364 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



markings, and these brighter markings gene- 

 rally surround the discoidal spots ; these are 

 rather obscure, but manifestly darker than the 

 general area of the wing, which always has a 

 freckled or mottled appearance; beyond the 

 reniform is a transverse series of black spots, 

 veiy small and indistinct ; and there is a 

 second series on the extreme hind margin : the 

 hind wings are gray-brown, and darker than 

 the fore wings ; their fringe is paler : the head 

 and thorax are gray, tinged with dingy ochre- 

 ous ; the body is pale gray. 



The CATERPILLAR is pale green, sometimes 

 grayish or br. -wnish; the medio-dorsal and 

 sub-dorsal stripes are whitish-green, and be- 

 tween them is a row of dark green dots ; the 

 spiracular stripe and incisions of the segments 

 are yellowish (Frey&r). It feeds on oak 

 (Quercus Robur}. Staintoris Manual, vol. i., 

 p. 245. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in March and 

 April, and is com mon in all parts of the United 

 Kingdom, sometimes frequenting the catkins 

 of the sallow in great numbers. Mr. Greene 

 Mays that the chrysalids of Stabilis, Instabilis, 

 Gothica, and Gruda are extremely abundant 

 at the roots of various trees in October : he 

 remarks of the species of Tceniocampa, they 

 may easily be found by simply shaking the 

 sod, or loosening the earth (at the roots of 

 trees) ; and by taking a large number (once he 

 had a thousand chrysalids of histabilis) of the 

 common species, some curious and beautiful 

 varieties may be obtained without trouble. 

 (The scientific name is Tceniocampa cruda.) 



584. The Suspected (Orthosia suspecta). 



584. THE SUSPECTED. The palpi are por- 

 rected and slender, the terminal joint un- 

 usually slender and pointed ; the antennae are 

 simple in both sexes : the fore wings are 

 rather narrow ; their colour is red-brown, 

 mottled and freckled with rarious tints; both 



the discoidal spots are outlined in pale gray, 

 the median area of each being concolorous 

 with the general colour of the wing ; half-way 

 between the reniform and the hind margin is 

 a transverse series of compound spots, all of 

 them seated on wing-rays ; each of these spots 

 has a darker and a lighter portion, the darker 

 portion being nearest the base : the hind wings 

 are gray-brown ; the head and thorax are of 

 the same colour as the fore wings, the body 

 being dingy gray. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in July, but 

 is rare and local ; it has been taken almost 

 exclusively in the North, Lancashire, the 

 Lake District, and Yorkshire : my specimens 

 came from Huddersfield. (The scientific name 

 is Orthosia suspecta.) 



585 The Dismal (Orthosia Upsilori). 



585. THE DISMAL. The palpi are incon- 

 spicuous, the terminal joint being almost con- 

 cealed by scales ; the antennae are simple in 

 both sexes : the fore wings are ample ; their 

 colour is bistre-brown ; the orbicular stigma 

 is oblique and oval, and outlined in paler 

 brown; the reniform is scarcely perceptible; 

 between them is the figure of a Greek upsilon 

 Y, very distinctly denned in most specimens ; 

 parallel with the hind margin is a transverse 

 zigzag line, of a pale ochreous-brown colour : 

 t he -head and thorax are bistre-brown: the 

 hind wings and body are dingy gray -brown. 



The CATERPILLAR rolls itself into a lax ring 

 when disturbed, and falls off its food-plant, 

 but very soon abandons this posture, and 

 crawls with great vigour and almost in- 

 credible activity : the head is small and 

 shining, the body uniformly cylindrical, 

 smooth, and velvety. The colour of the head 

 is pale brown, reticulated with darker brown ; 

 the body is brown, with a medio-dorsal series 



