BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OJf THE GREEN LANES. 155 



species, its specific name implying its resemblance 

 to the leaf of a tree, long before the new doctrine of 

 " mimicry " had arisen. Its mode of spreading out 

 its wings still further carries out the resemblance to 

 a dried leaf. The caterpillar of this insect feeds 

 on the blackthorn and willow, and spins a long, 

 blackish, and coarse cocoon among the lower twigs, 



Fig. 112. 



The Lappet Moth at res 



the moth itself generally appearing in June. It 

 has been imagined that our local fauna produced few 

 insects of this kind. The well-known " stick " and 

 "leaf" insects of tropical countries have been long 

 known, and furnished matter for curiosity, not 

 scientific investigation. Now, however, a truly 

 scientific basis has been found for this resemblance. 

 and the insect fauna of every country is yielding 



