Some British Moths Described 
Family BrepHIDES. 
Brephos parthenias: the Orange Underwing (Plate 
XIII., Fig. 23).—Expanse, 1} inches. Flies in the sun. 
shine among the bare Birch twigs in March and April, 
Larva in July on Birch and Oak. 
We now come to the GromeTra&, or “loopers,” a 
fairly large and distinct group having several well- 
defined characteristics easy to recognize and remember, 
The method of progression of the larve is peculiar; 
they have only one pair of pro-legs, on the tenth seo- 
ment, and the anal claspers on the twelfth; grasping a 
twig with the six front-legs, they draw the end of the 
body up until the pro-legs almost touch the front-legs, 
thus forming themselves into a loop. Taking a firm 
hold with the claspers, the head and fore-legs are again 
extended for a fresh hold, and so on. In this manner 
they can travel very quickly. Many of them do not 
care, or need, to conceal themselves during the day ; 
holding on by the pro-legs and claspers, they extend 
_ themselves at an angle of about 75 degrees, and in this 
position they will remain motionless for hours, imita- 
ting, of course, a leafless twig; they thus escape the 
keen eyes of birds and other possible enemies. 
The moths themselves generally have slender bodies 
and ample wings; they do not come to sugar except 
on rare occasions, and the same may be said in respect 
to flowers. Their flight is not of the dashing order, 
hence they are not difficult to capture with the net. 
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