138 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



at a great pace along the paths in our gardens, in search of a suitable place 

 in which to form their sticky cocoons. The moths are much less frequently- 

 seen, they, however, sometimes fly into open windows at night time, and are 

 also to be found on lawns, &c, at daybreak, being then very conspicuous, but 

 as the sun rises they crawl away and hide themselves, amid the thick grass or 

 herbage until the evening. Owing to the extraordinary variation which 

 occasionally takes place in specimens of this species, it is a favourite one to 

 rear with collectors, and many are the methods to obtain a " Black Tiger." 

 It is indeed somewhat curious that the insect should maintain its vivid colors 

 amid such smoky surroundings. My own experience makes me think that 

 the dark varities are really caused through ill-health, insomuch as most of 

 those which emerge are cripples. I once reared one which was almost jet- 

 black, but, unfortunately, the wings were crinkled and ribbed, in the manner 

 ' known too well by most lepidopterists. 



Sesia tipuliformis after mining our currant twigs throughout the winter in 

 the shape of a white maggot, emerges during June and July, and is found bask- 

 ing on currant trees up some sunny wall. S. myopiformis is also occasionally to 

 be found in the vicinity of apple or pear trees, a specimen was captured last year 

 in Haggerston, and I think that it would be observed much more frequently 

 in London, if carefully looked after by those who have fruit trees near them. 

 S. cynipiformis, I believe, still exists in Hyde Park, on the old oaks at the 

 back of the powder magazine, but in these days of dynamite, any attempt on 

 the part of an entomologist to visit these trees is met with active remon- 

 strance on the part of the sentry on duty. 



Perhaps the Buff Ermine (Arctia lubricepeda) and White Ermine (Arciia 

 mentkastri), are amongst the most familiar of our town species, the perfect 

 insects being commonly observed at rest on fences, door-posts, &c, during 

 the summer, and the larvae always appear in great profusion during the 

 autumn, feeding on almost everything growing in our gardens — the tea-tree, 

 Virginia creeper and elder being especial favourites in this district. The 

 extraordinary activity of these larvae is well worthy of note, and any entomo- 

 logist having a quantity of them feeding, cannot fail to experience it when 

 engaged in supplying them with fresh food. Liparis monacha (the Black 

 Arches) is said to have been taken in London, but I have never seen it myself 

 and hardly credit it breeding here ; another of the genus, however, is without 

 doubt a regular inhabitant, this is Salicis (the Satin moth), which a few years 

 ago was exceedingly abundant and is still fairly common, the larvae feeding 

 upon various kinds of poplar. When young these larvae appear to be gre- 

 garious, and the pupae may frequently be observed spun over each other on 

 one branch ; June is the best time to take this species. 



