88 PEBBLE HOOK-TIP MOTH. 



perfectly still for a wonderfully long time, some- 

 times retaining the same position for several days 

 together, so that they possess a similar mode of 

 defence to that which is employed by so many of 

 the Geometer caterpillars. 



Without further comment, we proceed to our 

 first example of the Cuspidates, namely, the 

 PEBBLE HOOK-TIP (Platypteryx falcula), a figure 

 of which is seen on Plate VII. fig. 1. The 

 specific name, Falcula, signifies a little sickle, and 

 the reader will see by reference to the figure that 

 the name has been given to it in consequence of 

 the curved shape of the fore-wings. 



This is a tolerably plentiful insect, and is 

 double-brooded, one set making its appearance 

 about May and the other about September. The 

 colour of the upper wings is reddish brown, 

 irregularly striped with a darker tint. There is 

 always a round patch of this dark colour in the 

 middle of the wing. The lower wings are much 

 paler than the upper, and are crossed by five 

 slight bars of a rather darker hue. 



The larva of the Pebble Hook-tip feeds on 

 the birch, and has a way of doubling over the 

 leaves and tying them with silken threads so as\ 

 to form a kind of house for itself. Two other : 

 species of Hook-tip Moths are known in Eng- 



