THE TIGER-MOTH 



6i 



legs are concealed by the wings. The legs are bent, and only 

 the tibia and tarsus are visible. Just within the base of the 

 feeler a prominence marks the position of the compound eye. 

 On the sides of the body are the wings, the hind pair being 

 almost altogether hidden by the fore pair. The ten segments 

 of the abdomen are visible on the back of the pupa : the first 

 and last but one are of small 

 size, while the last is con- 

 spicuous, and bears a spine- 

 like projection. 



The moth shows two pairs 

 of broad wings and three pairs 

 of long legs. The wings of 

 the male are connected at the 

 base by a stout bristle which 

 projects from the hind wing, 

 and is held by a hook-like 

 tuft on the fore wing ; in the 

 female the bristle is divided 

 into three or four, and is 

 shorter than in the male. 

 When at rest the wings slope, 

 and are somewhat folded. On 

 the head we distinguish the 

 large, black, compound eyes, 

 the feelers, slender and hair- 

 like in the female, pectinate 

 (comb-Uke) in the male. 

 The proboscis is rather short, 

 rolled twice round, and 

 kept out of harm's way; it 



consists of two flexible, grooved, many -jointed rods (the 

 maxillse), which can be closely applied to one another, 

 and held in place by innumerable hooks, when the two 

 grooves unite to form a tube, along which the sweet juices 

 of flowers can be sucked up. The labial palps stand out 

 like tusks on each side of the proboscis. The hairy body 

 does not show its true form until it is wetted with alcohol, or 

 divested of its covering by careful brushing ; the thorax will 

 then be seen to consist mainly of a large mesothorax, which 

 bears the fore wings; the prothorax is reduced to a narrow 



Fig. 43. — Mouth-parts of Ijuniet moth. 

 The identity of the parts marked J/?z with 

 so true mandibles has been tiuestioned. 



