164 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



327. The Garden Carpet (Melanippc fluctuatn}. 



327. THE GAKDEX CARPET. The fore wings 

 are gray, with a dark smoky-brown blotch at 

 the base, and another much larger on the 

 middle of the costal margin; this latter 

 includes the discoidal spot, which is always 

 present but indistinct ; from the costal blotch 

 to the inner margin of the wing there is a 

 smoky-gray cloud ; beyond the blotch the 

 wing is irregularly clouded and barred with 

 smoky-brown : the hind wings are clouded 

 and transversely barred with smoky-brown, 

 and have a discoidal spot : the head, thorax, 

 and body are gray : the body has two indis- 

 tinct brown spots placed transversely on each 

 segment. 



The CATEKPILLAR is slightly attenuated 

 towards each extremity ; it generally rests in 

 a slightly bent posture : it is very variable in 

 colour, brown, gray, or green. I describe the 

 brown type: the head delicately marked 

 transversely with dark brown, median stripe 

 interrupted and of various colours, of which 

 brick -red and deep black are most conspicuous ; 

 a small oblong red space, surrounded by dingy 

 white, occupies the middle of the hind margin 

 of each segment after the fourth, and is united 

 to a black spot similarly surrounded on the 

 anterior margin of the succeeding segment ; 

 the two combined constitute what Mr. Hellins 

 terms the arrow-head markings; the dorsal 

 surface of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and 

 thirteenth segments is very pale, forming a 

 conspicuous pale patch, and this is continued 

 beyond the posterior margin of the ninth 

 segment ; each of the segments after the 

 fourth has four distant and distinct white 

 dots arranged in a square ; those on the tenth, 

 eleventh, and twelfth segments are surrounded 

 with small black markings ; the sides are pale, 

 the belly is also pale, but has darker stripes : 

 it feeds on the several varieties of cultivated 



cabbage (Srassica), on nasturtium (Tropaolum 

 majus}, and other garden plants, and is double- 

 brooded both in a state of nature and in 

 captivity ; the second brood of caterpillars is 

 full-fed at the beginning of September. 



The MOTH flies throughout the summer : it 

 is the commonest of all our garden geometers 

 in England, Scotland, and Ireland. (The 

 scientific name is Melanippe fluctuata.} 



328. The Royal Mantle (Antidea simeato). 



328. THE ROYAL MANTLE. The fore wings 

 are parti-coloured ; there is a large dark and 

 somewhat triangular blotch at the base, the 

 prevailing tint of which is dark leaden-brown, 

 approaching to black, but it is divided by a 

 transverse median bar of two colours, brown 

 or smoky-gray towards the base, rust-coloured 

 gray externally, where it is bounded by a 

 double slender bent line, the inner half of 

 which is nearly black, the outer half white ; 

 beyond this basal blotch there is a large 

 creamy-white area, restricted at the costa, but 

 expanding before the middle, and continued 

 to the inner margin ; beyond this is an almost 

 square black costal blotch, sprinkled with 

 gray, and bounded by a double zigzag black 

 line, which extends to the inner margin; 

 beyond this is a rust-coloured bar, broad at the 

 costa, but gradually diminishing in width to 

 the anal angle ; then follows a zigzag white 

 line, and finally a mixed marginal band which 

 has a darker central cloud : the hind wings 

 are grayish white, with a transverse zigzag 

 umber-brown line parallel with the hind 

 margin. There is a narrow and scarcely 

 perceptible discoidal spot on all the wings. 

 The head and thorax are almost black, the 

 body creamy- white. Such are the principal 

 markings of this beautiful moth, on whicli the 

 older collectors conferred the name of the 

 Royal Mantle. 



The head of the CATERPILLAR is slightly 

 divided on the crown, as broad as the body : 



