DAMAGE CAUSED BY ANIMALS. 211 



green, with yellowish-white fringe round the lower edges, and 

 light grey lower wings, with greyish-white edging. 



The 16-footed caterpillar, which attains a length of about 048 

 inches, is of a dark yellowish-green colour, with a black head, and 

 minute black knob-like warts, on which there are a few fine hairs. 



The chrysalis is of a blackish-brown colour, and about 0*44 

 inches long. 



This moth swarms from about the middle till the end of June, 

 when the female deposits her ova singly or in small clusters on 

 the buds then being formed on the twigs in the crowns of Oaks. 

 The tiny caterpillars make their appearance during the following 

 spring, when they attack the buds, flowers, and foliage, and then 

 about the beginning of June proceed to enter the chrysalis stage 

 in leaves rolled together, in fissures of the bark, &c., from which 

 they emerge as imagines after a pupal rest of about three weeks. 

 Its generation is therefore simple and annual. 



This insect lives exclusively on the Oak, especially on older 

 pole-forest and tree-forests, and occasionally occurs in vast 

 numbers over extensive areas, where it does no inconsiderable 

 amount of damage in Oak woods by destroying the foliage, and 

 scattering all hopes of a good mast-year. In consequence of the 

 ova being deposited on the buds and young twigs, the feeding of 

 the caterpillars always begins near the top of the leafy crown, 

 and gradually extends downwards, often resulting in total 

 denudation of the foliage, which can only be replaced when the 

 midsummer flush of leaves takes place. 



Preventive and exterminative measures are hardly applicable. 

 When late frosts have nipped the young Oak foliage during 

 years when the caterpillars have been swarming in large numbers, 

 these have been known to be starved to death in consequence. 

 During the long period of winter many ova are also doubtless 

 destroyed by starlings, thrushes, sparrows, tits, &c. 



D. NOTE ON SOME OTHEK LEPIDOPTERA. 



Amongst the species of moths which it has not been considered necessary to 

 j mention in the text, there are several kinds that are of comparatively frequent 

 occurrence in our British woodlands. These include the following : 



A. Spinners (Bombycidse). 



The common Vapourer-moth, Bombyx (Orgyia) antiqua, with a span of 1 '2 inches ; the 

 male is of a rusty-brown colour, with two dark transverse bands and a white moon-spot 

 on each of the upper wings ; the female is yellowish-grey, with only white stumps as 



