HOW TO KNOW THE INSECTS 



45 



characterised the last few days have given blades of grass beneath the hedgerow ; 



place to an almost balmy atmosphere, so coarse are thev that, if roughly handled' 



while every living thing around us seems thev will cut the fingers. The tissues 



to be overflowing with the joyousness of of 'the grass contain quantities of the 



hfe. Numerous birds are chirping in- mineral substance silica, or quartz, and 



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CATERPILLARS OF THE DRINKER MOTH FEEDING ON COARSE GRASSES. 



cessantly, the cuckoo and lark are making 

 more decided music, and so, too, are the 

 young lambs. We have but to note the 

 delicate green that now enlivens trees 

 and hedgerows, the bright golden yellow 

 of the dandelion and the lesser celandine, 

 to realise what a marvellous thing is sun- 

 light. All this re-awaking of life and 

 loveliness about us comes in response 

 to the invigorating influence of the 

 energy stored in sunshine. Above and 

 below us life is bubbling forth on every 

 hand. 



Here it is in one form on these coarse 



it is this material that inflicts the wound ; 

 and yet here we find feeding on these 

 tough, flinty blades some fine grey and 

 yellow-streaked caterpillars, with tufts 

 of white and brown hairs ak)ng the 

 sides of their bodies. This conspicuous 

 larva is readily distinguished by its 

 colours, when it is seen feeding on coarse 

 grasses ; it is one of the commonest of 

 caterpillars in spring. It eventually 

 becomes the Drinker Moth (Oiio)U'siis 

 polaioria), familiar about July. These 

 caterpillars are usually hatched from their 

 eggs late in July and feed until October ; 



