NOCTUAS. 



249 



are rather short, and are simple in both 

 sexes ; the fore wings are gray, with various 

 black linear markings : the principal of 

 these are, first, an irregular cross, which 

 bears a fancied resemblance to a Greek psi 

 placed sideways --, and is situated near the 

 anal angle ; exactly intermediate between 

 this and the tip of the wing is a much 

 smaller mark of the same shape : the reni- 

 f orm and orbicular spots are very vague and 

 obscure ; the orbicular has a very delicate 

 black border on its outer side only, the 

 reniform has a similar black border on its 

 inner side only, and this is double at its 

 lower extremity ; these two semicircular 

 markings are placed back to back, and are 

 connected by a short and straight black 

 line ; together this constitutes the second 

 principal marking ; the third is a strong 

 black line, which proceeds from the base 

 of the wing almost to its middle, and 

 which emits three or four lateral branches : 

 the hind wings are nearly white with 

 darker wing-rays and a spotted fringe : 

 the head, thorax, and body are gray ; a 

 black line originating in each palpus, 

 passes along the head including the eye, 

 and along the thorax just above the base of 

 the wing. 



The CATERPILLAR does not roll in a ring, 

 or feign death when disturbed. The body 

 is somewhat incised at the interstices of the 

 segments, hairy, and having a conspicuous 

 hump on the fifth and twelfth segments. 

 The head is black and shining, but emitting 

 so many hoary hairs as to give it a gray 

 appearance. The body is black, beautifully 

 ornamented with orange and snow-white 

 markings ; the second segment is black, 

 with a small median white spot on the back ; 

 the third and fourth segments are slightly 

 swollen on the back, the centre of each 

 swelling being orange-yellow ; on each side 

 of each of these segments is also a bright 

 orange spot ; the fifth segment has a con- 

 spicuous median hump, velvety-black on 

 the summit, but hoary behind, and having 

 one white spot on each side ; a little dis- 

 tance below this is a pair of white spots 

 closely approximate, and on each side of 

 them a larger orange spot ; on the sixth, 

 seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh 



segments is a median stripe, rather nar- 

 rowed, entire, and of an orange-yellow 

 colour, in the centre of each segment, 

 rather dilated, longitudinally divided, and 

 dingy -white in the interstices ; on each side 

 of each segment, below this median stripe, 

 are two white spots, one above the other, 

 like the colon in printing, and there are 

 three orange spots of different forms below 

 the lower of these white spots ; the twelfth 

 segment is decidedly humped, and has a 

 conspicuous snowy-white mark on the sum- 

 mit, shaped something like a cross, but the 

 hinder radius of the cross is sometimes 

 wanting ; the hind margin of this segment 

 has a broad orange border ; the thirteenth 

 segment terminates in a kind of horn, quite 

 black and directed backwards : below the 

 lateral series of orange spots I have de- 

 scribed is a lateral stripe mottled with 

 yellowish markings, among which are situ- 

 ated the spiracles, and below this again 

 is a slender interrupted orange stripe. It 

 feeds on whitethorn (Crattegus oxyacantha) , 

 blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) , and some other 

 trees and shrubs. When full-fed in Sep- 

 tember and October, it spins a silken cocoon 

 on the trunks of trees, concealing itself in 

 crevices of the bark, and therein changing 

 to a CHRYSALIS, in which state it remains 

 throughout the winter. 



The MOTH appears in June ; the cater- 

 pillar has been taken in many English 

 counties, and also in Ireland. (The scien- 

 tific name is Acronycta tridens.) 



1. 06s. The beautiful variety repre- 

 sented by the second figure is in the rich 

 cabinet of Mr. Greening, and has been 

 kindly lent me purposely to figure in this 

 work. 



2. 06s. I do not know why this insect is 

 called the " Dark " Dagger : it is no darker 

 than the " Gray " Dagger ; but I have an 

 insuperable objection to changing a name. 

 I may, perhaps, be allowed, in this place, to 

 express a hope that my younger readers, 

 for whose accommodation the English 

 names are introduced, will endeavour to 

 learn the Latin or scientific names which 

 .are now in universal use among entomolo- 

 gists. 



