146 LAPPET MOTH. 



resemblance to a bundle of withered leaves than to 

 any living creature. In this strange form lies its 

 chief safety, for there are few eyes sufficiently sharp 

 to detect an insect while hiding its character under 

 so strange a mask. 



There are several other examples of this curious 

 resemblance between the animal and vegetable king- 

 doms, one or two of which will be mentioned in suc- 

 ceeding pages. 



The name of " Lappet Moth " is hardly applicable, 

 as it ought rather to be called the moth of the lappet 

 caterpillar. This title is given to the creature 

 because it is furnished with a series of fleshy pro- 

 tuberances along the sides, to which objects the 

 name of lappets has been fancifully given. 



It is generally supposed to be a rare moth ; but I 

 have not found much difficulty in procuring speci- 

 mens either in the larval state or as moths. Both 

 moth and caterpillar are of a large size, the cater- 

 pillar being about the length and thickness of a 

 man's finger. Its colour is a tolerably dark grey, but 

 subject to some variation in tint. There is no diffi- 

 culty in ascertaining this species of the creature, as 

 it is clearly distinguished from caterpillars of a 

 similar shape or line by two blue marks on the back 

 of its neck, as if a fine brush filled with blue paint 

 had been twice drawn smartly across it. The curious 

 " lappets " too are so conspicuous that they alone 

 would be sufficient for identification. 



