THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



48 



This is perhaps the most effective of all the 

 means that have been tried for lessening its 

 numbers. The larva is easily beaten out, 

 but this process is always more or less 

 injurious to the trees themselves, while the 

 pupa is comparatively so small that only an 

 experienced "digger" would find it. 



The Imago is greyish brown with 

 several narrow darker bars crossing the 

 fore wings. The hind wings are pale grey 

 and nearly devoid of markings. The female 

 is similarly marked to the male, but the 

 wings are reduced to a narrow strip only 

 and are of no use for flight. The male 

 expands about an inch and a quarter ; the 

 i female barely half an inch. 



The Egg is laid in the crevices of the 

 bark. In confinement the female will pro- 

 trude her eggs through the interstices of 

 muslin or leno, so that they appear as if 

 deposited on the outside. When first laid 

 they are white with a faint greenish tinge, 

 but they quickly turn to a reddish orange, 

 and before hatching become quite brown. 

 Newman suggests that where this moth is a 

 pest " the pruning of fruit trees should not 

 be done till after Christmas, that a portion 

 of the eggs may be carried away with the 

 prunings, none of which should be dug in 

 or allowed to remain on the ground, as the 

 egg would hatch in spring, and the young 

 caterpillar ascend the tree or shrub. 



The Larva emerges before the leaves 

 appear upon the trees and eats its way into 

 the unopened buds. When these burst, the 

 larva spins together the leaves on the ter- 

 minal portion of the shoot, and lives there 

 in concealment, feasting on the tenderest of 

 the young leaves, and obstructing the growth 

 of the others with its silken threads. In 

 appearance it is not very like the ordinary 

 form of a Geometer larva, being rather short 

 and thick, and tapering to each extremity. 

 Its concealed life and little need for loco- 

 motion appear to have prevented its de- 



velopement in the ordinary way. Its colour 

 varies from green to brown or nearly black, 

 with paler longitudinal stripes. 



The Pupa is just below the surface of 

 the ground in a slight cocoon. It is pale 

 reddish orange in colour and of the usual 

 shape. 



The Food-plant of this species in- 

 cludes almost every tree and shrub, either 

 in orchards, woods, or hedgerows, and al- 

 though it may have a preference for some 

 trees rather than others, I do not know any 

 it will not eat. 



Time of Appearance.— As already 



said, the imago may be found from Novem- 

 to the middle of January. The eggs are 

 laid in December, or early in January, and 

 the larva is full fed by May or June. 



Varieties.— I have not met with or 

 heard of any striking varieties of this species. 

 It varies a little in colour, and in the depth 

 of hue of the darker bands. 



The Distribution of the species is 

 very general over Europe, but it does not 

 appear to reach the Polar regions, though 

 Dr. Staudinger marks it as probably occur- 

 ing in Greenland. 



THE "YOUNG NATURALIST" 

 ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE 

 OF BRITISH INSECTS. 



The second plate issued with this part 

 contains figures of three species of Deltoides, 

 eleven of Pyralides, and one Crambite with 

 its larva. 



The Deltoides are — 



Hypena crassalis. — A very distinct and 

 beautiful species, not scarce where it occurs, 

 but very local. 



Herminia derivalis. — A scarce and local 

 insect that might readily be mistaken by a 

 beginner for one of the larger Addalia. 



