GEOMETERS. 



109 



appearing on all the segments ; the back of 

 the second segment, and a median line on 

 the tenth, e'eventh, and twelfth 'segments 

 are often of this colour, and the thirteenth 

 segment is generally tinged with purple ; 

 there is, moreover, a white stripe just below 

 the spiracles ; the body is glaucous or blue- 

 green ; the legs are pale transparent green, 

 the claspers of nearly the same colour, but 

 often tinged or blotched with purple. It 

 feeds on whitethorn, blackthorn, hornbeam, 

 sloe, oak, and almost every forest tree, and 

 is full-fed in June. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in No- 

 vember, and is common everywhere in 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland. (The scien- 

 tific name is Oporabia dilutata.) 



240. The Autumnal Moth (Oporabia filigrammaria). 



240. THE AUTUMNAL MOTH. The an- 

 tennae are almost simple in both sexes ; the 

 fore wings are gray, with numerous darker 

 transverse waved lines, and are subject to 

 the same variations as those of the preced- 

 ing species, from which, however, it appears 

 constantly to differ, in being of less size, 

 and in having the fore wing narrower and 

 considerably more pointed. 



The CATERPILLAR is described by Mr. 

 Hellins as feeding on sallow ; it is stout and 

 smooth, the general colour rich velvety 

 green, the belly pale whitish-green; the 

 head and second segment shining, and 

 having a blackish tinge; on each side of 



the dorsal vessel is a pale yellowish-green 

 stripe, and on each side are two sulphur- 

 yellow stripes ; on the back of each seg- 

 ment tubercles appear as minute yellow 



dots ; the segmental divisions are orange- 

 yellow; the spiracles are yellow, and be- 

 tween them and the belly are a few speckles. 

 The caterpillars bury themselves in the earth 

 in April, to undergo their transformation. 



The MOTHS are taken in August and Sep- 

 tember, and have only been found in the 

 north of England and in Scotland, never in 

 the south of England or in Ireland. (The 

 scientific name is Oporabia filigrammaria.) 



241. The Twin-s,jO^ Carpet (Larentia didymata). 



241. THE TWIN-SPOT CARPET. The an- 

 tennae of the male are slightly pectinated ; 

 those of the female simple ; the fore wings 

 of the male brown, with four irregular trans- 

 verse waved pale gray bars ; the first of 

 these is short, narrow, and very near the 

 base ; the second broader and double ; the 

 third, also broader and double, is beyond 

 the middle of the wing ; the fourth is 

 narrow, interrupted and parallel with the 

 hind margin ; between the third and fourth 

 of these bars, about its middle, is a double 

 dark spot, which gives the insect its name ; 

 the hind wings are paler, with several trans- 



verse waved markings. The female is alto- 

 gether paler, that is, of a pale whitish gray, 

 the markings of the male being perceptible, 

 but not conspicuous. 



The CATERPILLAR feeds on the common 

 chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris), and may be 

 obtained by shaking the leaves of that plant 

 into an open umbrella in April and May ; 

 it is of a pale green colour, with a narrow 

 green stripe on each side. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, 

 and is common in England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland. (The scientific name is Larentia 

 didymata.) 



