the winter. 



In May and June the MOTH appears on 

 the wing, and is very common both in 

 England and Ireland, and Mr. Douglas 

 Robinson informs me it is taken in Kirk- 

 cudbrightshire, in Scotland. (The scientific 

 name is Acronycta Rumicis.) 



Obs. Mr. Greening, of Warrington, had 

 bred a considerable number of this species, 

 smaller and darker than usual ; and has 

 most kindly presented some to me for figur- 

 ing in this work : this variety is represented 

 in the second figure. 



434. The Scarce Dagger (Acronycta auricoma). 



434. THE SCARCE DAGGER. The antennae 

 are simple ; the colour of the fore wings is 

 dingy-gray mottled with darker markings, 

 but all of them confused and indistinct ; 

 the orbicular spot is surrounded by a paler 

 ring, and usually has a black dot in the 

 centre ; the renif orm is scarcely discernible ; 

 there is a black streak at the base of the 

 wing and another near the anal angle, both 

 very obscure : the hind wings are pale 

 brown-gray with pale gray fringe : the head 

 and thorax are of the colour of the fore 

 wings ; the body of the colour of the hind 

 wings. 



The CATERPILLAR rests in nearly a straight 

 position, but falls off its food-plant, assum- 

 ing a crescentic form when disturbed ; its 

 head is manifestly narrower than the second 

 segment, into which it is partially received 

 when at rest, but porrected when crawling ; 

 the body is of nearly equal size throughout, 

 but exhibits the division of the segments 

 in a very decided manner ; each segment 

 has six or eight warts, each of which emits 

 a fascicle of radiating hairs ; four of these 

 warts forming a square on the back, are 

 more conspicuous than the rest ; on the 

 thoracic segments the dorsal warts form a 

 transverse series: the head is black and 

 shining ; the body smoky-gray with a broad 

 black band round each segment ; the warts 

 are orange-coloured, the hairs they emit are 

 yellowish ; the spiracles are white ; the ven- 

 tral is paler than the dorsal area, but of the 

 same smoky-gray colour. It feeds on bram- 

 ble (Rubus fruticosus) and is full-fed tie 



