GEOMETERS. 



103 



the head usually semi-transparent apple- 

 green ; the more usual colour of the body 

 glaucous-green, approaching to white on the 

 dorsal, and to apple-green on the ventral 

 surface ; the white appearance of the back 

 is partially due to the presence of whitish 

 stripes, of which the more conspicuous pair 

 extend on each side from the head to the 

 anal extremity, and divide the dorsal area 

 into three nearly equal parts ; the other 

 white markings are irregularly arranged in 

 waved linear series, often imparting a re- 

 ticulated appearance to the surface ; at each 

 interstice of the segments adjoining the 

 principal white stripes are blotches of darker 

 or olive-green. It is full-fed by the end of 

 May, and then descends to the ground, and 

 turns to a CHRYSALIS in a slight web on the 

 surface. 



The MOTH is very abundant in January 

 and the first half of February; it seems 

 to brave the coldest weather, and is common 

 in England, Scotland, and Ireland. (The 

 scientific name is Hybernia rupicapraria.) 



232. The Spring Usher (Hybernia leucophearia). 



232. THE SPRING USHER. The antennae 

 of the male are slightly pectinated, those of 

 the female simple ; the wings of the male 

 are long and rather narrow ; they are very 

 variable, some being dark brown with a 

 central whitish bar, as represented in the 

 lower figure, and having a row of roundish 

 pale spots parallel with the hind margin ; 

 others are pale, with numerous dark trans- 

 verse waved lines, as shown in the upper 

 figure ; the hind wings are pale, and 



sprinkled with dark dots. The female 

 is almost without wings. 



The EGGS are laid by the female on the 

 trunks and branches of oak in March. 



The CATERPILLARS emerge towards the 

 end of April or beginning of May, and as 

 soon as the leaves expand fasten them 

 loosely together, forming a little domicile 

 for concealment from the prying eyes of 

 birds, which at this season are constantly 

 on the look-out for caterpillars with which 

 to feec 1 f heir young. They are full-grown 

 in June. Head narrower than the body, 

 body obese, transversely wrinkled and 

 verrucose, having also a manifest lateral 

 skinfold. Colour infinitely varied. They 

 change to CHRYSALIS on the surface of the 

 earth. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in Febru- 

 ary and March, and is common everywhere 

 in England and Ireland. (The scientific 

 name is Hybernia leucophearia.) 



233. The Scarce Umber (Hybernia aurantiaria'). 



233. THE SCARCE UMBER. The antennae 

 of the male are pectinated, the pectinations 

 long, slender, and bent ; those of the female 

 are simple ; the wings of the male are 

 ample, the fore wings orange-ochreous, with 

 three darker transverse lines, the first and 

 second of which are near the base, oblique, 

 direct, and short ; the third is beyond the 

 middle, oblique, and angled near the middle; 

 there is a dark spot between the second and 

 third line, and also an oblique transverse 

 series of spots between the third line and 

 the hind margin ; the hind wings are paler, 

 and have a slightly darker transverse line 

 beyond the middle, and a central spot be- 

 tween this and the base. The female has 

 mere stumps of wings, which are darker- 



