462 INSECTS AT HOME. 



brown with a silky gloss. The larva' feeds on the common 

 Broom {SjpaHium scoparia) whence its specific title of spar- 

 tiata. Tlie Moth appears in September. 



The last of the Geometrse scarcely looks as if it belonged to 

 that group. This is the common Chimney-Sweeper {Tana- 

 gra choerophyllata), which is represented on Woodcut LI. 

 Fig. 5. 



As may be inferred from its popular name, the colour of this 

 Moth is sooty-black. The fringe is grey, except at the tip 

 of the upper wings, where it is snowy-white. The larva is 

 rather a pretty one, being dark green with a few lines of olive- 

 green and light green. The spiracles are red. It feeds on the 

 common earth-nut, or pig-nut {Bunntm JlexuosuTn) and is full- 

 fed at the beginning of June, when it descends into the earth 

 and changes to the pupal state. At the end of that month it 

 assumes it« perfect form, and in many localities appears in 

 great nuna -aers. 



