Our lovely moth, also known as Cerura vinulais, gains its name from its furry feel, which is, indeed, reminiscent of a feline friend. Though our card gives another reason, that "It derives its name from the appearance of the caterpillar, which has a startling face. much like a cat, and two wavy tails on its hinder end."
It always seemed to much prefer the southern parts of the British Isles, but, perhaps due to loss of habitat, or even changing climates, it is starting to move ever steadily northwards. It does not seem to mind where it lives, as long as there is easy access to food, for themselves and their caterpillars, and the food of choice are tree leaves, especially aspens, poplars, and willows.
The moth is, dare I say, not that spectacular in looks, it is grey, and the markings are either dark grey or black, save three lines in orange that slide down from its head to its wings - but the caterpillars are amazing. They may start as little dark brown lines on the backs of the leaves, but yellows and greens soon start to arrive, so that they better blend in with their surroundings, harder for predator insects, or birds, to spot, and in August they are at their brightest, with red and yellow faces, and a brown saddle, edged in yellowy white, extending down their backs and girthed around their stomachs.
The species was first described in 1758, by Carl Linnaeus - but they took much longer to appear on cards. Most collectors cite its rookie card as number nine John Player`s "Butterflies and Moths", which was issued in 1904, a set also circulated by Adkin, with the same numbers, but in 1924, twenty years later. You can compare both versions at the New York Public Library, to which they were donated by Jefferson Burdick. The cards do give a different Latin name though, of Dieranura Vinula, which I have not been able to track down elsewhere. And before I race ahead, the 1911 set by the same title, but issued by Imperial Tobacco Co. of Canada, is not the same as these.
The moth then goes off into its chrysalis, as the next time it pops up on cards is not until the 1930s. Its first flight comes courtesy of Ogden Ltd`s "Colour in Nature", card 19, which only shows the caterpillar - and makes it look pretty freakish. That is followed by two appearances in 1938, both of which only show the moth - those being our card, issued in August, and the larger sized Wills "Butterflies and Moths", issued in October.
Our set is first catalogued in our original Gallaher reference book, RB.4, published in 1944, as :
- 1938. 48. BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS (titled series). Size 2 1/2" x 1 7/16". Numbered, 1-48. Fronts, printed in full colours by offset-litho, black marginal lines, white margins, and subjects titled. Backs, printed in maroon, with descriptions, "Issued by Gallaher, Ltd., Virginia House, London & Belfast." Printed by E.S.A. Robinson Ltd., Bristol
Needless to say most of this information is not carried forward to our original World Tobacco Index, where all we get is :
- BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS. Sm. Nd. (48). ... G12-76
And that remains the only text in our updated volume, apart from a new card code, of GO75-550