ARCHER'S DART MOTH. 113 



general feeder, and may be found in the larval 

 state in almost every garden herb. 



OP the typical family ^octuidse, we shall 

 take several examples, the first of which is the 

 ARCHER'S DART (Agrotis valligera), a figure of 

 which is given on Plate VIII. fig. 6. 



The colour of thie Moth is exceedingly variable, 

 but is generally brown of different hues, the dis- 

 position of which can be learned by reference to 

 the figure. The hind- wings are paler in the 

 male than in the female, and the antennae are 

 more pectinated. 



The larva feeds upon the roots of grasses, and 

 the Moth appears in the height of summer. The 

 genus of which this species is an example is a 

 very large one, containing more than twenty 

 species, among which may be mentioned the 

 destructive TURNIP MOTH (Agrotis segetum), 

 which does so much damage to the turnip 

 while it is in its larval state. This caterpillar 

 is one of the worst enemies which the turnip 

 has, keeping itself hidden beneath the earth, 

 and burrowing deeply into the bulb of the plant. 

 It also attacks many other vegetables, such, for 

 example, as carrots, mangold-wurzel, and even 

 the radish; while, in default of these its 

 I 



