The caterpillar is dark brown except segments ten to thirteen, which are grey. The line along the spiracles is whitish, and the surface of the body is roughened by a number of minute warts. It feeds on various low plants, including the meadow sweet (_Spiraea ulmaria_), water avens (_Geum rivale_), common avens (_G. urbanum_), and knot-grass (_Polygonum aviculare_), during April and May. _The Blood-vein_ (_Timandra amataria_) Our last example of the _Acidaliidae_ is the Blood-vein, which is common in most parts of England in June and July. [Illustration: FIG. 185.--THE BLOOD-VEIN.] Its fore wings are pale grey, dusted with darker grey, and crossed by an oblique red streak which runs from the tip of the fore wing to near the inner margin of the hind wing. A slender dark and wavy line lies outside this one, parallel with it in the hind wing, but meeting it near the tip of the fore wing. The caterpillar is grey, with three white longitudinal stripes. It feeds in the autumn on dock (_Rumex_), sorrel (_R. acetosa_), and knot-grass (_Polygonum aviculare_). Family--CABERIDAE Six species, all of rather small size, constitute the British portion of the above family. Their wings are mostly white or pale grey, with light markings, and without angles. The moths are to be caught with the net at dusk, or they may be seen on fences and tree trunks during the day, with their wings fully extended and applied closely to the surface on which they rest. The larvae, which have no humps, feed on trees, and change to the chrysalis state in light silken cocoons. _The Common Wave_ (_Cabera exanthemata_) The first of our two examples of this small family is the Common Wave, the wings of which are pale grey, almost white, dusted all over with small dark dots. The fore wings are crossed by three parallel and equidistant darker transverse lines, and the hind pair by two. The male may be distinguished by its ciliated antennae. [Illustration: FIG. 186.--THE COMMON WAVE.] The caterpillar is yellow or greenish yellow, with hinder segments slightly swollen. It feeds during the latter part of the summer on sallows (_Salix caprea_ and _S. cinerea_) and alder (_Alnus glutinosa_), and changes to a chrysalis in a light cocoon among fallen leaves. In this state it spends the winter, the perfect insect emerging in May or June. This species is very abundant in most parts. _The Clouded Silver_ (_Bapta temerata_) The other example is the Clouded Silver, the wings of which are white, and clouded along the hind margin with smoky grey. On the hind margin of the fore wings, close to the fringe, is a row of black crescent-shaped spots; and on the inner side of the cloudings is a waved transverse band. In the centre of the same wings there is a very distinct dark spot. [Illustration: FIG. 187.--THE CLOUDED SILVER.] This moth is not so common as the last, but is widely distributed. It flies in May and June.