GEOMETERS. 



185 



Var. 1. The Common Marbled Carpet 

 (Cidaria Centum-notata). The median area 

 of the fore wings is pale gray, almost white. 



Var. 2. The Yellow Marbled Carpet (Ci- 

 daria Comma-notata). The median area of 

 the fore wings is bright fulvous yellow. 



Var. 3. The Brown Marbled Carpet (Ci- 

 daria perfuscata). The median area of the 

 fore wings is dark smoky-brown. 



This species is uniformly double-brooded. 



The EGGS which produce the spring brood 

 are laid about the middle of August ; those 

 which produce the autumnal brood are laid 

 about the middle of May ; the CATERPILLARS 

 from this second brood hybernate, or rather 

 live through the winter, feeding at intervals 

 when the weather is mild : the egg is flattish 

 or depressed on the crown, and of a dingy 

 yellow colour, " resembling that of a pale- 

 tinted chip-box ; " it is laid on the leaves of 

 wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), and also, 

 according to Guenee, on birch and whitethorn, 

 and according to Mr. Hellins, " on sallow : " 

 the young csrterpillars emerge about fourteen 

 days after the egg is deposited, and are at first 

 of a dirty white, hut soon acquire a green 

 tinge, which continues to increase as they 



advance towards maturity. When full-fed 

 this caterpillar usually rests in a straight po- 

 sition, but when annoyed or disturbed, tucks 

 in its head, bringing it in close contact with 

 the legs, thus causing the anterior half to 

 assume the volute form. The head is about 

 the same width as the second segment, not 

 notched on the crown, and slightly hairy : the 

 body is almost uniformly cylindrical, but 

 somewhat restricted immediately behind the 

 fourth segment, which is produced ventrally 

 into a lump, on the summit of which are seated 

 the third pair of legs; the thirteenth segment 

 below theanalflap isproduced into two parallel 

 " acutely pointed " processes directed back- 

 wards ; the colour of the head is pale opaque 

 green, with conspicuous black ocelli ; the body 

 is pale yellow-green, with a medio-dorsal 

 stripe,narrow and indistinct, of adarker, duller 

 green ; there is also on each side a paler stripe, 

 equally indistinct ; and in many specimens, 

 below this sub-dorsal stripe, is a lateral, but 

 often interrupted rosy-red or purple stripe : 

 this red stripe is accurately described by 

 Guenee, and Mr. Doubleday assures me it is 

 of common occurrence : the transverse skin- 

 fold at each segmental division is yellowish, 

 and over the entire surface of the body are 

 scattered minute white warts, each of which 

 emits a slender hair, and is surrounded by 

 an area slightly darker than the prevailing 

 ground colour ; the anal points are generally 

 tipped with rose-colour, and the legs and 

 claspers are tipped with purple When full- 

 fed it spins a leaf together with a few slight 

 threads, in the manner of a spider's web, and 

 in this flimsy retreat turns to a delicately- 

 green semi-transparent CHRYSALIS. 



The MOTHS appear in May and August, and 

 are common in England, Scotland, and Ire- 

 land. (The scientific name is Cidaria russata.) 



356. THE MARBLED CARPET. The palpi 

 are short, connivent, and form a short beak ; 

 the antennae are simple, or nearly so, in both 

 sexes; the fore wings are ample and somewhat 

 pointed at the tip; their colour is very varied; 

 there is a gray -brown blotch at the base, which 

 has generally two transv^-= zigzag black 



