BOMBYCES 231 



The caterpillar is very variable in colour, but is usually grey or 

 reddish brown. A deep purple band lies between the second and 

 third segments, and another between the third and fourth. On the 

 twelfth there is a small hump, and a pale stripe, more or less distinct, 

 runs along each side. It feeds on the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), 

 buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus), and the white willow (Salix 

 alba}. 



The moth is not uncommon, and is on the wing in June. 



Family E NDROMID.E 

 The Kentish Glory (Endromis versicolor) 



The beautiful Kentish Glory is the only British representative of 

 its family. The male is shown in Plate X (fig. 7) ; the female is 

 larger and similarly marked, but its colours are not so bright. 



This moth is not common, but may be seen occasionally in the 

 birch woods of the southern counties. The males fly rapidly in the 

 bright sunshine, but the females must be searched for on the bark 

 and branches of the trees. 



The eggs are laid in April on the twigs of the birch (Betula alba), 

 and the young caterpillar emerges early in May. It is gregarious 

 at first, but loses its social tendencies as it gets older. When full 

 grown, it is of a pale green colour, with white spiracles, a dark green 

 line down the back, and an oblique white stripe on each side of 

 each segment. The sides are dotted with black and brown, and 

 there is a conspicuous hump on the top of the twelfth segment. 



When fully grown it spins a cocoon among the dead leaves 

 beneath the tree, and in this it spends the winter months in the 

 chrysalis state. 



Family SATURNIID^ 

 The Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) 



Here is another family with but one British member ; but in this, 

 as in the last case, the only representative is a really beautiful in- 

 sect. The male Pavonia is shown on Plate X (fig. 8), and will 

 need no written description as an aid to its identification. The 

 female is larger, and similarly marked, but the ground colour of the 

 wings is pale grey. 



This moth is abundant almost everywhere, and may be looked 

 for in the neighbourhood of heaths and woods early in the month of 

 May. 



