Marvels of the Universe 



357 



frequented thoroughfare of one of our popular South Coast resorts. The particular patch of wall 

 was within a few inches of the shoulders of the numerous passers-by, yet to our knowledge those 

 two moths remained unseen and unmoved for at least six hours in the height of " the season." 

 There seems to be a kind of consciousness in the moth that, so long as it remains immovable, it 

 will be passed as merely one of the hchen-spots that ornament these walls. An interesting point 

 about this moth is that the caterpillar feeds on these same lichens, and consti-ucts for itself a 

 chamber of moss and lichen — unless it can find a hole in the masonry — in which it hides 

 during the day. 



A larger example is afforded by the Grey Arches moth, shown on page 354. This moth spends 

 the dav on tree trunks in or near woods, and it will be seen how admirablv the streaks and out- 



Phrito by\ 



THE M.ARELED CORONET MOTH AT REST ON A BEECH TREE. 



IE. t<lep, F.L.S. 



This beautiful moth has its grey winss marked with white spots which strongly resemble the lichen-spots that are found 



on the bark of most old trees. 



lined spots of its grey-brown wings fit in with the crevices of the bark. So, too, with the lighter 

 Grey Dagger moth, which is often found on lichen-spotted trunks, though om' example was photo- 

 graphed on the author's fence, where it was much less conspicuous than in the narrow limits of the 

 photograph. It will, indeed, be found that in almost every case these sitting moths are invisible 

 save to the trained eye of the entomologist. 



And much the same may be said of caterpillars. If they are not marked with warning colours, 

 or clothed with long hairs or spines, they are coloured to harmonize with some part of their food- 

 plant. The majority are green, but if they feed only at night and spend the day in or on the earth 

 near the root of the plant they will be dirty brown in hue. If day feeders in the open their green 

 may be streaked or spotted in some fashion that will break up their outline. An example is afforded 

 by the photograph of the Beautiful Yellow-underwing moth on page 356. This caterpillar feeds 

 openly on heath and heather, and its green back is chequered with diagonal white spots in such 

 fashion as to repeat the effect of light on the small glossy leaves of its food plant. Even the huge 



