106 SCARCE MARVEIL-DU-JOUR. 



humped. The general colour of this caterpillar 

 is warm "brown, generally mottled with a lighter 

 hue. The Moth appears in the early summer. 



ON Plate VIII. fig. 1, is shown a pretty 

 Moth, called popularly the SCARCE MARVEIL-DU- 

 JOUR (Diphthera Orion). The figure represents a 

 female specimen, the antennae of the male being 

 moderately pectinated. 



There is no difficulty in distinguishing this 

 beautiful and conspicuous Moth from any other 

 of the Noctuas ; but unfortunately it is not so 

 common as might be wished, and a really fine 

 specimen is somewhat of a treasure. 



The colour of the upper wings is bright green, 

 barred transversely with bkck, and longitudi- 

 nally with white, the whole arrangement of colour 

 being not only striking, but very uncommon 

 among British lepidoptera. The wings are 

 edged with black and white spots. The lower 

 wings are blackish. 



The caterpillar of this beautiful Moth feeds on 

 birch and oak, and Mr. Crewe thinks that it 

 feeds alternately upon these trees. Mr. Newman 

 is of opinion that there are really two species of 

 Moth confounded together under one common 

 name, and that to this fact may be attributed the 



