BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OF THE GREEN LANES. 173 



part of July, this moth is very common in our lanes 

 and byroads. The Water Ermine (Arctia urticx^is not 

 quite so abundant, although common; you may readily 

 distinguish it from the foregoing species, for, al- 

 though about the same size and shape, the wings, 

 though white, are unspeckled. The Buff Ermine 

 again (Arctia lubricipedd) a very handsome and 

 common object in our evening rambles down the 

 green lanes is nearly allied to the foregoing, and 

 will be certainly seen by eyes on the look-out for it 

 in such places, about midsummer. The popular 

 name pretty well conveys a good idea of its ap- 

 pearance, especially if you remember that the 

 generic term tells you that in shape and size it 

 resembles those moths just referred to. The Yellow- 

 tail moth (Liparis auriflua) is also a common insect, 

 whose white wings and yellow tuft spread out like 

 a fan, lead to its ready identification. The Fox 

 moth (Bombyx rubi) is of a reddish, foxy-brown, and 

 with a good deal of the same colour of fine furry 

 hair about the body hence its common name. In 

 June you can hardly fail to meet with this insect, 

 and its caterpillars are very common on the bramble 

 and the heath in August and September. The 

 Emperor moth (Saturnia carpini) is rarer, and is a 

 gorgeous insect indeed, the wings of brown, red, 

 and grey shades being ornamented with eye-like 

 spots, similar to those of the peacock butterfly. The 

 caterpillar makes its appearance about August, and 

 is of a delicate green colour, ornamented with pinfc- 



