GEOMETERS. 



169 



nna3 are pectinated in the male ; the fore 

 gs have a reddish blotch at the base, then 

 :~ay band intersected by several transverse 

 kings, then a broad reddish bar also t ra- 

 id by transverse markings, and including 

 ery indistinct discoidal spot ; the band ia 

 ered by a slender pale, almost white line, 

 d this again by an equally slender brown 

 line ; lastly, there is a broad hind-marginal 

 gray baud which includes many waved lines 

 of different shades, a rust-coloured costal 

 blotch and a double black spot within the 

 hind margin about the middle : the hind 

 wings are dingy gray, with various transverse 

 markings : the head, thorax, and body are 

 variegated with gray and brown, the body 

 having two blackish spots placed transversely 

 on each segment. 



The EGGS are generally laid on the stems of 

 ground ivy ((Jlechoma hederacea}, on the leaves 

 of which plant the caterpillars feed ; the period 

 in the egg state varies from ten to twenty 

 ,ys, according to the temperature ; the cold 

 .t winds, which so frequently prevail in the 

 ng, greatly retarding their emergence, 

 e full-fed caterpillar rests with the anterior 

 treinity rigidly extended, but often in a 

 ;htly arched position ; when annoyed, it 

 cks in its head, and rolls up the anterior 

 of its body in the form of the Ionic 

 lute ; the legs are crowded together, and 

 sely appressed to the mouth ; the head is 

 ne, not conspicuously notched on the crown, 

 d nearly of the same width as the body ; 

 e body is of nearly the same width through- 

 iut, and uniformly cylindrical, with the ex- 

 ception of a lateral skin-fold which extends 

 its whole length ; it is without humps, but, 

 in common with the head, has a few small 

 scattered warts, each of which emits a single 

 small bristle ; the head is putty-coloured, 

 freckled with black on the face, and having a 

 darker stripe on each cheek ; the colour of the 

 dorsal area of the body, as far as the ninth 

 segment, is dingy brown, but this hue appears 

 to be caused by the somewhat tesselated orna- 

 mentation : this consists, in the first place, of 

 aniedio-dorsal stripe, narrow and almost thread- 

 like on the third, fourth, fifth, tenth, eleventh, 



and twelfth segments ; on the sixth, seventh, 

 eighth, and ninth segments, the medio-dorsal 

 stripe ia interrupted, and reduced to a median 

 intensely black spot ; each of these black spots- 

 is surrounded by a paler area, dilated laterally, 

 but attenuated at the extremities ; a dorsal 

 series of lozenge-shaped markings results, as 

 far as regards these four segments ; on each 

 side of this dorsal ornamentation are three 

 slender rivulet stripes, all of them sesquial- 

 teroua or semi-double, but neither of them 

 veiy conspicuous ; the ventral area, extend- 

 ing to and including the spiracles, is putty- 

 coloured, but the spiracles themselves are 

 intensely black, and surrounded by a paler 

 area ; there ia a medio- ventral pale brown or 

 reddish stripe, containing three black spots, 

 and extending from the fifth to the twelfth 

 segment ; on each side of this medio-ventral 

 stripe the ground colour is extremely pale, 

 and the pale part ia bounded by a double 

 sinuous darker stripe, very similar to those on 

 the dorsal area : this commences at the base 

 of the third pair of legs, and ceases at the base 

 of the ventral claspers ; this is again succeeded 

 by a paler ground colour, and this again by a 

 frequently interrupted and most irregular 

 stripe, which contains five conspicuous black 

 spots, and terminates in a larger linear spot 

 close to the ventral claspers. The CATERPILLAR 

 spins a slight web among the stolons of the 

 ground-ivy, and in this changes to a smooth 

 brown CHRYSALIS. 



The MOTH appears in May, and again in 

 August; it is abundant in England, Scotland, 

 and Ireland. (The scientific name is Coremia 

 ferrugata.} 



336. The Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Coremia 

 unidentata} . 



336. THE DARK-BARRED TWIN-SPOT CARPET. 

 The antennae are distinctly pectinated in 

 the male; the fore winga have a brown blotch 



