THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



114 



collected in large numbers, though the gayer 

 colours of the latter species makes it perhaps 

 the greater favourite. Both the scientific 

 and common names . are derived from a 

 peculiar habit of the caterpillar. It may 

 often be seen, when it finds a drop of dew on 

 its food, to suck it up, as if the rather dry 

 grasses on which it feeds, scarcely contained 

 enough moisture for digestion. Those who 

 would rear it successfully in confinement, 

 will do well to remember this, and to 

 imitate nature as far as possible, by sprink- 

 ling a few drops of water over the food 

 every day. It feeds chiefly at night, but 

 does not conceal itself during the day, and 

 may be found at rest on the grass stems, or 

 on the herbage near ; often stretched out on 

 a dry thorn near a hedge. Considering its 

 abundance, the imago is seldom seen. 



" POTATORIA, L., Potatoria, potator, a 

 drinker ; from the habit of the larva." A.L. 



Imago. — The male expands about two 

 inches. The forewings are ochreous yellow, 

 the costa, hind margin and most of the inner 

 margin reddish brown. A dark streak runs 

 from the tip to the centre of the inner 

 margin ; between this and the hind margin 

 is a dark line curved at every wing ray ; 

 there is also another dark line nearer to the 

 base. At the disk there is a distinct pale 

 ring, rather silvery, and nearly always a 

 small spot of similar colour between this 

 and the costa. The hind wings are reddish 

 brown, yellower towards the base. The 

 female is considerably larger, often expand- 

 ing two inches and a half. It is much paler 

 in colour than the male, and the markings 

 are often not so well defined. The tip of 

 the wing is much more pointed in the female. 

 The antennse are very, densely pectinated in 

 the male, but only slightly so in the female. 



The Egg is pale greenish blue, and 

 when ejected is covered with a gummy 

 substance, by which it adheres to the blades 

 of grass &c. 



The Larva is difficult to describe, but 

 very distinct in appearance, and very 

 beautiful. It is pale greyish blue, with 

 three pair of tufts of hair on each segment, 

 dark golden brown in colour. At their 

 base, and forming an interrupted sub dorsal 

 line, is an irregular row of golden yellow 

 spots. The spiracles are white, between 

 two diagonal irregular lines of the same 

 golden yellow hue ; between, and rather 

 below them are three or four slender 

 tufts of white hair. Near the head is 

 a distinct tuft of dark hair, and another 

 near the tail. 



Pupa.— The larva spins a rather long 

 slender cocoon, pointed at each end, and 

 pale ochreous-yellow in colour, affixed to 

 the grass stems, or other convenient place. 

 In this it changes to a black pupa, very 

 lively and impatient of being disturbed. If 

 touched it wriggles about in the cocoon in a 

 most perceptible way. 



Food Plant. — Various species of 

 grass, but it seems partial to the coarse 

 grass, generally to be found at the foot of a 

 hedge. 



Times of Appearance. — The 



Imago emerges in July, and may be found 

 during that month, and in August, The eggs 

 are laid singly, on, or near the food plant, 

 and hatch in a few days, the larvae feed in 

 the autumn till they are about an inch in 

 length. They are . then exactly like the 

 adult larvae in colour and markings. In 

 this state they pass the winter, and in March 

 or April begin to feed up again. The 

 cocoon is spun towards the end of June. 



Habitat.— Gf assy places. It is often 

 abundant on the grassy hedge banks, but 

 may be found almost everywhere among 

 coarse grasses. It is generally distributed 

 throughout Britain, but is perhaps least 

 abundant in the North of Scotland. It 

 occurs throughout central Europe, extending 

 Southwards to Piedmont, and in the North 



