CUSPIDATES. 



217 



are simple throughout : the fore wings are 

 arched towards the tip, but not pointed ; 

 their colour is smoky-brown, with a large 

 pale gray blotch at the base, and within 

 this blotch, close to the body, is a small 

 black spot ; towards the hind margin the 

 wings are also paler, and the central por- 

 tion is bounded on each side by a zigzag 

 pale line, which gives it the app jarance of a 

 median band ; between the outer of these 

 pale lines and the hind margin is a series 

 of six blackish spots, each accompanied by 

 a pale spot on its inner side ; five of these 

 double spots are ranged in a row parallel 

 with the hind margin, but the first or 

 uppermost is nearer the median band ; the 

 inner margin, more especially in the male, 

 is tinged with rust colour : the hind wings 

 are uniform gray-brown, in some specimens 

 having a median waved whitish line : the 

 head and thorax are gray-brown ; the body 

 generally paler, except towards the extrem- 

 ity, which in some specimens is almost 

 white, and the scales on this part are 

 always long and hair-like. 



The CATERPILLAR does not roll in a ring, 

 or feign death when disturbed ; when at rest, 

 it throws back its head so as entirely to hide 

 the second, third, and fourth segments ; the 

 head being quite equal in bulk to these three 

 segments if united ; the posterior segments 

 are at the same time elevated in an extra- 

 ordinary manner ; the first pair of legs is of 

 moderate size, the second and third pairs 

 have the femora and tibiae extremely 

 lengthened ; the body is deeply incised at 

 the division of the segments ; the fifth, 

 sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth seg- 

 ments have each of them two humps, those 

 on the fifth, sixth, and seventh are the largest 

 and of equal size, the others gradually de- 

 creasing in magnitude ; the eleventh, twelfth, 

 and thirteenth segments are without humps ; 

 the eleventh segment has a narrow, flattened, 

 crenulated, lateral margin ; the twelfth has 

 a much more extensive margin, having the 

 same characters ; the thirteenth segment 

 terminates in two erect, stiff, slightly clavate, 

 slightly curved, appendages or horns. The 

 colour is testaceous-brown, covered through- 

 out with pale points like shagreen ; there 

 %re two interrupted, slender, black stripes 



down the back, and a paler median stripe 

 between them ; there are, moreover, several 

 slender black markings on both sides of the 

 caterpillar. This singular caterpillar, which 

 is known to collectors as " The Lobster," 

 feeds on oak (Quercus Robur) and birch 

 (Betula alba), and is full-fed about the 25th 

 of September ; it then spins together two 

 or three oak-leaves, and makes a retreat 

 wherein to form its cocoon ; in this it 

 changes to a CHRYSALIS, and when the 

 united leaves fall on the approach of winter, 

 they form a kind of parachute, which con- 

 veys the chrysalis gently and safely to the 

 ground, where it remains throughout the 

 winter. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June ; it 

 has occurred only in the southern and eastern 

 counties of England, Essex, Kent, Surrey, 

 Sussex, Hampshire, Devonshire, and once, 

 according to Mr. Greene's " Insect Hunter's 

 Companion," at Halton, in Buckingham- 

 shire. The London district would seem to 

 be its chief resort ; Epping, West Wickham, 

 Birch, and Darenth, are noted localities. 

 (The scientific name is Stauropus Fagi.) 



390. The Sprawler (Petasia cassinea). 



390. THE SPRAWLER. The antennae are 

 very decidedly pectinated in the male, 

 simple in the female ; the fore wings are 

 narrow, and have the costal margin re- 

 markably straight, the tip neither pointed 

 nor rounded : their colour is wainscot- 

 brown, with several distinct longitudinal 

 umber-brown streaks, the most conspicuous 

 of which originates at the middle of the 

 basal margin : the hind wings are pale 

 gray, with the discoidal spot and wing-rays 

 decidedly darker; on the extreme hind 

 margin is a series of dark brown markings : 

 the head, thorax, and body are gray-brown ; 



