ERMINES AND GARDEN TIGER 



larva may be sought for in Autumn, and may be known 

 by its brown coat, and prominent stripe of reddish adown 

 the back. It is not particular as to its food-plant, and 

 will readily take anything that is going. The dark 

 brown pupa is fitted into a cocoon of silk, and this is 

 spun up in any convenient place. The imago is white, 

 or creamy-white, with black specks (mostly on the fore- 

 wings), and has a furry head and thorax, and yellowish 

 abdomen. 



Buff Ermine. — {Spilosoma luhricipeda.) — Cousin of 

 the White Ermine, and as the popular name indicates, 

 buff, instead of white, in colour. Otherwise, the re- 

 semblance in size and markings is almost the same. 

 The eggs are pale-coloured, and are deposited in clusters 

 on the leaves of various plants either low or tall growing. 

 It is of frequent occurrence in gardens. The larva is 

 similar in form to the last mentioned, but the centre 

 stripe is not so conspicuous, and there are lighter stripes 

 on the body-sides. The reddish-brown pupa has a 

 pohshed effect, and is encased in a poorly made cocoon 

 which may be found on, or close to, the ground. 



Garden Tiger. — {Arctia caia.) This striking species 

 (see Frontispiece), adorned in yellow fore wings, with 

 patches of rich chocolate-brown, and scarlet hindwings 

 marked with bluish-black blotches, is every boy-collector's 

 prize. Yet it is a common species, and the hairy larva- 

 called the woolly-bear — is often discovered feeding upon 

 stinging nettles, or crawling along the ground when 

 full-fed, to find a suitable spot in which to hibernate. 

 It is on the wing in July, and will deposit its eggs upon 

 several kinds of plants. Although it will, when kept in 



