GEOMETERS. 



113 



at the inner margin ; both sides of this 

 band are very irregular and toothed, and 

 are bordered by a delicate white line ; and 

 just within these white Hues, both at the 

 costal and inner margin, is a black blotch, 

 those on the costal margin being large, distant, 

 and conspicuous, those on the inner margin 

 near together, and almost united; there is also 

 an oblique black spot at the apex of the 

 wing ; the hind wings are pale, with indis- 

 tinct waved lines ; the eyes and feelers are 

 very black, the thorax pale green, with a 

 black transverse line before the middle ; the 

 body is pale green, with a medio-dorsal 

 series of black dots, and with white mar- 

 gins to the segments. 



A writer in the " Entomologist's Weekly 

 Intelligencer," who does not give his name, 

 but whose accuracy is unquestionable, says the 

 CATERPILLAR'S not being so well known as the 

 abundance of the perfect insect would lead 

 one to expect, need not be wondered at ; it is 

 such a sluggish creature, and so fond of hiding 

 at the roots of its food-plant, that he would 

 think scarcely any one who had not taken the 

 trouble to breed it can have seen it ; some 

 whichhehadin confinement remained motion- 

 less, as if dead, for hours ; in fact, he never 

 once saw them move, although he watched 

 them often. When first hatched they are 

 bright red, but soon become dingy ; when full- 

 grown they are short, stout, and wrinkled, 

 with small black tubercles emitting bristles ; 

 the ground-colour is a dingy olive- brown, 

 with a dark interrupted dorsal line, from the 

 fifth to the tenth segment ; a row of reddish 

 V-like marks, having the apex of each pointing 

 towards the head, and the side-lines reaching 

 almost to the spiracles ; from the tenth seg- 

 ment to the tail is a broad stone-colon red 

 strip ; the sub-dorsal line is light and waved ; 

 the belly fawn-colour, with dark patches above 

 the feet It feeds on two species of bedstraw 

 (Galium mollugo and G. saxatile). 



The MOTH appears on the wing through 

 out June and during part of July, and is 

 generally common in England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland. (The scientific name is Larentia 

 pectinitaria.) 



248. The Eivulet (Emmelesia ajfmitata). 



248. THE RIVULET. The antennae are sim- 

 ple in both sexes ; the fore wings are dark 

 dusky gray, with a number of transverse 

 irregular waved lines, both darker and lighter; 

 just beyond the middle of the wing is a very 

 distinct double rivulet line, pure white ; and 

 half way between this double line and the 

 hind margin, is an interrupted series of white 

 spots, which in some specimens almost form a 

 second line ; the hind wings are paler, with a 

 still paler bar across the middle. 



The CATERPILLAR lives enclosed in the seed- 

 capsules of various plants; according toGuenee, 

 it is of a dirty-white colour, with black head, 

 legs, and spiracles ; it has also a black dorsal 

 plate on the second segment. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, and 

 is not uncommon in several of the English 

 counties, but has not been observed in Scotland 

 or Ireland. (The scientific name is Emmelesia 

 affinitata.) 



249. The Small Rivulet (Emmelesia alchemillata). 



249. THE SMALL RIVULET. The antenn 

 are simple in both sexes ; the fore wings are 

 dusky gray, with numerous transverse waved 

 lines both darker and lighter ; just beyond the 

 middle of the wing is a very distinct double 

 rivulet line, pure white, and halfway between 

 thisand the hind margin, is a very conspicuous 

 transverse white spot on the costal margin ' 

 the hind wings are paler, but still of the same 

 dusky gray as the fore wings ; there is gener- 

 ally also a paler bar across the middle* but 

 this is not very constant. 



Mr. Crewe has described the CATERPILLAR as 

 short, stout, and stumpy ; the ground-colour 

 is dull red, suffused with yellowish green, or 

 vice versd; the central dorsal line is broad, and 



M 8 



