414 TH E NATURAL HISTORY 



less a tan-colour, darker on the tips of the humps, and 

 in several of our specimens, the curved horns and the 

 legs (in part) had a tinge of steel-blue. We never 

 succeeded in rearing more than three females of this 

 species. 



The Buff-tip (Pygcera bucephald) is one of our com- 

 monest moths, and may be found reposing on the 

 trunks of the beech in early summer, looking in this 

 state very much like a short bit of dry stick recently 

 broken off at both ends, for which, no doubt, it has 

 often been mistaken to its own advantage. The cater- 

 pillars are so abundant, that when they are feeding on 

 branches overhanging a chalk-dusty road, they often 

 betray their whereabouts by the presence of an accu- 

 mulation of stercoracious dottings underneath. The 

 Coxcomb Prominent (Notodonta camelind) is another 

 common species on the beech, the Pebble Prominent 

 (Notodonta ziczac) we have reared from its curiously 

 shaped caterpillar on the willow, and the Figure-of- 

 eight Moth (Diloba cceruleocephala) we have frequently 

 bred on the blackthorn. 



In the next great division, comprising more than 

 three hundred species, we can claim the Buff Arches 

 (Gonophora derasa], the beautiful Peach Blossom 

 (Thyatira batis) on the bramble, the Grey Dagger 

 (Acronycta Psi) on the beech, the Poplar Grey 

 (Acronycta megacephald) taken in the net, and the 

 Alder (Acronycta Aim) another species, the caterpillar 

 of which we have several times found and fed till full- 

 grown on the beech, although one specimen only 

 emerged safely from the chrysalis. All our examples 

 of the caterpillar were alike velvety black, each seg- 

 ment being ornamented on the dorsal surface with a 

 transverse squarish patch of shining bright yellow, 

 resembling enamelled leather, and on each side with 

 one hair, not unlike a flattened club, standing out 

 laterally. The Knot-Grass (Acronycta Rumicis), the 

 Scarce Dagger (Acronycta auricoma), the Light Arches 



