256 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



The colour of the head is black with clearly 

 defined rich brown markings on each side, and 

 a brown mark on the face in the form of an 

 inverted letter V : the body is richly adorned 

 with diversified colours, somewhat after the 

 fashion of tesselated pavement : each segment 

 from the fourth to the twelfth, both inclusive, 

 has on its anterior margin a medio-dorsal 

 orange spot, on each side of which is an in- 

 tensely black velvety spot ; these two being 

 connected behind the orange spot, and com- 

 pletely enclosing it : on each side of the black 

 spot is a somewhat quadrate pure white spot, 

 the hinder margin of which terminates in a 

 wart also white ; the lateral surface below the 

 series of white spots is smoke-colour delicately 

 lined and irrorated with burnt-sienna brown ; 

 this lateral region contains the spiracles, which 

 are pure white surrounded with intense velvety 

 black, there are also on each segment three warts, 

 two of which are above the spiracle and brown, 

 the third below the spiracle and orange red, 

 being seated in a conspicuous spot of the same 

 showy colour ; "below the spiracles and extend- 

 ing from the fifth to the twelfth segment is a 

 zigzag and moderately wide pure white stripe, 

 interrupted by the orange spots just described ; 

 the posterior half of the dorsal surface of each 

 segment is orange-brown irregularly lined with 

 black ; the ventral surface, legs, and claspers 

 are smoke-coloured, approaching to pitchy-red: 

 the fifth wart on each side is situated at the 

 base of a clasper or in a corresponding site, when 

 the clasper is absent ; it is smoke-coloured ; all 

 the bristles are red-brown. It feeds on the 

 common knot-grass (Polyyonum aviculare), 

 dock, and strawberry, both wild and cultivated, 

 and many other plants : it is particularly fond 

 of those strawberries which are cultivated 

 under the name of " alpine : " when full-fed, 

 it spins a cocoon near the ground and therein 

 turns a CHRYSALIS, and remains in that state 

 during the winter. 



In May and June, the MOTH appears on the 

 wing, and is very common both in England 

 and Ireland, and Mr. Douglas llobinson in- 

 forms me it is taken in Kirkcudbrightshire, in 

 Scotland. (The scientific name is Acronycta 

 JRumicis.) 



Obs. Mr. Greening, of Warrington, had 

 bred a considerable number of this species, 

 smaller and darker than usual ; and has 

 most kindly presented some to me for figur- 

 ing in this work : this variety is represented 

 in the second figure. 



t 



434. The Scarce Dagger (Acronycla auricom 



434. THE SCARCE DAGGER. The antennae 

 are simple ; the colour of the fore wings is 

 dingy-gray mottled with darker markings, but 

 all of them confused and indistinct ; the or- 

 bicular spot is surrounded by a paler ring, and 

 usually has a black dot in the centre ; the reni 

 form is scarcely discernible ; there is a black 

 streak at the base of the wing and another 

 near the anal angle, both very obscure : the 

 hind wings are pale brown-gray with pale 

 gray fringe : the head and thorax are of the 

 colour of the fore wings ; the body of the 

 colour of the hind wings. 



The CATERPILLAR rests in nearly a straight 

 position, but falls off its food-plant, assuming 

 a crescentic form when disturbed ; its head is 

 manifestly narrower than the second segment, 

 into which it is partially received when at 

 rest, but porrected when crawling ; the body is 

 of nearly equal size throughout, but exhibits 

 the division of the segments in a very decided 

 manner ; each segment has six or eight warts, 

 each of which emits a fascicle of radiating 

 hairs ; four of these warts forming a square 

 on the back, are more conspicuous than the 

 lest ; on the thoracic segments the dorsal 

 warts form a transverse series: the head is 

 black and shining ; the body smoky-gray with 

 a broad black band round each segment ; the 

 warts are orange-coloured, the hairs they emit 

 are yellowish ; the spiracles are white ; the 

 ventral is paler than the dorsal area, but of 

 the same smoky-gray colour. It feeds on 

 bramble (Rulus fruticosus], and is full-fed the 



