254 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



ficant as is such an incident in itself, it often forms a 

 stand-point in life ; and such wa3 the case with this 

 Moth, the development of which under my own eye 

 inspired an interest in this branch of natural history 

 that has never been and never will be forgotten. 



The name of Angle-Shades is given to this Moth 

 on account of the manner in which the wings are 

 coloured. The upper wings are pale grey, tinged 

 either with ochreous yellow or olive green. In the 

 middle is a bold marking, shaped much like the letter 

 V, and formed of several shades of brown. The 

 other marks of the wing are also of brown, but not 

 quite so dark. The edges of the hind margins of the 

 upper wings are deeply scalloped. The lower wings 

 are slightly scalloped, and are of a pale yellowish grey 

 and crossed by two very slight waved bands of reddish 

 brown. Towards the hind margins they are suffused 

 with a slight pinkish tint. The thorax is covered with 

 long hair, which in front stands out like the double ruff 

 of Elizabeth's time. Then comes a wedge-shaped ridge 

 in the middle of the thorax, and then two rather large 

 tufts at the back. The colour of these tufts is soft umber 

 brown, tipped with a darker and warmer brown. 



The caterpillar varies in colour from bright green 

 to dark olive green or olive brown, profusely sprinkled 

 with whitish dots not very well defined. There are 

 three greyish lines along the body, and the spiracles 

 are white, surrounded with a black line. It feeds on 

 various herbs and flowers, especially groundsel and 

 primrose, and is full-fed about May, when it seeks the 

 ground, and there spins a very slight cocoon. There 

 are two broods of this pretty Moth one towards the 

 end of May, and the other at the end of autumn. 



