134 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



rather pointed at the apex; they ore dark 

 smoke-coloured, with a number of white 

 markings, which are disposed in four irregular 

 transverse bars ; the first, second, and third of 

 these are double, that is, are severally inter- 

 sected by a delicate dark lino ; the first and 

 third extend from the costal to the inner mar- 

 gin ; the second ceases about the middle of 

 the wing ; the fourth, parallel with the hind 

 margin, is single and strongly dentate ; the 

 discoidal spot is very small, nearly circular, 

 quite black, and adjoins the second or abbre- 

 viated double bar ; the hind wings are light 

 gray, with three smoke-coloured transverse 

 bars, the outer of which is marginal ; the 

 fringe of all the wings is dark smoke-coloured, 

 spotted with pale gray; the head is gray, 

 the thorax and body gray, with smoky mark- 

 ings. 



The CATERPILLAR is thus described by Mr. 

 Crewo : " Long and slender, tapering towards 

 the head ; the ground colour white or greenish 

 white, with a chain of pear-shaped red dorsal 

 spots, bordered on either side by an interrupted 

 line of the same colour, and becoming confluent 

 on the capital and anal segments; the sides 

 are spotted with red ; the belly has a central 

 red line, running the whole length ; the body 

 is clothed with a few very short hairs. A 

 very pretty variety of this caterpillar has the 

 ground colour bright green, with a series of 

 tooth or pear-shaped white dorsal spots, inter- 

 sected by a central horizontal dark green line, 

 becoming purple at the anal tip; the spira- 

 cular line is white and broken ; the back is 

 sprinkled with a few short black hairs. It 

 feeds on the flowers of the common ling 

 ( Calluna vulgari*) in August and September. 

 The CHRYSALIS is enclosed in an earthen 

 cocoon ; its thorax and wing-cases are yellow ; 

 its body deeply suffused with red ; and its 

 thorax considerably elevated. The chrysalis 

 of the green variety is suffused all over with 

 green." 



The MOTH appears on the wing in May, and 

 has been taken in Suffolk and the north of 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland; it is by no 

 means uncommon. (The scientific name is 

 Eiipithecia nanata.'] 



280. The Plain Pug ( EupitJtecia wbnotata'). 



286. THE PLAIN Pro. The fore wings are 

 very broad, and of an ochreous tint, with a 

 small brown circular and inconspicuous dis- 

 coidal spot ; there are indications of four white 

 bars, three of which are double, that is, inter- 

 sected with delicate darker lines ; the first is 

 double, very short, and very indistinct ; the 

 second, double, and sharply angled in the 

 middle, the angle pointing to the discoidal 

 spot; the third is double, oblique, but more 

 direct, and acutely dentate along the margin, 

 near to the base of the wing ; each tooth is 

 tipped with black ; the fourth bar is single 

 and very decided, it is bordered by a bright 

 ochreous band towards the base of the wing ; 

 the fringe is gray; the hind wings are 

 ochreous gray, with whitish dentated trans- 

 verse lines ; the head, thorax, and body are 

 pale ochreous. 



Mr. Crewe thus describes the CATERPILLAR : 

 "Ground colour dull yellowish green, pale 

 green, or reddish gray, with a chain of dull 

 olive lozenge-shaped dorsal spots, becoming 

 confluent towards the head and tail, and often 

 bordered by an indistinct olive line ; the spots 

 and lines are sometimes very faint ; the seg- 

 mental divisions are yellowish or reddish ; 

 the spiracular line yellowish ; the whole body 

 very rough, and thickly studded with minute 

 white tubercles and white spots, and sprinkled 

 here and there with short stumpy hairs ; the 

 belly is pale green, with an interrupted line 

 running the whole length. It feeds on the 

 seeds and flowers of various species of Atriplex 

 and Chenopodium, in August and September. 

 It seems to prefer the banks of tidal rivers. I 

 have taken it in profusion on the banks of the 

 Orwell and the Stour, near Ipswich, but have 

 also met with it in some plenty in waste 

 ground near Bexley. It is not so easy to rear 

 as others of the family, and often pines in 

 confinement. The CHRYSALIS, which is enclosed 

 in an earthen cocoon, has the wing-cases dark 



