84 MOTHS 



PLATE XLIV 

 THE GREY DAGGER (3) 



You cannot possibly fail to recognise this moth 

 if you meet with it, for its front wings are of a 

 light pearly-grey colour, with a number of black 

 markings upon them, several of which look just 

 like little daggers laid sideways. It is a very 

 common insect indeed, and all through June and 

 July you may see it resting on fences, and walls, 

 and tree-trunks. A little later you may find the 

 caterpillar, which is quite as easy to recognise 

 as the moth. It has a rather hairy body, a black 

 head with two yellow stripes upon it, and a black 

 body, with a broad yellow streak along the back, 

 and a number of small red streaks on each side, 

 which are curved in the shape of a bow. Besides 

 this, it has two humps on its back, the front one 

 of which is black, while the hinder one is yellow ; 

 so that altogether it is a very odd-looking creature 

 indeed. It feeds on the leaves of beech, lime, 

 poplar, hawthorn, pear, and ever so many other 

 trees, and is fully fed about the middle of Sep- 

 tember, when it creeps into some cranny in the 

 bark, spins a strong silken cocoon, and turns 

 into a chrysalis. 



