THE LEPIDOPTERA. 85 



thus extending up the sides of the insect towards its dorsal 

 surface, while others have the ventral surface dark green, 

 and additional markings of more or less importance. 



When full-grown it spins a loose cocoon of earth and 

 dead leaves, from which the perfect insect emerges in a 

 month or six weeks' time. The sexes are widely different; 

 both being figured on the Plate (Fig. 2 J , 2a $). I have 

 noticed that at least four females occur to every male, 

 which is a very unusual arrangement, the males being 

 generally much the commoner among the Lepidoptera. 



Family GEOMETRID^E. 

 Ploseria hemipteraria (Plate XL, fig. 3, 3a larva). 



A curious moth, occurring in some numbers at various 

 blossoms during the summer evenings, but rather uncertain 

 in its appearance. The larva (Fig. 3a) feeds at night on 

 veronica, where it may be often found with a lantern, devour- 

 ing the flowers and leaves. In colour it is light green with 

 two yellow lines on each side, the dorsal surface being con- 

 siderably darker, and almost blue. Specimens are not infre- 

 quently met with of a uniform dark brown, and the two 

 conspicuous lateral lines are then reduced to a single obscure 

 ochreous band. These caterpillars are very inconspicuous 

 during the daytime, as they remain quite motionless for hours 

 together, sticking straight out from the stems of their food- 

 plant, which they closely resemble. The pupa is unusually 

 robust, and possesses a sharp spine at its extremity. In 

 colour it is pale olive brown, with a pinkish line on each 

 side of the abdomen, the wing-cases being more or less suf- 

 fused with pink. It is not enclosed in any cocoon, but may 

 be found amongst the dead leaves round the stems of the 

 veronica. The perfect insect appears in about three weeks' 

 time. It is liable to be passed over for a faded leaf, the 

 general outline and colouring of the wings rendering the 



