NOCTUAS. 



255 



432. The Coroiiet (Aci-onycta Liyiistri). 



432. THE CORONET. The antennas are 

 simple, but stouter in the male than in the 

 female ; the colour of the fore wings is dark 

 rich brown, sometimes with a tinge of green, 

 and always marbled and mottled; the orbi- 

 cular spot is indicated by a white outline ; 

 the reniform has a white exterior border, and 

 beyond it is a large whitish blotch, which has 

 a double black outline: the hind wings are 

 brown-gray : the thorax, like the fore wings, 

 is marbled with dark brown and white ; the 

 body, like the hind wings, is brown-gray. 



The CATERPILLAR will not roll in a ring 

 when handled. The head is of a delicate 



en, almost transparent, and very shining ; 

 mouth dark brown, or almost black. The 



y is of a glaucous-green, with a very narrow 

 ian white stripe down the back, not 



ays extending to the second or thirteenth 



ment ; there is another stripe, rather 

 der than the median stripe, and of a 



lowish white on each side, extending from 

 head the entire length of the caterpillar; 



s is about equidistant between the dorsal 



ipe and the spiracles ; each segment emits 



;ht, ten, or twelve delicate silky-looking 

 bristles. It feeds principally on ash (Fraxinus 

 excelsior'}, but also sometimes on privet 

 (Ligmtrum wdgare\ and is full-fed towards 

 the end of September, when it buries 

 under the moss growing on the trunks of 

 asli trees. Mr. Greene says the CHRYSALIS is 

 to be found abundantly in such situations, 

 and directs that the moss must be torn off 

 very carefully when the chrysalis case, which 

 is black and very tough (not hard), will, in 

 most cases, be found adhering to the moss; if 

 there be no moss, examine the trunk. There 

 are often long perpendicular slits in the bark 



#ash trees, and this is a favourite retreat of 

 s species. 



The MOTH appears on the wing- in June and 

 July, and is considered moderately common 

 both in England and Ireland. (The scientific 

 name is Acronycta Ligustri.} 



433. The Knot-Grass (Acronycta Rumicis). 



433. THE KNOT-GRASS. The antennae are 

 simple in both sexes, but rather stouter in the 

 male ; the colour of the fore wings is dark gray 

 marbled and mottled with black : the orbicular 

 and reniform spots are visible in outline, but 

 are indistinct ; there are two rather small and 

 closely approximate white spots placed trans- 

 versely near the hind margin at two-thirds of 

 the distance between the base and anal angle : 

 the hind wings are brown-gray, the base and 

 fringe being paler : the thorax is mottled and 

 marbled with pale gray, almost white, and 

 dark gray, almost black : the body is brown- 

 gray. 



The EGGS are laid on the leaves of very 

 many low herbaceous plants in May or June, 

 and the CATERPILLAR is full-fed by the second 

 week in July : it then rests in a nearly straight 

 position, but with the head somewhat bent 

 under the anterior segments : when annoyed, 

 it falls from its food-plant feigning death and 

 rolls in a ring, but very soon unrolls and com- 

 mences crawling with some rapidity. The 

 head is rather narrower than the second seg- 

 ment ; and manifestly narrower than those 

 which follow ; the body is obese, the segments 

 swollen, the incisions between them deep ; on 

 every segment is a transverse series of ten 

 warts, all somewhat dilated and flattened, and 

 each emitting a fascicle of spre; ding bristles. 



