132 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



crescentic discoidal spot ; between the costal 

 and sub-cosfcal wing-rays there are a number 

 of short transverse markings, which are el- 

 bowed when they reach the latter, and then 

 are directed for a short distance only towards 

 the tip of the wing; the wing-rays are spotted 

 with brown and pale gray ; those six which 

 run parallel with each other to the hind 

 margin are very dark, and each is inter- 

 rupted by a pale gray spot, which six spots 

 form an oblique series from the costal margin 

 near its tip to the inner margin ; near the 

 anal angle there is a slender interrupted black 

 line on the extreme hind margin, with which 

 the dark wing-rays are united ; the hind 

 wings are pale-brown, with a small circular 

 discoidal spot, and a number of very indistinct 

 transverse waved lines near the hind mar- 

 gin ; there is a very slender black line on 

 the margin itself; the fringe is dark and 

 intersected by a slender pale line ; the head, 

 thorax, and body are dark brown, and some- 

 what spotted. 



The CATERPILLAR is thus described by Mr. 

 Crewe : " Long, smooth, rather slender, and 

 tapering towards the head ; the ground colour 

 is uniform dark green ; the central dorsal line 

 faint purplish, and enlarged into a very dis- 

 tinct purple spot on the anal appendage ; the 

 segmental divisions are yellow ; the spiracu- 

 lar Hue is waved and yellowish ; the belly is 

 wrinkled and whitish ; the central ventral 

 line, dark green. A variety occurs, in which 

 the central dorsal line is supplied by a series 

 of dusky triangular blotches, very faint, or 

 altogether evanescent, on the anterior and 

 posterior segments; on each side is a row 

 of slanting faint yellow stripes, tinged with 

 pink. It feeds upon ash, and is full-fed at the 

 end of August and beginning of September. 

 The CHRYSALIS is enclosed in a slight cocoon, 

 under moss, on the trunks of ash-trees ; it 

 is long, slender, and tapering, with the thorax 

 and wing-cases dark olive ; the body is still 

 darker, and almost black, tinged posteriorly 

 with red." 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June and 

 July. (The scientific name is JSupithecia 

 fraxinaia. ) 



1st Obs. The caterpillars, in confinement^ 

 will feed on the flowers of Laurustlnus. 



2nd Obs. Mr. Crewe at first supposed this 

 to be the caterpillar of Eupiihecia innotata, 

 and described it as such in the " Zoologist." 



282. THE OCHREOUS PUG. The fore wings 

 are rather pointed, and of a pale wainscot 

 brown colour, with a distinct oblong discoidal 

 spot, a slender interrupted black line on the 

 hind margin, and seven or eight faintly indi- 

 cated waved, oblique transverse dark lines, all 

 of which originate in dark transverse spots, 

 which connect the costal and sub-costal rays ; 

 the hind wings are very pale, with a gray 

 discoidal spot, and a delicate dark line on the 

 hind margin ; the fringe of all the wings is 

 very pale ; the head, thorax, and body are of 

 the same colour as the wings. It is altogether 

 a faded or bleached-looking insect. 



The CATERPILLAR is thus described by Mr. 

 Crewe : " Long, slender, and tapering con- 

 siderably towards the head ; the ground colour 

 is pale greenish yellow, or yellowish red ; the 

 central dorsal line, dusky reddish brown or 

 olive, frequently very indistinct or wholly 

 evanescent, except on the capital segments ; 

 the sub-dorsal lines, pale yellow ; the belly is 

 greenish yellow; the central ventral line, 

 yellow ; the sub- ventral line, reddish brown." 



The EGGS from which the caterpillars above 

 described were reared, were laid upon the 

 wild juniper and cypress, and the caterpillars 

 were full-fed from the middle to the end of 

 July. 



The species is double-brooded, the MOTH 

 appearing on the wing in May and August ; 

 it is by no means uncommon in Yorkshire, 

 and has occurred also in Scotland. (The 

 scientific name is Eupithecia indigata.) 



283. THE WILD THYME PUG. The fore 

 wings are rather short, and rather rounded at 

 the tips ; all the wings are slightly scalloped 

 at the hind margin ; the fore wings are gray, 

 with a long black discoidal spot, and nine or 

 ten zigzag or waved darker transverse lines, 

 some of which are distinct on the costal 

 margin, but vanish towards the centre of the 

 disk, re-appearing on the inner margin, where 

 ten may be counted without difficulty; the 



