18 



BEITISH MOTHS. 



Head of Male. 81. The 

 31. THE LEOPARD MOTH. So called from 

 its beautifully-spotted wings. The fore wings 

 are almost white, with very many blue-black 

 roundish spots ; the hind wings are similarly 

 coloured and marked, but the spots are less 

 distinct : all the wings have a semi-transpa- 

 rent appearance : thorax almost white, with 

 six large roundish black spots ranged in three 

 pairs, and another smaller spot between the 

 last pair ; body grey : antennae of the male 

 slender and hair-like at the tip, but fringed 

 at the base like a double comb. Caterpillar 

 whitish, with black glossy spots, and having 

 a blackish plate on the first segment behind 



Leopard Moth (Female) (Zeuzera JEsculi). 



the head ; it feeds on the solid wood of elm, 

 apple, pear, and plum trees, but never to such 

 excess as to destroy them. We have even 

 observed that fruit trees thus infected bear 

 more abundantly than those which are per- 

 fectly healthy. The caterpillar feeds through 

 the winter, turning to a chrysalis in May. 

 The Moth appears at Midsummer, and may 

 be found by searching diligently the stems of 

 infected trees early in the morning : the male 

 comes to light, and may be found in the 

 morning on the gas lamps. (The scientific 

 name is Zeuzera JEsculi.) 



32. The Goat Moth 



32. THE GOAT MOTH. So called from the 

 caterpillar having a very pungent disagreeable 

 smell, like that of a he-goat. . Fore wings rich 

 brown, beautifully varied and mottled, the 

 darker markings being dispersed in waved lines, 

 placed transversely to the rays ; hind wings 

 pale dingy brown, having markings something 

 like those on the fore wings, but less distinct ; 

 antennae, slightly fringed throughout in both 

 sexes, dark brown ; head also dark brown, with 

 a nearly white ring round the neck ; thorax 

 dark brown in front, shaded to whitish grey 



(Cossus lig/upercki). 



in the middle, and having a rather narrow 

 black band behind ; body brown and grey in 

 alternate rings. Caterpillar flesh-coloured, 

 with a black head and broad dull red stripe 

 down the back ; feeds on the solid wood of 

 willows, elms, oaks, lilacs, and other trees, 

 living for four years ; it has caused the death 

 of many valuable elms ; and a small beetle 

 (Scolyttu Destructor) breeding abundantly in 

 the bark of the dying trees, the injury has 

 been erroneously attributed to this beetle, and 

 not to the true cause, which, feeding and carry- 



