217 
September  3,  19C3. 
JOURNAL  CF  RORTRUJjTVhE  AND  COTTA-^E  CrARPEXER. 
Kingswood  Show  :  The  Epergnes. 
taking  a  high  flight,  then  a  low 
one,  settling  for  a  moment, 
dashing  about  again  amongst 
the  people  in  the  pews, 
till  it  suddenly  vanished. 
The  fore  wings  of  this 
moth  are  variable  in  colour 
and  markings,  but  the  hind 
pair  are  always  orange 
yellow  with  a  narrow  black 
band.  Its  period  of  flight  is 
June  and  July,  the  cater¬ 
pillar  feeding  from  the 
autumn  right  on  to  spring; 
Ave  come  upon  it  both  in  the 
floAver  and  kitchen  garden. 
Spring  often  brings  it  to 
view  at  the  roots  of  early 
Lettuces.  When  alarmed  it 
rolls  into  a  compact  ring. 
In  colour  it  is  broAvn, 
greenish,  or  grey,  having  a 
triple  stripe  doAvn  the  back, 
and  upon  the  sides  some 
black  lines ;  it  is  velvety, 
the  head  being  small.  It 
becomes  a  chrysalis  in  an  oval 
cell  under  the  eax’th. 
So  far  as  my  obserA'ations 
go,  the  juvenile  eatei’pillar 
frequently  lives  exposed  to 
vieAV  on  A’arious  plants,  it 
has  occurred  upon  Chrysanthemums ;  the  approach  of  cold 
Aveather  sends  it  into  or  near  the  ground,  Avhere  plenty  of 
food  may  be  got. 
We  have  also  other  YelloAv  UnderAvings,  less  common  and 
quite  as  handsome,  Avhich  turn  up  in  gardens  noAV  and  then  ; 
the  caterpillars  are  not  mischievous.  The  broad  bordered 
species,  T.  fimbria,  Avhich  is  richly  coloured  on  the  fore 
Avings,  has  the  hind  pair  of  dark  orange,  Avith  a  border  of 
very  deep  black.  During  the  day,  about  the  middle  of 
summer,  this  moth  lurks  in  garden  hedges  occasionally, 
and  if  it  is  disturbed,  flies  out  sharply,  to  hide  again  in 
another  part  of  .the  hedge,  so  that  it  is  not  easy  to  capture. 
Its  broAvn,  mottled,  velvety  caterpillar  is  found  upon  Birch 
and  SalloAV  ;  it  hybernates.  and  is  full-fed  in  May. 
Of  smaller  dimensions  is  the  Lesser  YelloAv  Undeivving, 
T.  robina,  not  quite  as  shoAvy  in  colour,  yet  a  pretty  insect, 
Avith  the  usual  hind-Aving  adornment  of  orange  and  black. 
It  is  a  common  sjDeeies.  and  visits  floAvers  at  sunset.  The 
caterpillar  eats  Ioav  plants  at  first,  aftei-Avards  it  ascends 
various  trees. 
When  Ave  come  to  the  moths  that  are  familiarly  knoAvn 
as  the  “Daggers,”  from  a  figure  upon  the  Avings  of  several 
species  in  the  genus,  Ave  see  there  is  a  decided  family  like¬ 
ness  amongst  the  moths,  but  the  caterpillars  are  sometimes 
very  different  in  appearance.  Tavo  or  three  species  have 
handsome  caterpillars,  Avhich  are  not  numerous  enough, 
usually,  to  damage  the  shrubs  or  trees  upon  Avhich  they  live. 
Truly  a  universal  insect  is  the  Drey  Dagger,  or  Acro- 
nycta  Psi,  Avhieh  has  on  the  grey  fore  Avings  sundry  mark¬ 
Kingswood  Show  :  Best  six  flower  bunches. 
ings  of  black  very  defined,  ai.d  nearly  Avhite  hind  Avings. 
Tnis  appears  about  June,  the  caterpillar  in  August  and 
yeptember;  prol)ably  it  escapes  birds  OAving  to  the  short 
black  hairs  and  bristles  scattered  over  the  body.  Though 
not  a  large  caterpillar,  it  is  a  conspicuous  one,  having  tAvo 
humps,  one  cn  the  fifth  segment,  the  other  aboA'e  the  tail. 
betAveen  them  is  a  broad  yelloAv  stripe.  Along  the  sides  are 
bright  red  spots  and  tiny  Avhite  Avarts.  beloAv  these  a  grey 
liairy  stripe.  Fruit  trees,  HaAvthorn.  and  Elm  supply  its  food. 
<,>uite  a  cockney  species  this,  frequent  in  all  London 
suburbs;  and  so  is  the  Poplar  Grey,  A.  megacephala— a 
Latin  name  presumably  given  because  of  the  caterpillar’s 
big  head.  It  has  a  funny  habit  of  reposing  on  a  leaf  Avith 
the  body  curved,  the  head,  Avhich  has  a  black  blotch  on 
each  cheek,  and  a  V-mark  at  the  back,  is  then  made  to 
touch  the  tenth  segment. 
The  body  is  blackish,  dotted  Avith  spots  of  red  and 
Avhite.  Its  cocoon  is  formed  partly  of  chips  of  bark.  The 
moth  flies  about  our  gardens  and  shrubberies  on  .June 
evenings.  Another  Londoner  is  the  Sycamore  Dagger 
(A.  aceris).  Most  years  Ave  notice  one  or  more  sitting  upon 
the  trunks  of  the  trees,  Avhieh  the  moth  resembles  in  colour. 
Its  caterpillar  is  A’ery  beautiful,  the  ground  colour  is  grey  or 
broAvnish.  doAvn  this  are  snoAV-Avhite  spots,  bordered  by  ciec]) 
black,  along  the  sides  are  pencils  of  orange  or  yelloAv  hairs. 
Some  years  ago  I  used  to  see  that  grand  moth,  the 
Crimson  UnderAving  (Catocala  nupta).  taking  its  flight  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Kensington,  but  by  this  time  I  expee*- 
the  builders  have  driven  it  aAvay,  and  many  of  tl  e 
WilloAvs  that  furnished  focu 
to  the  caterpillar  have  beei. 
cut  doAvn.  The  species  is 
not  uncommon  in  Kent  ar.^ 
other  southern  counties. 
The  fore  Avings  of  the 
moth  are  handsomely  mar¬ 
bled,  the  hind  Avings  have  a 
black  band  upon  crimson 
ground.  It  is  an  autumn 
insect,  the  caterpillar  feed¬ 
ing  about  midsummer;  it, 
clings  closely  to  the  tAvigs, 
being  long  bodied  and  pale 
grey.  Garden  floAvers  or 
fruit  have  proved  to  be  an 
attraction  to  that  rare  moth, 
the  Clifden  Nonpareil,  cr 
C.  Fraxini.  Single  speci¬ 
mens  are  recorded  in  all 
parts  of  England.  There  is 
a  story  of  a  Scotsman  Avho 
ahvays  carried  Avith  him  a 
big  pin  in  the  hope  of 
capturing  one.  At  last  the 
day  came  Avhen  he  saAV  one 
upon  the  paling,  but  he  had 
left  the  pin  at  home !  Hoay- 
ever,  he  Avent  and  fetched  it ; 
fortunately  the  moth  had  not 
moved.— Entoaiolocist. 
Kingswood  Show ;  Flower  bunches,  second  prize. 
