NOCTUAS. 



253 



turned on one side and brought into con- 

 tact with the side of the tenth segment : it 

 frequently spins together the edges of two 

 poplar leaves, and thus conceals itself from 

 observation, generally, however, maintain- 

 ing the bent posture. The head is por- 

 rected, and much wider than the second 

 segment ; indeed, so large as to justify the 

 name of " megacephala," probably given to 

 the species on this account ; the body is 

 rather depressed, of nearly uniform width, 

 and has the divisions of the segments 

 clearly marked ; it has several series of 

 small warts, each of which emits a few 

 hairs. The anal claspers are rather long 

 and spreading. The colour of the head is 

 whitish, with a large and almost circular 

 black blotch on each cheek ; this is enclosed 

 in a whitish circle, and this again in a black 

 circle ; the clypeus is included in a black 

 V-shaped mark ; the dorsal area of the 

 body is smoky-black with a slender medio- 

 dorsal line extending from the head to the 

 fifth segment ; the second, third, and fourth 

 segments have a whitish spot on each side 

 of this median line ; the fifth segment has 

 a white spot and a red spot on each side of 

 it; the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 

 tenth segments have each two longitudinal 

 compound marks, each composed of four 

 closely approximate spots, the first of which 

 is white, the second and third reddish, and 

 the fourth white ; the eleventh segment has 

 a rnedio-dorsal whitish blotch, and the 

 twelfth segment four white spots ; the 

 thirteenth segment and its claspers are 

 dingy -white ; the ventral area, legs, and 

 ventral claspers are pale smoke-colour, 

 tinged with pink. The caterpillar feeds on 

 several species of poplar. I found it com- 

 monly on the tacamahack poplar (Populus 

 balsamifera) , at Leominster, in July and 

 August, 1866 ; in the latter month it ap- 

 peared to be full-fed. In order to undergo 

 pupation, it creeps into the very smallest 

 chinks of the bark of the trees on which it 

 has been feeding : Mr. Greene gives the 

 following directions for finding the chrys- 

 alis : " Break off every bit of loose bark 

 with the point of the trowel, and the 

 chrysalis-case, which with the chrysalis 

 closely resembles that of Acronycta Psi, 



will be found firmly glued to the surface : 

 the cocoon is formed of decayed wood." 

 Guenee also informs us that the readiest 

 way to obtain this species is to search the 

 bark of poplars and aspens. 



The MOTH appears in June, and is of 

 common occurrence in most of our English 

 counties. Mr. Birchall says it is also com- 

 mon in Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Acronycta megacephala.) 



430. The Grisctte (Acronycta striyosa). 



430. THE GRISETTE. This insect is 

 smaller and more slender than its congeners : 

 the antennae are very slender ; the fore 

 wings are pale gray, marbled with smoky- 

 gray, and having at the base of the inner 

 margin an ochreous linear patch, the two 

 combining to form on the closed wing an 

 ochreous spot at the base of the thorax : 

 the costal and hind margins are spotted 

 with smoke-colour ; the orbicular and reni- 

 form spots are distiuct, and there is a 

 conspicuous angled line between the reni- 

 form spot and the hind margin : the hind 

 wings are very pale gray, with a rather 

 darker but still very pale discoidal spot, and 

 transverse median bar: the head, thorax, 

 and body are gray. 



The EGGS are laid at the end of June, on 

 the twigs of whitethorn, more particularly 

 in old whitethorn hedges, growing in chalky 

 districts throughout the neighbourhood of 

 Cambridge ; the CATERPILLAR emerges in 

 July, and is usually full-fed at the end of 

 August, or beginning of September. The 

 head is porrected, fiat, of about the same 

 width as the second segment ; the body is 

 of nearly uniform width throughout ; the 

 segments are strongly pronounced, and the 

 divisions between them deeply incised ; 

 there is a double series of bristle-bearing 

 warts down the back two each on the 

 third, fourth, sixth, seventh, and tenth seg- 

 ments ; four each on the fifth, eighth, ninth, 

 eleventh, and twelfth segments. The colour 



