GEOMETERS. 



131 



yellow colour, with black and prominent eyes ; 

 the upper edge of the wing-cases is bordered 

 with two black spots, and the lower edge by a 

 slender blackish line." 



The MOTH appears on the wing in May, and 

 is then very common at West Wickham Wood, 

 in Surrey, and has been taken in Devonshire, 

 but I think not in the north of England, Scot- 

 land, or Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Eupithecia pusillata.) 



279. The Marbled Pug (Eupithecia irriguata). 



279. THE MARBLED PUG. The fore wings 

 are pale gray, almost whit:,, with several dark 

 brown markings; these are, first, a small 

 triangular blotch at the base of the wing ; 

 secondly, an elbowed bar near the base ; 

 thirdly, a triangle on the middle of the costal 

 margin ; the apex of this brown triangle joins 

 the black discoidal spot ; and fourthly, a broad 

 marginal band intersected by a pale gray 

 zigzag line, which is tolerably perfect on the 

 costal margin, but broken up towards the 

 anal angle ; the hind wings are whitish gray, 

 with a few darker markings, but nothing 

 resembling those on the fore wings. The 

 thorax and body are prettily variegated with 

 the two shades of colour prevalent on the 

 wings. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in April and 

 June, in the New Forest, in Hampshire, but 

 seems to be rare. (The scientific name is 

 Eupithecia irriguata.) 



280. THE PIMPINEL PUG. The fore wings 

 are elongated, but less lanceolate than those 

 of E. innotata, and the hind wings are much 

 more rounded than in that species ; they are 

 bright gray, with a slight tint of reddish 

 brown or clay-colour, especially on the lower 

 part of the wing, and before the subterminal 

 line, where it forms almost a band ; the 

 discoidal spot is large and very black, and the 

 usual lines, which are more or less distinct, 

 originate in black costal spots ; the sub- 

 twminal line is indistinct and irregular, and 



there is no white spot at the anal angle ; the 

 hind wings are light, with rudiments of lines 

 and a band, especially on the inner margin, 

 and the second and third wing-rays are inter- . 

 sected with black and white ; the discoidal 

 spot is very distinct ; the body has a red 

 band on the second segment. 



Mr. Crewe thus describes the CATERPILLAR : 



" It is long, rather slender, and tapering 

 towards the head. There are two varieties : 



" Var. 1. Is green, with three purple 

 dorsal lines, the central one of which is broad 

 and distinct, expanding considerably on the 

 anal segment ; the two side ones are very 

 indistinct ; the head and prolegs are purple ; 

 the segmental divisions and spiracular lines 

 yellowish ; the belly is green ; the back 

 studded with a few minute white tubercles, 

 interspersed here and there with a black one. 



" Var. 2. Is of a uniform purple, with 

 two lines of a deeper shade on each side of the 

 back. It feeds, as far as my experience goes, 

 exclusively on the flowers and seeds of the 

 lesser Bur net saxifrage (Pimpinellasaxifraga), 

 and is full-fed throughout the month of 

 September, and occasionally at the beginning 

 of October. It prefers the hedge sides and 

 banks. It is fearfully infested with ichneu- 

 mons, not above one in ten escaping. The 

 CHRYSALIS is enclosed in an earthen cocoon ; 

 there are two varieties, the one yellowish 

 green, the other red. This caterpillar is by 

 no means rare in the eastern counties. I 

 have also taken it in Derbyshire." 



The MOTH appears on the wing twice in the 

 year, in April and August. (The scientific 

 name is Eupithecia pimpinellata.) 



Obs. Mr. Crewe has described this larva 

 under the name of E. denotata, and M 

 Guenee has described the perfect insect under 

 the same name ; but Mr. Doubleday believes 

 this species to be the Pimpinellata of Hubner, 

 and the food-plant as well as the characters of 

 the perfect insect which I have copied from 

 Guenee, go to prove the justice of this con- 

 clusion. 



281. THE ASH-TREE PUG. Forewingsvery 

 long, narrow, and rather pointed ; smoky- 

 brown, with a distinct although very narrow 



