408 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



brown mark on the head, single at the mouth, 

 but divided towards the crown ; the second 

 segment has a shining plate and a somewhat 

 kite-shaped mark, the apex pointing back- 

 wards ; the third and fourth segments have 

 each a narrow median dark mark, single and 

 united in front, but forked and spreading 

 behind, and each prong of the fork terminates 

 in a circular black dot ; the following segments 

 (the fifth to the eleventh inclusiv j) have each 

 a dorsal lozengp, the anterior half of which is 

 pale, and contains two circular black dots, the 

 posterior half is dark ; a delicately slender 

 pale medio-dorsal stripe passes through the 

 entire series of these lozenges ; on each side 

 of the caterpillar is a darker shade just above 

 the spiracles, but not amounting to a stripe ; 

 its ventral boundary is rather abruptly denned, 

 but it is without a dorsal boundary ; within 

 this shade there is a single dot on the fifth 

 segment, two spots on the sixth, and two 

 oblique lines pointing backwards on the re- 

 mainder. It probably feeds on low-growing 

 plants in the autumn, but is rarely met with 

 before hybernation, which frequently takes 

 place in the stems of thistles : in early spring 

 it ascends the stems of sallows (Salix caprea), 

 white-thorn (Cratcegus oxi/acantha), birch 

 (Betula alba), &c. , and devours the young buds 

 and opening leaves, and is full-fed in April and 

 May, after hibernation ; it then changes to a 

 CHRYSALIS beneath the siirface of the earth : 

 the chrysalis is rich dark brown with a rather 

 long cylindrical body, and has two strong 

 straight bristles at the tip around which there 

 are several short hooks. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June and 

 July, and is very commonly found resting on 

 park-palings and similar fences : it is abun- 

 dant in the South of England, and is widely 

 distributed in the North and in Scotland; and 

 Mr. Birchall informs us it is also widely dis- 

 tributed in Ireland, and common in many 

 places. (The scientific name is Aplecta nebu- 

 losa.) 



Obs. I am indebted to Mr. Bond for the 

 loan of the extraordinary specimens repre- 

 sented in the right-hand column of the 

 preceding page. 



640. The Silvery Arches (Aplecta tincta). 



640. THE SILVERY ARCHES. The palpi are 

 connivent or curved towards each other, the 

 terminal joint being rendered inconspicuous 

 by the scaliness of the second; the antennie 

 are nearly simple in both sexes : the fore 

 wings are slightly arched beyond the middle 

 of the costal margin ; their colour is pearly- 

 gray, very glossy, and somewhat silvery, 

 which tint predominates in a broad band 

 parallel with the hind margin, and bounded 

 by a waved dark brown line; the upper 

 median area of the wing is clouded with 

 brown ; the discoidal spots are present, but 

 very inconspicuous, the orbicular is generally 

 filled up with silvery gray : the hind wings 

 are smoke-coloured, the rays being rather 

 darker, and they have a waved white line 

 parallel with the anal portion of the hind 

 margin ; the fringe is also white : the palpi 

 and face are brown ; the crown of the head 

 and front of the thorax are very pale gray ; 

 the disk of the thorax is pale brown ; the 

 body is crested and smoky-brown. 



The CATERPILLAR falls off its food-plant, 

 feigns death, and rolls in a ring when touched 

 or disturbed ; its head is small in proportion 

 to the body ; its body soft and fleshy, the 

 divisions of the segments being very distinctly 

 marked by depressed rings : on the segments 

 themselves are numerous depressions ; and 

 along the sides, in the region of the spiracles, 

 are various conspicuous skin-folds. The colour 

 of t he head is shining testaceous-brown ; of 

 the body, pale raw sienna-brown, sprinkled 

 with both white and black markings, so small 

 as to be scarcely perceptible to the naked eye, 

 and having also a very inconspicuous double 

 medio-dorsal stripe composed of black dots, 

 the intervening very narrow space being 



