238 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



tainly prefers fruit-trees, may be found on almost 

 every tree which is grown in England. The cater- 

 pillar is full-fed about May, and then descends to the 

 ground, in which it burrows to a very little depth, and 

 there changes to a pupa. 



NEXT upon our list comes that very striking insect 

 called appropriately the ARGENT AND SABLE (Mela- 

 nippe liastata), which is shown beneath. As may be 

 inferred from the name, the colours of this Moth are 

 entirely black and white, mostly arranged as seen in 

 the illustration, though there is some variation in 

 different specimens. Even the body is black and 

 white, and the very antennae are black, with white 

 rings. 



The larva is rather variable, but is generally very 

 dark brown, with a series of small black dots along 



each side, and another row 

 of crescent-shaped white 

 marks below the spiracles, 

 each of which is surrounded 

 with a white ring. It feeds 

 nippe hastata. on several trees and plants, 



such as the birch, and always lives in concealment, 

 drawing together with silk the leaves of the plant on 

 which it feeds, and living within this shelter. It is 

 full-fed towards the middle of the autumn, and the 

 perfect insect appears at the beginning of the follow- 

 ing summer. 



THE last of the Geometrae scarcely looks as if it 

 belonged to that group. This is the common CHIM- 



