72 MOTHS 



PLATE XXXVII 

 THE MAGPIE MOTH (3 and 4) 



This is called the Magpie Moth because its 

 wings are chiefly black and white in colour, like 

 the plumage of a magpie. But there are two 

 orange bands on the front wings as well, and 

 the body is orange, spotted with black. It varies 

 a good deal in colouring however, for sometimes 

 there are hardly any black markings on the wings, 

 and sometimes there are hardly any white ones. 

 And just now and then you may meet with a 

 very odd Magpie Moth indeed, with the wings 

 on one side of its body a good deal larger than 

 those on the other ! 



This is a very common moth indeed, and you 

 may shake it out of the bushes in almost any 

 garden in July and the early part of August. 

 And you may also find its caterpillars feeding 

 on the leaves of currant and raspberry and goose- 

 berry bushes. It is creamy-white in colour, with 

 rows of large black spots, and a yellow stripe 

 along each side, and turns into a dark brown 

 chrysalis with orange bands round it. And it 

 seems to have a very nasty taste, for no bird will 

 ever attempt to eat it. 



This insect is sometimes known as the Currant 

 Moth. 



