GEOMETERS. 



141 



waved, and interrupted j the principal gray 

 bar is beyond the middle of the wing, and is 

 very distinctly double, that is, intersected 

 throughout by a delicate zigzag dark line ; 

 the wing-rays before entering this gray band 

 are intensely black ; there is a pale gray space 

 near the base of the wing, and another smaller 

 one immediately adjoining the discoidal spot ; 

 there is also a broken zigzag gray line parallel 

 with the hind margin ; on the hind margin 

 itself is a slender black line, interrupted where 

 intersected by the wing-rays ; the fringe is 

 pale gray at the base, spotted in the middle, 

 smoky on the outside ; the hind wiugs are 

 paler, especially at the base, and are inter- 

 sected by transverse series of black spots, 

 which always occur on the wing-rays ; the 

 head is gray, the collar dark brown, the 

 thorax ochreous brown, the body variegated, 

 the dorsal surface is principally umber brown ; 

 there is an interrupted black line on each side, 

 and the tip is pale gray. 



The CATERPILLAR is thus described by Mr. 

 Crewe : " Slender, hairy, tapering towards 

 the head ; the ground colour is pale yellowish 

 red ; the central dorsal line is pale olive ; 

 down the centre of the back is a series of pale 

 olive V-shaped spots, sometimes bordered with 

 yellow ; the spiracular line is yellowish ; the 

 segmental divisions are red ; the central ven- 

 tral line is yellowish,and sometimes altogether 

 wanting ; the dorsal spots are frequently 

 merged in a broad central line. The whole 

 of the markings on this caterpillar vary much 

 in intensity of colouring, but are usually faint 

 and indistinct. It feeds on oak, and it is full- 

 fed at the beginning of July. The CHRYSALIS 

 is enclosed in a slight earthen cocoon ; it is 

 bright red ; the thorax and wing-cases are 

 paler than the body ; the base of wing-cases 

 is dusky ; the abdominal divisions and tips 

 are deep red." 



The MOTH appears on the wing in March 

 and April, and is of common occurrence 

 in many of the English counties ; it is also 

 common in Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Eupithecia abbreviata.) 



296. The Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata). 



296. THE MOTTLED PUG. The fore wings 

 are rather long and pointed ; they are of a 

 dingy grayish brown colour, with darker 

 transverse lines ; the discoidal spot is oblong 

 and very black, and being unconnected with 

 other dark markings, stands out conspicu- 

 ously ; there is a double pale transverse line 

 between the discoidal spot and the hind mar- 

 gin ; and a single pale line still nearer the 

 margin ; this, however, is very indistinct ; the 

 hind wings are pale, with a distinct oblique 

 discoidal spot, and a few short transverse 

 lines on the inner margin ; the slender black 

 marginal line is very distinct ; the head, 

 thorax, and body are brown and somewhat 

 variegated. 



Mr. Crewe says that the CATERPILLAR "some- 

 what resembles that of the little blue emerald 

 (lodis lactearia), and appears at the same 

 time. It is long, slender, and tapering ; the 

 ground colour is dark green, with a central 

 row of small dull red lozenge-shaped dorsal 

 spots, connected by a central dorsal line of 

 the same colour ; the spiracular line is red, 

 bordered with yellow ; the segmental divisions 

 yellowish ; the dorsal blotches are often want- 

 ing on the anterior segments, and their place 

 is supplied by a greenish line ; in the centre 

 of each dorsal blotch is a small yellow spot ; 

 it feeds in September and October on bar- 

 berry, whitethorn, black currant, ash, alder, 

 and sallow. The CHRYSALIS is enclosed in 

 an earthen cocoon ; it is long, slender, and 

 tapering ; its wing-cases are dark olive 

 green ; its thorax and body dusky olive ; 

 the abdominal divisions being gray and very 

 conspicuous." 



The MOTH appears on the wing in May and 

 June, and is rather common in England and 

 Ireland. (The scientific name is Eupithecia 

 exiyuata.) 



