oblique darkish mark on each side of each segment; these slant back¬ 
wards so that the pair meeting at the centre of the back form a series 
of \/'lil {e markings, with the point of the \J directed backwards. The 
foremost pair of these markings, as shown in the figure, are the 
darkest. Beneath these oblique marks is a wavy stripe running along 
the side, and beneath this again are five oblique bands (slanting in the 
opposite direction to the uppermost row), of which four run down the 
sucker-legs. The length, when full-grown, is an inch and a half or 
rather more. It is to be found in summer and autumn, and when 
full-fed, which may be towards the end of September, buries itself in 
the ground to go through its changes. 
On Sept. 30tli I was favoured with the following notes of observa¬ 
tion of attack by Mr. Oliver E. Janson, F.E.S., of Perth Road> 
London, N.;— “ The larva of M. persicarice has been exceedingly 
abundant and destructive to the leafage of various plants, including 
Gooseberry, in my own garden this year ; there are still many left, 
although I have destroyed a great number. The variation of colour 
is very striking, especially the extremes you mention (rosy brown and 
a beautiful green).” 
To this, later on, Mr. Janson added the following note, which is of 
practical interest, as showing the very great number of caterpillars 
present, the variety of plants they attacked, and also their great 
variety of colour :— 
“ Although I believe insects generally have been remarkably scarce 
this year, the caterpillars of some of the Lepidoptera have certainly 
been exceptions, for, besides an unusual quantity of Pieris rupee, 
Spilosoma lubricipeda, Abraxas grossulariata, and Mamestra brassiere ,* the 
gardens in this neighbourhood have suffered severely from the ravages 
of the caterpillar of the common ‘Dot’ Moth ( Mamestra persicarice) f 
which made its appearance in extraordinary abundance about the 
middle of August, and lasted up to the end of September. 
“ In my own garden, although I destroyed some hundreds of them, 
their numbers seemed in no way diminished, and almost all plants 
were attacked by them; but Lettuce, Parsley, Mint, Gooseberry, 
Geranium, and Marigold they appeared particularly partial to and 
entirely devoured, and some, which were kept in confinement in a 
larva-cage, I found would feed as readily on Apple and Poplar as any 
other kind of plant. The colour of these caterpillars varies very 
much, and when full-grown some of the varieties are so beautiful that 
one almost feels reluctant to destroy them; the peculiar shading of 
the markings of various tints of green, grey, or brown render them 
* Popularly the Small White Cabbage Butterfly, Buff Ermine Moth, Magpie or 
Currant Moth, and Cabbage Moth, 
