NOCTUAS. 



371 



mcealed by the projecting scales of the head; 

 antennae are almost simple in both sexes ; 

 the . foi*e wings are reddish-gray ] the discoidal 

 5ts are distinct ; the reniform is pale, with 

 ive or six black spots in the lower and outer 

 )rtion of its median area ; the orbicular is 

 xmd and pale, but has a slightly darker 

 cloud in its centre ; a double transverse pale 

 bar crosses the wing parallel with the hind 

 margin ; and between this and the reniform is 

 a single and much waved pale line : the hind 

 wings are gray -brown ; the head, thorax, and 

 body are reddish-gray. 



The CATERPILLAR is gray-brown with a 

 white stripe in the region of the spiracles ; 

 this character, however, is uncertain, as some 

 authors suppose there are two species com- 

 prised under the single name, namely 

 Glabra, the caterpillar of which possesses this 

 white stripe, and Erythrocephala, which is 

 without it ; but M. Guenee says he has reared 

 >th of these supposed species from the same 

 vterpillars. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in November, 

 id is very rare : a single specimen was 

 iken at Ivybridge, in Devonshire, in 1856 ; a 

 econd in Somersetshire, by Mr. Crotch. The 

 fincipal locality, however, is the Sussex 

 ist, in the vicinity of Brighton, where Mr. 

 Bright has obtained it by sugaiing for several 

 ears. (The scientific name is Cerastis erythro- 

 ohala. } 



595. The Satellite (Scopelosoma iatellUia). 



595. THE SATELLITE. The palpi are con- 

 cealed by the projecting scales of the head ; the 



antenna? are rather stout in the male, slender 

 in the female : the fore wings are rather long 

 and very decidedly scalloped on the hind 

 margin ; their colour is reddish-brown, with 

 several transverse dai-ker lines ; the orbicular 

 spot is absent ; the reniform is difficult 

 to trace, but its situation is generally indi- 

 cated by the presence of a very conspicuous 

 white spot of considerable magnitude, and 

 accompanied both at the outer upper and 

 outer lower extremity by a smaller white 

 spot ; these three spots are sometimes bright 

 orange, and sometimes entii'ely absent : the 

 hind wings are smoke-coloured, with, a paler 

 and rather rosy fringe : the antennae, head, 

 and thorax are of the same colour as the fore 

 wings ; the base of the body is gray-brown 

 shading to rosy red towards the extremity. 



The EGG is laid in March, on twigs of oak 

 (Quercus Robur), by fern ales which have hyber- 

 natecljthe CATERPILLAR makes its appearance in 

 May, and spins together the leaves of the oak, 

 forming a retreat from which it sallies forth in 

 quest of its living prey, the caterpillar of any 

 other Lepidoptera which may happen to have 

 the misfortune to be located in its vicinity: to 

 the entomologist who, like myself, indulges 

 in the rearing of caterpillars, these cater- 

 pillars often prove most determined enemies 

 Mr. Buckler writes pathetically on the subr 

 ject : " It happens sometimes that in gather- 

 ing food for other things, one of these wretches, 

 then quite small, lurks among the leaves, and 

 is unconsciously introduced to his prey : an 

 instance of this kind occurred to me a few 

 years ago, when I had reared fifty-seven cater- 

 pillars of Ta'idccampa Popw&tfifrom the egg; 

 they were about half-grown, had spun the 

 leaves of poplar together, and were feeding 

 between them : all went well for a time, but 

 at length T observed spots of moisture between 

 the withered leaves, and being puzzled at not 

 finding any caterpillars in the food that was 

 removed, an investigation took place, when I 

 could discover no Populeti caterpillars, but an 

 ill-looking monster of a SafeUlda coiled up at 

 the bottom of the jar. This monster had 

 actually murdered fifty-seven of his fellow- 

 prisoners, and devoured their bodies." I 



