The Zoologist — August, 1871. 2695 



of the same colour as the ventral surface. Such is a description of the 

 normal and more marlied colouring of this ubiquitous caterpillar, hut it 

 varies infinitely ; in some examples there are evident black dorsal markings 

 on each side of each segment, except the twelfth, and on that a large square 

 black patch, of which the hinder and lateral margins are well defined, but 

 not the anterior margin ; in others the olive hue of the back is replaced by 

 a clear brown, and again in others the entire body is of a pale and perfectly 

 uniform dingy-green. The caterpillar changes to a brown and glossy 

 chrysalis in the earth, and remains in that state throughout the winter. 

 During the autumnal and winter garden-digging, the chrysalids are turned 

 up by hundreds, and might then be readily collected ; they are a favourite 

 food of all kinds of poultry — fowls, guinea-fowls, pea-fowls and pheasants 

 devour them with the greatest avidity. 



" The moth appears on the wing continuously during the summer, and 

 is common in England, Scotland and Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Mamestra Brassicse.)" 



*' The Dot. — The antennse are long, and very slender towards the tip, 

 those of the male are very slightly ciliated : the fore wings are ample, 

 rather pointed at the tip, and slightly waved on the hind margin ; their 

 colour is very rich dark bistre-brown, frequently variegated with rich 

 chestnut ; the orbicular spot is circular, but very indistinct, its outline is 

 sometimes indicated by a few white scales ; the reuiform is very bright and 

 conspicuous ; it is of a pure white, excepting a cloud in the centre, which 

 takes the form of the exterior outline, and varies in tint from a dingy 

 smoke-colour to a rich chestnut-brown ; there is a conspicuous but small 

 pale spot on the costa immediately above the reniform, and other smaller 

 ones nearer the tip ; there is also an irregular series of yellowish dots on 

 the disk of the wing, parallel with its hind margin : the hind wings are pale 

 towards the base, very dark smoky-brown towards the hind margin, this 

 colour forming a broad band ; the crescentic discoidal spot and wing-rays 

 in the pale portion of the wings are darker : the thorax, which has a double 

 crest in front, is dark bistre-brown ; the body is smoky gray-brown, with a 

 ferruginous tuft at the base; the tip has a triple tuft in the male, the 

 median lobe being erected, the lateral lobes arched. 



" The egg is laid in June and July, and the young caterpillar emerges 

 towards the end of the latter month ; when full-fed it rolls itself in a tight 

 ring if disturbed, and falls to the ground ; the head is rather small, and 

 partially withdrawn into the second segment when at rest; the body is 

 smooth, very stout, and somewhat attenuated anteriorly; the twelfth 

 segment is the largest, tumid and obtusely humped ; the colour is various, 

 bright green, dingy green, rosy brown, or dark brown; as in many other 

 cases where this difference of colour prevails, the brown specimens generally 



