204 



THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



but I think this is more often bred than 

 captured. Another of the August Bomby- 

 cina is Liparis chrysorrhcea, which occurs 

 in the south. It is much like Awriflua, but 

 has the tuft at the extremity of the abdomen 

 brown instead of golden yellow. 



Geometrina for August. 



The second brood of the False Mocha 

 moth (Ephyra porata), the Mocha (Ephyra 

 omicronaria), the Dingy Mocha (Ephyra 

 orHcularia) t the Yellow Belle (Aspilates 

 citraria), the Many-lined moth (PTiibalap- ] 

 teryx conjunctaria) , and the Curved Streak 

 ( Chesias ohliquaria) are among the Geomet- 

 rina occurring in August. The False Mocha 

 (Ephyra porata) is the same size as the 

 Common Silver Ground Carpet moth 

 (Melanippe montanata). The forewings are 

 dusted with grey on a reddish ochreous 

 ground, and with indistinct lines. Near 

 the middle of each wing is a white spot, 

 surrounded by a black ring ; the central 

 shade is pale grey. It should be looked for 

 about oak trees, especially where saplings 

 are plentiful. 



The Mocha moth (Ephyra omicronaria) 

 is smaller than the preceding ; the wings 

 are straw colour, with a broad dark grey 

 serrated band between the middle and the 

 hind margin of the fore wings continued to 

 the inner margin of the hind wings, and a 

 paler line between this and the margin of 

 the wings. There is also a black ring about 

 the centre of each wing, and an angulated 

 dark line between this and the base. The 

 abdomen is rather dark and somewhat 

 depressed in shape. The moth is 

 more likely to be met with where maple 

 trees are plentiful. The rare Dingy Mocha 

 (Ephyra orbicularia) is about the size of the 

 False Mocha. In colour the wings are grey, 

 dusted with reddish, with two angulated 

 and serrated dark grey lines, and in the 

 middle of each is a reddish grey ring with a 

 white spot in its centre. The place to look 

 for this moth is about sallows and alders. 



Aspilates citraria is about the same size 

 as the common V moth (Halia wavaria). 

 The fore wings are yellow minutely spotted 

 with brown, and with two brown lines, one 

 near the hind margin and a semicircular 

 one near the base ; both are rather serrated. 

 There is also a brown spot a little distance 

 above the centre of each wing. The hind 

 wings are very pale with one not very 

 distinct waved line, which becomes obliter- 

 ated as it approaches the inner margin. It 

 is useless looking for it anywhere else than 

 the south coast. Plymouth is a likely place 

 to meet with it. 



Phibalapteryx conjunctaria (the Many- 

 lined) expands less than an inch ; the fore 

 wings have the tip greatiy prolonged ; in 

 colour they are a very pale brown, with a 

 dark band commencing at the tip of each, 

 as if to run obliquely across the wing, but 

 suddenly becoming indistinct when it has 

 got half way. There is also a number of 

 thin lines, each of which makes a distinct 

 angle close to the costa, and then runs 

 straight across the wing. The " central 

 shade" is dark between the inner margin 

 and the middle of the wing, but lighter near 

 the costa, and this light part encloses a 

 distinct spot. 



The Straw Belle, as much as a quarter of 

 an inch larger than the Yellow Belle already 

 described, with very pale yellow fore wings, 

 minutely spotted with brown, and with a 

 straight light brown line running obliquely 

 from the tip of each to the inner margin, is 

 another geometer to be looked for in the 

 southern counties in places where the com- 

 mon yarrow (Achillea millefolium) grows 

 abundantly. Its scientific name is Aspilates 

 gilvaria. 



I fear I have not space for any more of 

 the August Geometrina : I will, however, 

 just mention two — the small ochreous (male) 

 or purple brown (female; Gem Moth (Camp- 

 togramma fiuviata), usually reckoned a 

 southern insect, but individuals of which 



