43f) INSECTS AT HOME. 



the Rev. J. Greene states that he has only taken one spei;imer. 

 of the Cinnabar Moth in England, though he did find the 

 pupa. This part of Kent seems to be objectionable to the 

 Cinnabar Moth, though the ragwort [Senecio Jacobea), on which 

 it feeds, grows profusely in the neighbourhood. In and near 

 Oxford there is scarcely a plant of ragwort on which the pretty 

 caterpillar,, with its orange body and black rings, may not be 

 found, or which has not some of the shining brown pupae near its 

 roots. This larva is showr. at Fig. a. It has a habit of coiling 

 itself into a ring when alarmed, and falling to the ground. 



The colouring of the Cinnabar Moth is very bold, and is 

 easily described. The upper wings are very deep olive-brown, 

 looking almost black by the contrast with the brilliant crimson 

 stripe near the costal margin, and the two crimson spots near 

 the hind margin. The Lower wings are wholly crimson, slightly 

 paler than that on the upper wings, and are edged with a 

 narrow border of olive-bro^vn. It is remarkable that the upper 

 and under surfaces of this insect are exactly alike, except that 

 the under surface is slightly paler than the upper. The popular 

 name of Cinnabar Moth is given to the insect on account of the 

 cinnabar-crimson colour of its wings. 



On Woodcut XLVI. Fig. 2 is drawn a very pretty and very 

 scarce Moth, called, from its colouring, the Crimson Speckled 

 (Deiopeia pulchella). The upper wings of this moth are white, 

 and they are covered with a number of square spots, seeming 

 at first sight to be scattered promiscuously over the wings, but 

 having a tolerably regular arrangement. These spots are 

 scarlet and black, and are set in transverse rows, the black and 

 scarlet running alternately. The lower wings are white, with 

 a slight clouding of black towards the margin. The pretty 

 caterpillar is leaden blue, with a white streak along the back, 

 . and a row of scarlet spots along each side. 



This is one of the rarest of genuine British Moths, and, if any 

 of my readers should be requested to purchase a ' warranted 

 British Crimson Speckled,' they may be quite certain that the 

 vendor is a conscious impi)stor, inasmuch as so valuable a prize 

 would not be hawked abc-i't for sale. 



Mr. Ne^vman's quaint an.l true remarks respecting certain 

 butterflies will apply to this and other rare moths • — 'They are 

 to be purcliased in abundarce at 1(/., 2cZ., or 3d!, each, neither 



