200 
OAK EGGEB-MOTH. 
considered by Mr. Stephens as referable to the true 
Bom. Quercus of Linnmns, in whose description that 
character is p.articularly mentioned. The others, 
of which the individual figured is an example, he 
has described separately under the name of L. 
Rohorh, adopted from Shrank. The difierences 
between the two are not, however, very important, 
and they obviously do not exceed the limits assigned 
to the range of deviation in the majority of variable 
species. Neither ought the occasional dissimilarities 
observable in the larvas to be assumed as certainly 
indicating specific distinction, for these variations 
often depend on age, sometimes even on the nature 
of the food ; and in such a case as the present, 
where the sexes of the perfect insect are so unlike, it 
is not unreasonable to suppose that they may be re- 
spectively produced from caterpillars partaking more 
or less of the same character. The observations of 
De Geer have proved that in some instances the male 
moth originates from a caterpillar of an entirely dif- 
ferent colour from that which produces the female. 
In the extended sense which we have assigned 
to the name, Laslocampa Quercus is an abundant 
moth in most parts of England, particularly in the 
south. The woods in the neighbourhood of London, 
the New Forest, woods in Cambridge-shire, &c. 
produces it in plenty. It appears to become more 
scai-ce as we advance northward, and it is by no 
means common in Scotland, although occurring at 
times at least throughout the southern division of 
that country. 
