GEOMETERS. 



185 



Var. 1. TheCommonMarbled Carpet (Cidan'a 

 Centum-potato}. The median area of the foie 

 wini^s is pale gray, almost Avhite. 



Var. 2. The Yellow Marbled Carpet ( Cidaria 

 Comma-notata}. The median area of the fore 

 wings is bright fulvous yellow. 



Var. 3. The Brown Marbled Carpet (Cidarta 

 M-ata). The median area of the fore wiugs 



dark smoky-brown. 



This species is uniformly double-brooded. 



The EGGS which produce the spring brood 

 are laid about the middle of August ; those 

 which produce the autumnal brood are laid 

 about the middle of May ; the CATERPILLARS 

 from this second brood hybernate, or rather 

 live through the winter, i'eeding at intervals 

 when the weather is uiild : the egg is flattish 

 or depressed on the crown, and of a dingy 

 yellow colour, "resembling that of a pale- 

 tiuted chip-box ; " it is laid on the leaves of 

 wild strawberry (Fray aria vesca\ and also, 

 according to Guenee, on birch and whitethorn, 

 and according to Mr. Hellins, "on sallow:" 

 the young caterpillars emerge about fourteen 

 days after the egg is deposited, and are at first 

 of a dirty white, but soon acquire a green 

 tinge, which continues to increase as they 



advance towards maturity. When full-fed 

 this caterpillar usually rests in a straight posi- 

 tion, but when annoyed or disturbed, tucks 

 in its head, bringing it in close contact with 

 the legs, thus causing the anterior half to 

 assume the volute form. The head is about 

 the same width as the second segment, not 

 notched on the crown, and slightly hairy : the 

 body is almost xiniformly cylindrical, but some- 

 what restricted immediately behind the fourth 

 segment, which is produced ventrally into a 

 lump, on the summit of which are seated the 

 third pair of legs ; the thirteenth segment 

 below the anal flap is produced into two parallel 

 '* acutely pointed" processes directed back- 

 wards ; the colour of the head is pale opaque 

 green, with conspicuous black ocelli ; the body 

 is pale yellow-green, with a medio-dorsal stripe, 

 narrow and indistinct, of a darker, duller 

 green ; there is also on each side a paler stripe, 

 equally indistinct ; and in many specimens, 

 below this sub-dorsal stripe, is a lateral, but 

 often interrupted rosy-red or purple stripe : 

 this red stripe is accurately described by 

 Guenee, and Mr. Doubleday assures me it is 

 of common occurrence : the transverse skinfold 

 at each segmental division is yellowish, and 

 over the entire surface of the body are scattered 

 minute white warts, each of which emits a 

 slender hair, and is surrounded by an area 

 slightly darker than the prevailing ground 

 colour ; the anal points are generally tipped 

 with rose-colour, and the legs and claspers are 

 tipped with purple. When full-fed it spins a 

 leaf together with a few slight threads, in the 

 manner of a spider's web, and in this flimsy 

 retreat turns to a delicately-green semi-trans- 

 parent CURYSALIS. 



The JIOIHS appear in May and August, and 

 are common in England, Scotland, and Ireland. 

 (The scientific name is Cidan'a runaata.} 



356. THE MAEBLED CARPET. The palpi are 

 short, connivent, and form a short beak ; the 

 antennre are simple, or nearly so, in both 

 sexes ; the fore wings are ample and somewhat 

 pointed at the tip ; their colour is very varied ; 

 there is a gray-brown blotch at the base, which 

 has generally t\vo transverse zigzag black lines, 



