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diff --git a/41782.txt b/41782.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 43deb4c..0000000 --- a/41782.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13536 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Moths of the British Isles, First Series, by -Richard South - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Moths of the British Isles, First Series - Comprising the Families Sphingidae to Noctuidae - -Author: Richard South - -Release Date: January 5, 2013 [EBook #41782] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHS OF BRITISH ISLES, 1ST SERIES *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Keith Edkins and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 1. - 1. SPURGE HAWK: _caterpillar_. - 2, 3. SILVER-STRIPED HAWK: _caterpillar_. - 4. OLEANDER HAWK: _caterpillar_. - -THE MOTHS - -OF THE - -BRITISH ISLES - -BY - -RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. - -AUTHOR OF "THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES" EDITOR OF "THE -ENTOMOLOGIST," ETC. - -FIRST SERIES - -COMPRISING - -_THE FAMILIES SPHINGIDAE TO NOCTUIDAE_ - -WITH ACCURATELY COLOURED FIGURES OF EVERY SPECIES AND MANY VARIETIES ALSO -DRAWINGS OF EGGS, CATERPILLARS, CHRYSALIDS AND FOOD-PLANTS - -LONDON - -FREDERICK WARNE & CO. - -AND NEW YORK - -1907 - -(_All rights reserved_) - -PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN - - * * * * * - -PREFACE. - -Compared with our butterflies, the number of moths found in the British -Isles is very large. Like the butterflies, moths too are dependent upon -plant life, and almost every kind of herb, bush, or tree, will be found to -nourish the caterpillars of one or more species of moth. - -Not only the field botanist, but every rambler in the country must -constantly come across moths or caterpillars that will probably interest -him, and of which he would be glad to learn something about their habits, -life-history, and the position they occupy in the arrangement and -classification of Natural History objects. - -In the preparation of this little book on our moths, the author has -proceeded closely on the lines adopted when dealing with the butterflies in -his previous volume. That is, the chief aim has been to place before the -nature lovers as much information concerning these creatures as could be -condensed into moderate limits. - -Lengthy descriptions were out of the question, but what might be considered -an omission in this way, is amply compensated for by the life-like -portraits of typical examples of the moths themselves, and in many cases of -their more important varieties. Technicalities have been avoided as far as -possible, the main object being to provide a guide to the identification of -our moths, together with a simple account of the whole or a part of their -earlier stages. - -The author is fully aware that this method of treatment only enables him to -touch the fringe of the subject, as it were, but he has been content to -deal with it in this way, as it appeared to be the kind of information that -would most nearly meet the requirements of the majority. - -The author desires here to express his thanks to Mr. Robert Adkin, F.E.S., -for the loan of specimens of _L. coenosa_, _E. ilicifolia_, _D. harpagula_, -_N. albula_, _N. centonalis_, _D. barrettii_, _D. caesia_, _P. -xanthomista_, _T. extrema_, _L. favicolor_, _L. vitellina_, and _H. -palustris_. To Mr. Alfred Sich, F.E.S., for the use of drawings of the -caterpillars of _D. tiliae_, _S. fagi_, _L. bicoloria_, _P. ridens_, _A. -auricoma_, _A. rumicis_, _A. aceris_, _N. brunnea_, _M. oleracea_, _A. -tragopogonis_, _T. gothica_, and _T. incerta_. To Mr. H. L. Sich for the -loan of drawings of the caterpillars of _D. euphorbiae_, _D. galii_, _D. -chaonia_, and _P. dictoea_. For the material figured on Plate 148, except -the larva of _L. putrescens_, kindly sent by Mr. Walker, of Torquay, he is -indebted to Mr. H. M. Edelsten, F.E.S. - -Except where otherwise mentioned, the illustrations of moths and -caterpillars at rest are from photographs by "A Forester." - -To Mr. Horace Knight he is very greatly obliged for the care bestowed upon -the drawings of ova, larvae, and pupae, the bulk of which were made from -living examples; also the coloured drawings for Plates 1, 45, 63, 68, 73, -75, 80, 84, 90, 108, 119, 123, 140, 146, 149, and 153. The only figures -copied from any previous publication are those of the caterpillars of _S. -fuliginosa_, _D. sanio_, _D. pulchella_, _A. corticea_, _A. strigula_, _N. -plecta_, and _N. augur_ (Wilson's "Larvae Brit. Lep."); and among the -moths, the varieties of _A. caia_; _D. mendica_ (4 Yorks.), Trans. Ent. -Soc. Lond., 1889; _S. walkeri_, Curtis, and _N. subrosea_, Stephens. - - RICHARD SOUTH. - - * * * * * - -PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION. - -A new edition of this volume having become necessary, it was deemed a -fitting opportunity to bring the subject matter somewhat in line with our -present knowledge of the Nomenclature, Habits, and Distribution of the -Species considered therein. With this end in view, the new facts have been -incorporated in the text so far as this was possible. Matter that could not -be accommodated in this way has been presented in the form of an Appendix. - -The changes in the names of genera are not numerous, and in every case -where such change has been made, the name used in the first edition has -been placed in brackets--_i.e._ _Pieris daplidice_ of the 1st edition -becomes in the present one _Pontia (Pieris) daplidice_. - -By this treatment it has been found convenient to utilise the old Index -and, at the same time, to provide a Specific Index for those who prefer to -consult the volume by its aid. - - * * * * * - -{1} - -THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. - -PART I. - -INTRODUCTORY. - -As mentioned in "Butterflies of the British Isles," there is, speaking -generally, no clear line of division between moths and butterflies, and, as -Dr. Sharp, in "Insects," puts the case, "the only definition that can be -given of Heterocera [moths] is the practical one that all Lepidoptera that -are not butterflies are Heterocera." Now, it happens that all the -butterflies occurring in these islands have the tips of the horns -(_antennae_) clubbed; and, although there is much variety in the structure -of the horns of our moths, none of them have the tips knobbed. - -Like the butterflies, moths pass through the stages of egg, caterpillar, -and chrysalis before they attain the perfect state (_imago_), and the -duration of the several stages is just as variable. The majority assume the -moth condition but once in the year, but some species have two, or even -three, generations in the twelve months, whilst others occupy twenty-four -months in completing the life cycle. In one or two species the chrysalis -stage may last four, five, or even six years. - -Diversity of form and structure is considerable in the early stages as well -as in the perfect insects, and this is shown in the {2} selection of -life-history details figured on the black and white plates in this volume. - -[Illustration: FIG. 1. - -CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH AND FLOWER OF NICOTIANA. - -(Photos by W. J. Lucas.)] - -Except that it is generally less prominent, the head, with the various -parts thereof, is pretty much the same as in the butterflies. In a few -families, however, the "tongue" (proboscis) is only rudimentary or even -entirely absent; while in others it is very long. The Convolvulus Hawk-moth -has the proboscis of such length that it is able to reach the deep-seated -nectary of such tubular flowers as those of _Nicotiana affinis_. In the -illustration the "tongue" of the moth and the sweet-scented tobacco blossom -are shown on exactly the same scale. - -Fig. 2 represents some forms of antennae found in moths. A, {3} thickened -and spreading out towards the tip (_dilate_); B, simple, thread-like -(_filiform_) structure, without teeth, hairs, or bristles; C, fringed with -fine hairs (_ciliate_); D, fringed with fine hairs, and with longer -bristles at the joints (_setose ciliate_); E, the fringe in tufts -(_fasciculate_); F, toothed, with fine hairs on the teeth (_dentate -ciliate_); G, toothed with hairs in tufts from the teeth (_dentate -fasciculate_); H, I, with double rows of hair scales (_bipectinate_); in I -the projections are continued to the tip, and are themselves fringed with -fine hairs, giving the antennae a very feather-like appearance--the term -"plumose" is sometimes used to describe this form of antennae; in H the -pectinations do not reach the apical fourth, which is simple. J, the -_lamellate_, that is, the undersides of the rings or joints are made up of -minute plates. - -[Illustration: FIG. 2. - -ANTENNAE OF MOTHS.] - -[Illustration: FIG 3. - -CONNECTING BRISTLE AND CATCH.] - -The wings of a moth are practically identical with those of a butterfly -(see diagram "Butterflies of the British Isles," p. 12). Normally the fore -wings have twelve ribs or veins, and the hind {4} wings eight, but in some -genera a rib, or perhaps two, may be absent from the fore or the hind -wings; or an extra rib, sometimes two, may be found on the hind wings. -These modifications, and others, of the general plan of neuration have been -employed as a basis upon which to found genera, or to group them together -in classification. - -[Illustration: FIG. 4. - -THE JUGUM, OR YOKE.] - -Fig. 3 shows the arrangement by which the upper and lower wings of a moth -are united in flight. The bristle (_frenulum_) arising from the base of the -hind wing is held in place by the catch (_retinaculum_) on the costal -nervure of the fore wing. It will be noticed that the bristle of the male -is longer and firmer than that of the female. The latter, moreover, is -usually made up of two or more strands; the catch, too, in the female is on -the median instead of the costal nervure. These structures are found on the -under side of the wings of most moths, but they are absent in all -butterflies. The Emperor, Kentish Glory, and Eggars may be mentioned as -examples of moths lacking the connecting bristle, but all these have -feather-like antennae, which terminate in a point. The Burnets have the -antennae gradually thickened towards the tip (A. Fig. 2), and in this -respect are somewhat butterfly-like, but these moths have a frenulum. - -The hind wings of the Swifts, and a few others grouped with them, have -twelve veins, and these moths have a _jugum_, or yoke (see Fig. 4). This is -a flap-like projection from the inner margin, near the base, of the fore -wing; it may serve to connect the wings when the insect flies, but it does -not seem to be capable of giving much help in that way. {5} - -[Illustration: FIG. 5. - -WINGS AND BODY OF A MOTH. - -_h._ Head; _th._ Thorax; _col._ Collar; _lap._ Lappet; _ab._ Abdomen. -_b.l._ basal line; _b.s._ basal streak; _i.l._ inner line; -_c.s._ claviform stigma; _o.s._ orbicular stigma; _c._ central shade; -_r.s._ reniform stigma; _o.l._ outer line; _a.p._ apical patch; -_s.m._ submarginal line.] - -[Illustration: FIG. 6. - -PALE TUSSOCK-MOTH AT REST.] - -In describing a moth various markings, etc., have to be referred to, and as -it may assist the reader more easily to locate the usual position of such -characters the accompanying diagram has been prepared. The lines crossing -the fore wings from the front edge, or margin (_costa_), to the inner edge, -or margin (_dorsum_), are generally styled transverse lines; the short one -is the basal; the first long one is the inner, or antemedial; the second is -the outer, or postmedial; and the third is the submarginal, or subterminal. -The whole wing, less the margins, is sometimes called the disc; but it is -more convenient to divide the fore wing into three parts, naming that -between the base of the wing and the first line the basal area; the space -between the first and second lines the central or median area, and the part -beyond the second line the outer area. The more or less round or oval rings -or dashes on {6} the central area are the stigmata, and these characters -occur more especially in the Noctuidae. The hind wings usually have a fine -short line, crescent, or spot, at the end of the cell, as in the -butterflies, and there is generally a line or band beyond. - -Immediately behind the head and covering the front part of the thorax is a -tippet-like arrangement of scales; this is the collar. On each side of the -thorax there is a shoulder lappet (_patagium_) which has its base on the -front part of the thorax also. Both tippet and lappet are often peculiarly -ornamented, and the former is sometimes strikingly coloured. The thorax is -sometimes crested, and more frequently the body is furnished with tufts of -erect hair scales. - -The number of moths occurring in the British Islands is well over two -thousand. The majority of these hardly ever find favour with the collector. -This is probably owing in a large measure to the fact that they belong to a -division of the moth tribe which has been dubbed Micro-lepidoptera. It -happens, however, that quite a number of the species included in that -division are actually larger than many kinds that were placed in the other -contingent styled Macro-lepidoptera. According to the most recent -authorities the division of moths into two such main groups as those -adverted to is entirely fictitious and misleading. Possibly, when this new -order of things is more generally understood the so-called "Micros" will -receive their proper share of attention. - -In the older systems of classification the Clear wings (Sesiidae) were -associated with the Hawk-moths (Sphingidae), but the former family is now -considered to be more closely connected with the Tineidae. The Goat-moth -(_Cossus ligniperda_) has been removed from among the Bombyces, its name -changed to _Trypanus cossus_, and placed in the family Trypanidae, which is -relegated to the neighbourhood of the Tortricidae. The Burnets -(Zygaenidae), together with _Heterogenea limacodes_ and _H. asella_ -(Cochliopodidae), also _Macrogaster castaneae_ and _Zeuzera pyrina_ -(Cossidae {7} part) are removed by Meyrick to the Psychina, a group placed -between that author's Pyralidina and Tortricina. The Swifts (Hepialidae) -are grouped with Micropterygidae, which are considered to be primitive -forms of Lepidoptera originating in the Caddis-flies or Trichoptera--a -division of the Order Neuroptera. - -Except that the Cymbidae and Arctiidae are placed just before the Noctuidae -instead of after the Geometridae, the arrangement of families, genera, and -species adopted in the present work is very much the same as that in the -1901 edition of Staudinger's Catalogue. Many British entomologists are now -interested in the lepidopterous insects of the Palaearctic, or at least the -European, fauna, of which our islands furnish but a relatively small number -of species. Others, who at the present time are perhaps but beginners, may -very possibly desire, later on, to extend their collections and their -knowledge by making entomological expeditions to various parts of the -continent. It seemed therefore desirable that in an introductory book on -British moths its method of arrangement should at least be founded on some -generally accepted system. {8} - -FIELD WORK. - -[Illustration: FIG. 7. - -DRINKER-MOTH AT REST.] - -Several methods of moth collecting are in vogue, but space will only permit -of a few of those most frequently practised being here referred to, and -those suitable for day work will first be considered. Although small woods -should not be neglected, large tracts of woodland afford the moth hunter -the best chance of success in searching for those species that usually sit -during the daytime on the trunks of trees. Many of the moths that rest in -this way so admirably blend with their surroundings that they may easily be -overlooked; others by their resemblance to feathers, birds' excrement, -etc., are also apt to escape detection. Tree trunks, too, abound in -moth-like scars, blotches, and knobs, so that the beginner will frequently -fail to readily distinguish a moth from such objects, or from the others -mentioned. A little practice will soon enable him to tell {9} which is -which without having to very closely investigate, or perhaps even touch the -suspected object. - -[Illustration: FIG. 8. - -SCARCE MERVEILLE DU JOUR AT REST.] - -As a general rule it is no doubt best to confine ourselves to one thing at -a time, if the results are to be satisfactory and the work well done. In -the present case, if he feels that way, the collector can relieve the -monotony of trunk searching by operating in another direction at the same -time. Some moths prefer to repose on the branches, or on the leaves of -trees, others among the herbage under trees; these may be disturbed from -their lurking places and caused to fall or take wing by jarring the boughs -or brushing the undergrowth with a stick. - -[Illustration: FIG. 9. - -BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING AT SUGAR.] - -Palings, especially old ones and those enclosing wooded parks, etc., are -often frequented by numbers of moths. These should be examined as early as -possible in the morning, although {10} a later looking over may not be -unprofitable. When, however, the wind is dead on them, or where they stand -exposed to full sunshine, few insects will be found upon them. Various -species are to be obtained from open post and rail fences, and even iron -hurdles sometimes yield a good moth or two. Walls are not to be despised, -and of course rocks on the moorlands, and the cliffs by the sea afford -suitable resting-places for many kinds of moth. As a matter of fact the -eyes of the entomologist should always be peering about, as a valuable -prize may turn up in the most unexpected places. Hedgerows and bushes in -lanes, or bordering fields and woods, afford harbour to many species of -moths, and some kinds, not necessarily the commonest, may now and then be -beaten from them freely. Herbage on hill or down sides, and on the moor and -moorlands is also a favourite hiding-place, as too is the marram grass, -etc., on the coast sandhills. - -[Illustration: FIG. 10. - -PURPLE CLAY MOTH AT REST.] - -[Illustration: FIG. 11. THE COXCOMB AT REST.] - -As the day draws to a close and the night advances, the moths awaken, and -first one kind and then another rises on the wing. These, as they fly in -the lanes, about the borders or along the rides of woods, and over the -vegetation in meadow, {11} fen, or moor, should furnish ample employment -and keep the collector actively engaged until the time arrives for a first -round of the trees upon which he has spread a dainty repast for the -night-flying Noctuidae, and those members of the Arctiidae and Geometridae, -etc., that frequently look in where sweets are to be obtained. - -[Illustration: FIG. 12. - -A RIDE IN THE NEW FOREST.] - -[Illustration: FIG. 13. - -MOTHS AT A SUGAR PATCH.] - -This sugaring business is perhaps the most exciting phase of collecting. -Having prepared a fine compound of coarse brown or "foots" sugar, treacle, -and beer, by boiling down these ingredients to a suitable liquid condition, -this is taken to the scene of action in a sugaring tin, a receptacle fitted -with a brush which is fixed in the screw-on top; or the attracting medium -may be carried in any kind of convenient bottle providing a paintbrush -(sash tool) and a jampot or some such article accompany it. Arrived on the -ground, preferably a wood, a ride is selected along each side of which are -convenient trees. A glade such as that in the New Forest, photographed by -Mr. W. J. Lucas, and reproduced in Fig. 12, is an ideal pitch. Just before -using, a very small quantity of rum may be added to the mixture, but if -"foots" can be obtained the rum is not required. In the autumn I have found -a drop or two of the essence of {12} jargonelle pear, or of ribstone -pippin, an effective addition. Now comes the initial stage in the night's -venture, the "sugar" is put on each tree in a streak extending downwards -about a foot from the level of one's chin; if thin enough to spread easily -the mixture is almost certain to run further down the trunk. Whilst -employed in this somewhat messy preliminary we meditate on the possible -result, and hope that if visitors are not numerous they may at least be -select. Lighting the lantern, the first round of inspection of the sugar -patches is made, but this may not be altogether encouraging; on only one -tree are there any moths and these but three in number, and not uncommon -kinds (see Fig. 13). The second and even the third rounds do not {13} give -the satisfactory results we had anticipated, and we feel inclined to retire -discomfited; but as a sort of forlorn hope we try once again, and this time -we secure one or two really good things. Another night moths arrive quite -early and in large numbers, chiefly commoners, but with a sprinkling of the -better sorts among them. Just what meteorological or other conditions are -most conducive to a successful sugaring expedition I have never been able -to ascertain. Often blanks have been drawn when the weather has seemingly -been the most favourable, and quite as frequently good bags have been made -when exactly the reverse was thought to be more likely. If the natural -attractions {14} in the way of flowers and "honey dew" abound, the insects -may possibly ignore the most tempting bait we can contrive for them. There -is much uncertainty in this favourite method of collecting, and whether -sugar is put on tree trunks, foliage, palings, rocks, or stones, or smeared -on rags, and these hung up on barbed wire fences; or daubed on heads of -thistles or bunches of grass heads tied together, one must be prepared to -accept the disappointments that are inevitable, however careful we may be -in the selection of "suitable evenings." It may be added that newly sugared -trees are generally less attractive than those that are frequently painted -with the mixture. - -[Illustration: FIG. 14. - -CATERPILLAR OF EYED HAWK-MOTH.] - -Caterpillars that feed on the foliage of trees and shrubs may {15} be -obtained by beating. The collector with one hand holds an open and inverted -umbrella, or a Bignall tray made expressly for the purpose, under a branch, -whilst with the other hand, armed with a stick, he strikes the branches -from above in the direction of the receiver held below. In conducting such -operations some collectors are far too energetic. It should be remembered -that it is not hard thrashing, but a sudden jar that dislodges the -caterpillars most readily. - -[Illustration: FIG. 15. - -CATERPILLAR OF PRIVET HAWK-MOTH.] - -Although oft-times a somewhat slow process, and to some temperaments, -perhaps, rather tedious work, searching for larvae is not unremunerative -when the quality of the material obtained in this way is considered. Some -kinds sit in the daytime, or feed, fully exposed, upon the upper sides of -the leaves or on the twigs of trees, shrubs, and low herbage; these are not -difficult to see. Other kinds conceal themselves under the leaves or on the -twigs hidden by the foliage, and these have to be sought for, because many -of them cling so tightly to whatever they may be upon that hardly anything -short of a fatal blow with the beating-stick will cause them to relax their -hold. Others, again, spin two or more leaves together, and in the {16} -habitation thus formed they remain throughout the day. The latter are more -easy to see than the more readily evicted contingent. All we have to do is -to stand under the branches and look upwards and outwards, when the united -leaves and the form of the caterpillar between them will be detected. Some, -of course, will be high up and out of reach in the ordinary way, but there -will be others more accessible. Then, at night, especially in the early -spring, we may search, aided by the beam of an acetyline lamp, the plants -and undergrowth in wood rides and clearings, borders of woods, and lanes, -for caterpillars that are arousing from hibernation. Throughout all -searching operations for larvae the chance finding of eggs under leaves or -on twigs or buds is always probable. Cocoons in addition, among the leaves -of trees and on stems of low plants and the trunks of trees, may also be -revealed. - -[Illustration: FIG. 16. - -CATERPILLAR OF PALE TUSSOCK-MOTH.] - -Furnished with a trowel--the ordinary garden kind will do, but the flatter -pattern, sold by dealers, is better--the collector may take a turn at -digging at the roots of trees for chrysalids. No doubt there are many kinds -to be obtained in this way, but I cannot say much for the practice, as my -own efforts have not been very highly rewarded. Not a single species was -ever obtained by digging that I could not have secured more easily in some -other way. - -Methods of setting, and after-manipulation have been fully discussed in -"Butterflies of the British Isles." - - * * * * * - -{17} - -PART II. - -DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES. - -HAWK-MOTHS. - -About sixty species belonging to this family, scientifically known as the -Sphingidae, are recorded from the Palaearctic region, and of these -twenty-seven are found in Europe. About ten only can be considered as true -natives of the British Isles; seven others, though found here, are -distinctly aliens, and their visits, at least as regards some of them, to -our islands, exceedingly irregular. - -Most of the moths are of large size, many of the caterpillars are of noble -proportions, and in both stages they are not difficult to find, if looked -for in suitable places and in their proper season. The caterpillars of -several kinds, owing to the exposed way in which they feed or rest, are -especially noticeable on bush and hedgerow; the chrysalids, although -subterranean, are often freely obtained by turning up the soil around -trunks of trees, or under plants, upon which the caterpillars feed. - -THE LIME HAWK-MOTH (_Dilina_ (_Mimas_) _tiliae_). - -The four specimens shown on Plate 3 represent the more or less ordinary -form of this moth. The pale pinkish grey, or reddish brown, fore wings are -sometimes tinged with greenish in the paler forms; the irregular shaped -band crossing the {18} central area of the wings is olive green, usually -dark, and generally edged with whitish. This band is sometimes entire -(typical), but more frequently it is broken about the middle. The outer -third of these wings is more or less greenish or mottled with green, and a -mark near the tip is whitish. - -Variation is chiefly connected with the modifications that occur in the -upper or lower, sometimes both, portions of the central band; the lower -seems to be the first to disappear, then the upper passes through various -stages of reduction until it becomes simply a spot or dot about the centre -of the wing. Specimens are occasionally found or reared, in which every -trace of the band has departed from one or both fore wings. The greenish -outer border of the wings is inwardly margined with darker, well defined -and band-like in some examples, but less clearly marked, or even absent, in -others. Near the base of the fore wings are often two dusky greenish cross -lines. The hind wings, generally pretty much of the same ground colour as -the fore wings, have a dusky band-like shade of variable width on the outer -third; sometimes these wings are entirely dusky, approaching blackish. Very -rarely specimens are bred in which there is no trace of green colour. Such -an example was reared by Mr. Frohawk in April, 1882, from a caterpillar he -found in Surrey. In this aberration all the markings (normally green) are -light burnt-sienna red, the usual whitish blotch at the tip of the fore -wings is pink; ground colour also pink, slightly tinged with grey in -places. So variable is this moth in colour and markings, that in some -collections at least one cabinet drawer is given to it so that the range of -aberration may be adequately shown. Already about eighteen colour -modifications have been named, and at least eight band variations have also -received names. - -The egg is similar in general appearance to that of the next species (see -Plate 4). Dr. Chapman states that it is more densely covered with an -indiarubber-like gum, and this may cause it to seem darker than the eggs of -the Eyed and the Poplar Hawk-moths. The eggs are laid singly or in pairs on -the underside of elm or lime leaves. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 2. - LIME HAWK-MOTH. - _Caterpillar and chrysalis._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 3. - LIME HAWK-MOTH. - -{19} The figure of a nearly full-grown caterpillar (Plate 2) is from a -drawing in colour by Mr. A. Sich. Shortly, the caterpillar may be described -as green, roughened with yellow points, and with seven yellow oblique -stripes on the sides, each edged above with purplish and reddish; the -spiracles are ringed with reddish, and the curved horn is blue, inclining -to yellowish beneath and at the tip; the roughened shield on the last ring -of the body is reddish, marked with yellow. Head triangular, smoother than -the body. Quite in its infancy, the caterpillar is a long, thin creature; -the horn, which is divided at the tip, is covered with short, stiff hairs, -and appears blackish; later on the horn becomes reddish, and the side -stripes appear on the body. Although alder, birch, and several other shrubs -and trees have been mentioned, there is no doubt that the foliage of elm -and lime is the chief food of the caterpillar in a state of nature. Found -in July and August. - -The chrysalis is dark reddish, and somewhat rough. As a rule, it is -enclosed in a very fragile cell which the caterpillar makes for itself -after burrowing a few inches underground and near the trunk of an elm or a -lime tree. There are, however, records of the chrysalis having been found -in crevices of bark high up on elm trees. - -In May and June the moth emerges, usually in the afternoon, and may -sometimes be found on the trunks of trees, or on palings near limes and -elms. When at rest the fore wings are so arranged over the hind ones that -they, in conjunction with the upturned body, give the insect more the -appearance of a bunch of immature leaves than of a moth. - -The species is widely distributed throughout the southern counties of -England, and in some of them, more especially around London, it is common. -In the Midlands it seems to be {20} scarce, and apparently does not occur -further north than Yorkshire, from which county there is only a single -record. It is common in Europe, except in the more northern and southern -parts, and its range extends eastwards into Siberia. - -THE POPLAR HAWK-MOTH (_Smerinthus_ (_Amorpha_) _populi_). - -On Plate 5 are three slightly different examples of this moth. In colour it -is most frequently ashy grey, with a brownish central band, and other -markings; there is a white spot on the fore wings and a conspicuous red -patch at the base of the hind wings. The female is generally paler than the -male, and often has a pinkish tinge. Specimens of a pale buff colour are -sometimes obtained, and these are most often of the female sex, although -male examples of this form are not unknown. Among unusual aberrations is -one described as having the wings, legs, thorax, and abdomen of a colour -between brick-red and chocolate, suffused with a whitish bloom as on ripe -plums. Another had the hind wings unadorned with red. Specimens from -Aberdeenshire and Sutherlandshire are smaller than English examples, and -the males are almost always more brightly and distinctly marked. - -A very large number of Gynandrous, or "hermaphrodite" specimens have been -recorded, several of them from Britain; in most of these the -gynandromorphism is bilateral, that is the insect is wholly male on one -side, and entirely female on the other. In some the right side is male, in -others the left side; the opposite side in each case being female. Much -information on this subject and on Hybridism of the Sphingidae will be -found in Tutt's "British Lepidoptera," vol. iii. - -The pale shining green eggs are laid, generally singly, but sometimes in -twos, threes, or more, on either surface of a leaf of poplar or sallow. Now -and then batches of eggs may be found, and these have probably been laid by -females that were crippled on emergence, or had been afterwards injured in -some way and so were unable to fly. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 4. - POPLAR HAWK-MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar and chrysalis._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 5. - POPLAR HAWK-MOTH. - -{21} - -[Illustration: FIG. 17. - -EGGS OF POPLAR HAWK-MOTH.] - -When full grown the caterpillar is green, roughened with yellow points, -oblique stripes on the sides yellow, spiracles reddish, horn of the general -colour, sometimes tipped with reddish. Head triangular in shape, but not -pointed on the top. A reddish spotted form of the caterpillar is not very -uncommon. In its very early life the head is rather triangular than -rounded, as is the head of the young caterpillar of the previous species, -and also that of the Eyed Hawk. Feeds on poplar, aspen, sallow, and willow, -and may be found from July to September and sometimes October. Chrysalis -blackish, rougher than that of the Lime Hawk. It lies in the ground so -close to the surface that it is often exposed when the garden borders under -or near poplars are raked over. The moth appears in May and June as a rule, -but in backward seasons it may not emerge until July or even August. -Caterpillars from eggs laid in early May are likely to feed up and attain -the perfect state in late July, and eggs resulting from these will pass -through the caterpillar state to that of chrysalis by about {22} September. -Three broods have been obtained in one year, but this is exceptional and -under a forcing method of treatment. The early stages are figured on Plate -4. This is certainly the commonest of our Hawk-moths, and it seems to occur -throughout our islands, except that in Scotland it is not recorded further -north than Sutherland and Ross. Wherever there are poplars, sallows, or -willows, there too most probably will be this caterpillar in its season; -the moth also will be almost certainly seen by any one who may care to keep -an eye on the stems of poplars or adjacent fences at the right time. -Sometimes the insect will introduce itself to the household, after -lighting-up time, much to the alarm of those who, not aware of the harmless -character of their visitor, look upon it with considerable suspicion. - -Distribution abroad--Europe (except the polar regions and Greece), Armenia -and the Altai. - -THE EYED HAWK-MOTH (_Smerinthus ocellatus_). - -Except that there is sometimes an absence of rosy tinge on the fore wings, -and that the brownish markings may be lighter or darker, this species does -not depart very greatly from the typical form shown on Plate 7. - -Cross pairings between the Eyed-hawk and the Poplar-hawk are not altogether -difficult to obtain, but the female _populi_ pairs more readily with male -_ocellatus_ than the female of the last named species will with the male of -_populi_. Very few such cross pairings have been noted in a wild state, but -several cases of the kind are known to have occurred in captivity. The -results are hybrid moths, and these have some of the characters of each -parent, and have received distinctive names. Thus the offspring of -_ocellatus_ [male] x _populi_ [female] are the _hybridus_, Steph., whilst -that of _populi_ [male] x _ocellatus_ [female] are referable to _inversa_, -Tutt. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 6. - EYED HAWK-MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and chrysalis._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 7. - EYED HAWK-MOTH. - -{23} - -The eggs, which are generally laid singly or in pairs on either side of a -leaf, sometimes on a stalk, are yellowish-green in colour. The shell is -said to be netted, but under a fairly strong lens this does not show. About -four hundred is probably the average number for a female to lay in a state -of nature, but they seem not to deposit so many when reared from the egg in -confinement. As the moth, except under stress of circumstances, places her -eggs on the foliage of trees and bushes in selected positions, the business -of egg laying takes about six nights to perform. Even when she is unable to -fly she will crawl from twig to twig and glue an egg here and there on the -leaves, but rarely more than two on a leaf. On a small sallow bush in my -garden, I once counted eighty-four eggs on the lower leaves and the main -stem. Green, inclining to yellowish or greyish, is the colour of the -full-grown caterpillar. It is roughened with white points, and has seven -whitish oblique stripes on the sides. These stripes are edged in front with -darkish green and occasionally tinged with violet. The horn is bluish, -merging into green towards the dark tip, and roughened with white points. -Head triangular in shape, the top pointed; face tinged with bluish. -Sometimes bright red spots appear on the sides in some examples of the -caterpillar. In the quite young stage the head is usually rounded; the -horn, which appears reddish, is about one third the length of the -caterpillar. - -Sallow, willow, and apple are the more general food plants, but poplar and -privet have been reported. I have sometimes found the larva on _Salix -repens_, and also on crab-apple (_Pyrus malus_). It may be found in July -and August. In some years, when the moths emerge in May, caterpillars are -found as early as June, and this is followed by the occurrence of the -caterpillar again, as a second brood, in August and September. When quite -mature the caterpillar enters an inch or two into the soil, and there forms -a weak sort of cell in which it shortly afterwards turns to a brown, or -blackish-brown, smooth and {24} rather glossy chrysalis. The early stages -are figured on Plate 6. - -The moth usually emerges in June, earlier or later, according to season. -Under very favourable circumstances some of the moths will leave the -chrysalis in May and give rise to a second generation in July. An -unfavourable year, on the other hand, retards emergence, and the moths do -not come up until late June or mid-July; such has been the case this year -(1907). - -Generally distributed and by no means uncommon throughout the southern half -of England, but somewhat local northwards. It has been recorded from the -most southern counties of Scotland, and Kane states that in Ireland it is -widely distributed but usually scarce. - -The method of folding down its wings in repose is very similar to that of -the previous two species. - -THE DEATH'S-HEAD HAWK MOTH (_Acherontia (Manduca) atropos_). - -The fine moth represented on Plate 8 is the largest species found in the -British Isles, although in measurement from tip to tip when the wings are -expanded it does not exceed that of the next species, both varying in this -respect from 4-1/2 to 5 inches. It is, however, a stouter bodied insect, -and its wings are broader. The colour and markings are so well shown in the -illustration that a description is unnecessary. Beyond a greater or lesser -intensity of the paler markings on the fore wings and the thorax, also some -modifications in the black band of the hind wings, there is nothing very -striking in the way of variation. Perhaps the most important aberrations -are connected with the inner black band of the hind wings, which may be -much widened and diffuse, or, on the other hand, entirely absent. - -When full grown, the caterpillar attains a length of nearly 5 inches, and -is of considerable thickness throughout. Usually {25} the general colour is -some shade of green, varying to yellowish, but in some examples it is -brown, more or less tinged with violet; others again are of a blackish hue. -The seven oblique side stripes are purplish or violet brown, edged with -yellowish; they are absent from the three rings nearest the head; the -rough, double curved horn is of the body colour. The greenish forms are -sprinkled with violet dots, and the brownish forms with white ones. Most -frequently found on the leaves of potato; it feeds also on the "tea-tree" -(_Lycium barbarum_), woody nightshade (_Solanum dulcamara_), and snowberry -(_Symphoricarpus_). Fig. 1, Plate 9, represents the brown form of the -caterpillar. - -When ready to enter the chrysalis state, the caterpillar burrows from 2 to -4 inches below the surface of the soil, and there forms a large chamber, -the walls of which are not very substantial and are easily broken. After -resting therein for a week, or two, it turns to a dark brownish, rather -glossy, chrysalis. (Plate 11, Fig. 1). The earthen cocoon, frail as it is, -seems to be a protection to the chrysalis, guarding it from too much -moisture on the one hand, or dryness on the other. I always found that when -chrysalids from caterpillars that I have obtained were left undisturbed the -moths emerged well enough; but when they were turned up out of the ground -by the potato diggers, and, of course, without covering, they were almost -certain to perish if the attempt were made to keep them through the winter. -In the latter case, the only chance was to endeavour to induce the moth to -emerge as soon as possible by bringing them under the combined influence of -warmth and moisture. - -This species was known to Mouffett, who figured it in 1634, but it does not -appear to have received an English name until 1773, when Wilkes figured it -as the "Jasmine Hawk Moth." Moses Harris, in 1775, called it the "Bee Tyger -Hawk Moth," but three years later he changed the name to the Death's Head, -the name by which it is still known, although in some {26} parts of -England, as well as in Ireland, it is referred to as the "bee robber." In -connection with the latter name, it may be mentioned that the moth's -"tongue," or proboscis, is short, and not adapted for obtaining sweets, of -which it is very fond, from long-tubed flowers, consequently it filches -honey from the bees, and, with this object, has been known to enter -bee-hives, at least those of the old straw-skep pattern. The moth is also -said to have a liking for the sap exuded by wounded trees. Although the -species may, perhaps, be with us in certain favoured localities every year, -it does not often occur, in any stage, in numbers sufficient to attract -general attention. I have not searched the chronicles of _Atropos_ in -Britain earlier than 1864, but from these it seems that the species was -widely distributed and generally common in 1865, 1868, 1878, 1885, 1896, -and 1900. More or less common in certain localities in 1867, 1869, -1870-1872, 1877, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1893, 1895, 1899, 1911, and 1917. In the -other years it was scarce, or apparently absent. - -The moth is always very much less in evidence than the caterpillar, or even -the chrysalis. Sometimes the former is seen in May or June, or even -earlier, and it has been supposed that these precocious specimens have -hibernated after emergence from the chrysalis here during the previous -autumn. The question of hibernation need not be entertained, but there may -be doubt as to whether the specimens are British born or aliens. I am -inclined to the latter view. The moths are often noted at sea long -distances from land. A specimen was captured on board a vessel in the North -Sea on April 28, 1903, and it was still alive, although it had been roughly -dealt with, on May 8 of that year. In 1899 a moth was taken at Chester, -about the middle of May, and one on June 20 at Chichester. Probably, -although undetected, other specimens were also about the country, and maybe -at even earlier dates than those recorded. However, during the year larvae -and pupae were found, at the end of July, at Chilton, Suffolk, and at -Bridgwater, Somerset, and in early August in Somerset, and at Dover. A moth -was captured in August at Marlow, Bucks., one was taken at Christchurch on -September 19, one at Reigate, September 25. Several specimens occurred in -Devon and Cornwall in the autumn, and at Deal early in October. Larvae were -found, too, from the second week in September to the end of that month in -several parts of the country. Moths seem to have been reared in early -September from the early August caterpillars; whilst the September -caterpillars attained the perfect state towards the end of the month and in -October. Two pupae, found at Penarth on September 12, produced moths in -from four to six days afterwards; four other chrysalids, obtained in Hants -about mid September, yielded moths between September 21 and the beginning -of October. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 8. - DEATH'S-HEAD HAWK MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 9. - 1. DEATH'S-HEAD HAWK-MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; and caterpillar._ - 2. CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH CATERPILLAR (DARK FORM). - -{27} From the foregoing there can be no question that there are at least -two generations of the moth in some years, and in our own country, but we -have even clearer evidence of this in the records of 1900, when a moth was -taken in the spring at Ayton, Berwickshire, another at Worsborough Bridge -on June 18, and a third at Kilmarnock, on a bee-hive, July 11. Caterpillars -were found during late July and August in South Scotland and various parts -of England, and moths were reared from some of these. In September and -October caterpillars were found more commonly, and two or three moths were -captured, in various places, between August 19 and October 9; others, -reared from September caterpillars, emerged from October 30 to November 24. - -By the rustic, and possibly the uninitiated generally, the moth is looked -upon as something uncanny. This is probably due to the fact that the -creature, when handled, emits a peculiar sound that has been described as a -shrill squeak. According to Kirby, the statement made by Rossi that the -sound is produced by air from the air-sacs being forced through the {28} -proboscis, has been verified. Another dread-inspiring character of the -insect is the marking on the thorax, which has been likened to a skull and -crossbones. The squeak is said to have the effect of quieting the bees, -they being under the impression that it proceeds from their queen. - -It has been taken at some time or another in almost every part of the -British Isles, right up to and including the Shetlands. Except that it has -not been observed in the more northern parts, the species is found -throughout Europe, North and South Africa, the Canary Islands, and the -Azores. It is also represented in Southern India, extending to the Malays, -and in China, Corea, and Japan. - -CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH, _Herse_ (_Sphinx_) _convolvuli_. - -The older writers on British moths called this the "Unicorn" or "Bindweed -Hawk." The fore wings are whitish grey, mottled with darker tints, and, in -the male, clouded with blackish about the middle of the wing; the central -third is limited inwardly by a double blackish, wavy line, and outwardly by -an irregular, toothed, whitish line; running from one to the other are two -black streaks between the veins, and a similar streak nearer the costa is -waved upwards to the tip of the wing. The hind wings are whitish grey, with -a black stripe near the base, and two blackish bands between the stripe and -the outer margin. The thorax agrees in colour with the fore wings; the -tapered body has a broad grey stripe, enclosing a central black line along -the back, broad red and black and narrow white bands on each side (Plate -10). - -The egg has been described as bright green in colour, and smaller than that -of the Privet Hawk. A female moth captured at Brighton on July 18, 1898, -deposited twenty-five eggs on _Convolvulus arvensis_ up to July 20, and the -next day a further eight were counted. The moth died on the 22nd. -Caterpillars hatched out July 27-28. These were whitish green, with a rough -blackish horn; after second moult they became green, with a darker green -stripe along the back, but without oblique side stripes. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 10. - CONVOLVULUS HAWK-MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 11. - 1. CHRYSALIS OF DEATH'S-HEAD HAWK-MOTH. - 2. " " CONVOLVULUS " " - 3, 3a. CATERPILLAR AND CHRYSALIS OF PINE HAWK. - -{29} In its more usual form the caterpillar, when full grown, is bright -apple-green, narrowly streaked with black; oblique stripes on the sides -yellowish; horn reddish, tip black. Head green, with black stripes. In some -examples the side stripes are edged above with bluish black; in others -there are blackish, more or less square, spots on the back, and patches on -the sides. Sometimes the general colour is blackish brown, with ochreous -bands and streaks. (This form is figured on Plate 9). When it occurs in -these islands it is generally found on the small bindweed (_Convolvulus -arvensis_), but it will eat _C. sepium_ and _C. soldanella_, and also the -cultivated kinds. - -Referring to the caterpillar in Britain, Moses Harris, in 1775, wrote, "I -never heard of but two that were ever found--one by Mr. South [or Smith] of -Hampshire, which, he said, was green, and appeared in other respects so -like the privet that he was deceived. He fed it on the leaves of the lesser -bindweed. It changed into the chrysalis in the earth, in July, and the moth -was produced in September" (Dale). - -The caterpillar figured by Harris is of the brown form, so we see that even -at this early date something was known of the life history of this moth and -the variation of the caterpillar. Since that date and up to 1894 only very -few larvae appear to have been found in our islands. Barrett states that it -is doubtful if more than twenty had then been recorded. In 1895 -caterpillars were obtained in Cornwall (four) and in Kent (two). Then for -five years little or nothing was reported about this stage, although the -moth seems to have occurred in varying numbers each year. In 1901, August -and September, over one hundred were reported, rather more than half of -which were taken from a hedgerow, overgrown with _C. sepium_, in {30} -Northumberland; twenty-six were obtained on the bindweed growing on -Lancashire sandhills, thirteen or fourteen in Essex, and others in -Bedfordshire, Kent, Hants, Dorset, and Devon. - -Mr. Bell-Marley obtained thirty eggs, September, 1897, and although these -were kept in a cold room, thirteen caterpillars hatched, September 21. They -were supplied with _Convolvulus arvensis_ and _C. soldanella_, and seemed -to relish one as much as the other. Seven died during the first three -moults. The bindweeds being nearly over, seedlings were raised by forcing, -but before these were ready the larvae had been on short commons, and just -immediately before the seedlings came to hand, had been twenty-four hours -without food. On these tender seedlings and some endive the remaining -larvae, six in number, attained full growth in December. Two subsequently -died in the first half of that month, and the others went under the soil. -Only one, however, managed to assume the chrysalis state. - -A small caterpillar, about one week old, described by Paymaster-in-Chief G. -F. Mathew ("Notes on Lepidoptera from the Mediterranean," _Entom._, xxxi. -115), was 1-3/4 inch long, pale glaucous green in colour, and thickly -covered with raised white dots; oblique side stripes white, bordered above -with dark green. On September 26, 1897, this caterpillar, which had been -found on September 18, was nearly full grown, and the writer goes on to -state that when gathering bindweed he obtained either eggs or tiny -caterpillars at the same time, and he eventually found that he had eight of -them altogether. They fed up rapidly, as a caterpillar, hatched about -September 27, had gone down on October 18. Owing to accident, four produced -deformed chrysalids, but each chrysalis resulting from the others was -perfect and healthy on February 15, 1898. The large reddish-brown chrysalis -is figured on Plate 11, and it will be noted that the "tongue" case forms a -curious bent projection not unlike the handle of a pitcher. To give some -idea of the irregular way in which this migratory species visits our -islands, it will suffice to note the records only since 1894. Previous to -that year it was common, more or less generally, in 1846, 1868, 1875, 1885, -and 1887. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 12. - 1. PRIVET HAWK-MOTH. - 2. PINE HAWK-MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 13. - PRIVET HAWK-MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and chrysalis._ - -{31} In 1895 an invasion seems to have effected a landing in the autumn, on -the south-west coast, chiefly, perhaps, in the Portland district, where -some fifty individuals were captured between August 12 and October 7; -twenty-three were caught near Bournemouth in August and September; sixteen -were taken at Christchurch, August 11 to October 2; and eight were recorded -from Milford. Several were reported from Devon, but only two from Cornwall, -although four larvae were found in October at Port Wrinkle in the latter -county. At Cork, in Ireland, ten specimens were obtained in October. -Eastward, the captures in September were Norfolk (seven), Essex (one), -Lincoln (one). Odd specimens were taken here and there in Kent, Surrey, and -Herts. Several were reported from Gloucestershire, and one from South -Wales. The northward extension was evidenced by the capture of one example -at Alnwick, in Northumberland, in September, and of two in Aberdeenshire, -one as early as August 31, the other September 9. - -The moth was almost a defaulter in 1896, but in 1897 about forty specimens -were taken, twenty-seven of which occurred in the Scilly Isles and eleven -at Portland (August 14 to September 16). One example was reported from -Yorkshire and another from Sutherlandshire, both in September. - -A female was taken at Brighton, July 18, 1898, and in the autumn of that -year a good many specimens were obtained in various parts of England but -chiefly in the south. Portland again heading the list with over fifty -(August 4 to October 3) and a number were taken in the Isle of Wight during -September. Captures in 1899 seem to have been only pretty good. Portland -twenty, August 25 to September 20, perhaps less than a dozen in other parts -of England and one in Scotland, all in September {32} or October. In 1900 -one specimen was taken at an Eastbourne electric light, and one at -Portpatrick in Scotland, both end of August. There appears to have been an -arrival of moths in this country in early June, 1901. Captures were -reported from Portland (June 2), Bedford, and S. W. London. Larvae and -pupae were found in many parts of England, as already mentioned. Then in -August, from about the 14th to September, moths were captured throughout -the greater part of England; in some places caterpillars were also obtained -in August, chrysalids in September. After a lull towards the end of the -latter month, moths suddenly appeared again during the first week in -October. Several observers remarked that whereas the August to September -moths were mostly females, large in size, and not in the best condition, -the later moths were chiefly of the male sex, small in size, and fine in -condition. It would seem therefore that these late specimens were the -descendants of the early August moths and represented a second generation -on British soil and the grandchildren of the June immigrants. Or, possibly, -the August-September moths were fresh immigrants, and the October specimens -their offspring. - -The species was observed in several English counties during August and -September, 1911; and again in 1915. In 1917 it seems to have been more -widely spread over our islands, as specimens were reported from Ireland and -even Shetland. - -Plants with tubular flowers, such as those of petunias, and the -sweet-scented white tobacco (_Nicotiana affinis_) are its especial -favourites, but it also visits the blossoms of pentstemon, geranium -(chiefly the scarlet variety), etc. It does not settle on the flowers but -inserts its long "tongue" into the tubes as it hovers on the wing in front -of them. Just at twilight it commences operations, but it may be seen -pursuing its investigations well on into the night (see Fig. 1, p. 2). - -Distributed over Europe, Asia, and Africa. {33} - -THE PRIVET HAWK (_Sphinx ligustri_). - -A specimen of the female sex is figured on Plate 12. The white clouding or -mottling on the pale brown colour of the fore wings varies in intensity and -is sometimes tinged with pink, especially at the base of the wings; often -it is only noticeable at the tips of the wings and on the outer area; the -blackish suffusion from the inner margin through the central area and the -black streaks between the veins are rather more constant. On the hind wings -the pinkish tinge between the black bands may be faint or entirely absent; -the central black band varies in width, and is sometimes so much expanded -that it absorbs the basal half of the first band. - -When full grown the caterpillar measures about three inches in length and -has a very substantial appearance. It is of a pretty green colour, with -seven oblique white stripes, each of which has a purplish front edging; the -spiracles are yellowish. The head is rather more grass green and marked -with black in front. The curved horn is blackish on the upper side and -yellowish below. The colour of the caterpillar in its younger stage is -yellowish, due to the presence of yellow dots, it also has some tiny hairs; -the horn, which is bristly and slightly forked at the tip, is a conspicuous -feature at this age on account of its length and dark colour as compared -with that of the creature itself. Just before changing into the chrysalis, -a brownish tinge is assumed, and very rarely caterpillars of a pinkish or -purplish tint have been found. - -It feeds on privet (_Ligustrum vulgare_) in July and August; often to be -seen resting on the upper part of the longer sprays of the food plant. -Sometimes a dozen or more may be found on one short strip of privet hedge. -They are much subject to the attack of ichneumons. Other food plants are -lilac, ash, lauristinus, and some other shrubs. Mr. Step informs me that on -{34} August 18, 1907, he found three larvae feeding on teasel at Ashtead. - -The caterpillar will burrow some depth underground before constructing its -pupal chamber. The chrysalis, which is reddish, or blackish-brown in -colour, is figured with the other stages on Plate 13. - -The moth usually emerges the following June or July, but there are at least -two records of its remaining in the chrysalis during two winters. - -The southern portion of England appears to be the principal British home of -this moth. It is more or less scarce in the midlands and northwards. In -Scotland it has only been recorded from southern counties, and in his -"Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Ireland," Kane states that he has no -certain record of its occurrence in that country. Widely distributed -through central and southern Europe, extending northwards to south Sweden -and Finland, and eastwards to Amurland, China, and Japan. - -THE PINE HAWK (_Hyloicus pinastri_). - -Stephens, writing of this species in 1828, remarked that about thirty years -before that date, a specimen "was taken in June at Colney Hatch Wood, and a -second in the neighbourhood of Esher." He also gives Rivelston Wood, near -Edinburgh, as a locality, on the authority of Dr. Leach. A specimen was -stated to have been seen in Cumberland in 1827 or 1828, and up to the year -1877 four other examples were reported, each from a different part of -England. In the year last mentioned a specimen was recorded from -Woodbridge, Suffolk, as taken in a rectory garden the previous midsummer -(since ascertained that the moth was first seen there in 1875); an example -was also found at rest on a tree trunk at Tuddenham, near Ipswich, in July, -1877, and one was reared on August 5, 1876, from a {35} chrysalis found -near Horham Rectory, Wickham Market, Suffolk. In 1878-9, caterpillars were -met with at Leiston, Suffolk; the moth was found in the pine woods around -Aldeburgh, 1881, and as many as forty specimens were taken in July and -August, 1882, and rather more than twenty in August, 1919. In 1895, Lord -Rendlesham, when driving through the fir woods in the neighbourhood of -Woodbridge, noted two specimens in almost the same spot where he had taken -some moths in 1892-93. Mr. F. Mellusson, writing from this district (August -2, 1895), stated that fifteen specimens had been taken, and that others -could have been captured; also that about one hundred larvae were then -feeding in confinement. He also mentioned that 1895 was the fourth year out -of five that the insect had occurred there. A male moth was found at rest -on an oak trunk near Southwold, Suffolk, on July 29, 1900. On August 13, -1906, the Rev. A. P. Waller saw a worn specimen on a pine trunk in the -rectory garden at Woodbridge. He also noted a pupa on September 30, 1917. -(Plate 12, Fig. 2.) - -The mature caterpillar, which feeds on pine needles, is green, with a -yellowish-edged reddish line along the middle of the back and a creamy line -on each side of this; the interrupted line below the reddish spiracles is -yellowish or ochreous. Head yellowish brown; horn blackish brown; both are -glossy. It enters the earth and there turns to a reddish brown chrysalis; -this is rather glossy, somewhat darker above than below, and appearing -blackish between the rings; the rough "tongue" sheath is short and attached -throughout to the case; the tail spike is roughened, and has a blunt point -on each side of it (Plate 11, Figs. 3, 3a). - -It has been recorded that caterpillars hatched from the egg early in -August, pupated in October, and the moths emerged the following May-July. - -The perfect insect sits upon tree trunks, chiefly pine, often well within -reach, although sometimes its position is fourteen or {36} fifteen feet up -the trunk. At night it visits flowers, and seems to be most partial to -those of the honeysuckle. - -Suffolk seems to be the British home of this species, but odd specimens -have been reported since 1860 from Romsey, Hampshire; Hinton St. George, -Somersetshire; Herefordshire; Isle of Mull (two caterpillars); and -Bournemouth. - -The range of this species is through Northern and Central Europe southwards -to Northern Spain and Italy, and eastward to the Caucasus. In Japan it is -represented by var. _caligineus_, Butler, which differs but little from -typical _pinastri_. - -THE SPURGE HAWK (_Deilephila_ (_Hyles_) _euphorbiae_). - -The fore wings are pale grey, more or less tinged with pinkish and marked -with olive at the base, towards the middle of front margin, and a tapered -band running from the inner margin to the tip of the wing; the lower part -of the basal patch is blackish. Hind wings pinkish with black basal patch -and a band before the outer margin; a white patch at anal angle (Plate 15, -Fig. 1). - -The caterpillar feeds, August and September, on spurge (_Euphorbia -paralias_, and _E. cyparissias_). When full grown the head is crimson red, -marked on the crown with black; the body is black, but so thickly sprinkled -with yellow dots that much of the black colour is obscured; the larger -spots are often crimson, but sometimes they are yellow, or even cream -coloured; the stripes along the back and below the yellow spiracles are -crimson, as also are the legs and feet; the spiny horn is crimson with a -black tip. In a younger stage the head and the horn are orange, the latter -black tipped; the body is yellow with patches of black around the paler -yellow spots on the back. Chrysalis pale brownish, minutely dotted with -black; the head and thorax are marked with blackish, and the rings of the -body have narrow, interrupted, blackish bands; the wing and antennae cases -are covered with fine short blackish streaks; tail spike blackish, somewhat -flattened, and the acute point black (Plate 1, Fig. 1; 14, Figs. 2, 2a). - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 14. - 1, 1a. BEDSTRAW HAWK-MOTH. - 2, 2a. SPURGE HAWK-MOTH. - _Caterpillars and chrysalids._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 15. - 1. SPURGE HAWK-MOTH. - 2. BEDSTRAW HAWK-MOTH. - 3. STRIPED HAWK-MOTH. - -{37} The moth usually emerges in June or July of the year following -pupation, but it may come out the same year; on the other hand, it has been -known to remain in the chrysalis for two winters. Dr. Chapman has noted the -emergence of the moth eighteen days after the pupa was formed. - -Little, if anything, appears to have been known of this species as an -inhabitant of Britain until 1806, when Mr. Raddon, who was staying at -Instow, in N. Devon, had a caterpillar brought to him by a fisherman. From -that time, and up to 1814, a large number of the caterpillars were obtained -from _Euphorbia paralias_ growing on Braunton Burrows, a long stretch of -sandhills on the north Devonshire coast, accessible from Barnstaple or -Ilfracombe, which, when I visited the locality some twenty-five years ago, -was greatly favoured by rabbits. One would suppose that the Spurge Hawk -caterpillars must have been pretty abundant at the time Raddon made his -observations, as he states in a note on the subject published in the -Entomological Magazine for 1835, that on leaving the ground one evening at -dusk he hastily cut an armful of spurge, which he took home and put in -water. Next morning he "found the food covered with not less than a hundred -minute larvae about a day or two old." This must have happened prior to -1814, because the species seems to have entirely disappeared about that -year. The Rev. E. N. Bloomfield, in his catalogue of the Lepidoptera of -Suffolk, mentions a moth bred from a larva found near Landguard Fort about -1865. He adds that the food plant was then abundant there. At a meeting of -the Entomological Society of London held in October, 1876, a letter was -read from Mr. Higgins concerning the reported finding of the caterpillars -of this species in a locality near Harwich in 1873. It was stated that the -spurge (_Euphorbia paralias_), had not only been {38} seen in the -particular spot, but in other parts of the same district also. - -In the _Entomologist_ for 1893 there is a very circumstantial account of -the finding of eighteen or nineteen Spurge Hawk caterpillars on the Cornish -coast in the autumn of 1889. From these, eight moths resulted in May-July, -1890, and one in June, 1891. - -Although the occurrence of the moth in Britain has been more frequently -recorded, probably in error for the Bedstraw Hawk, there are at least two -that are undoubtedly authentic. One of these refers to a specimen taken in -a private garden near Southampton (_Entom._, 1872), and the other was -captured by the late Mr. C. G. Barrett as it flew at early dusk in a garden -at King's Lynn, Norfolk, in September, 1887. Some idea of the scarcity of -_bona fide_ English specimens may be gained from the fact that about -thirteen years ago, two of Raddon's bred specimens were sold by auction at -Stevens, when six guineas was given for one, and ten shillings more for the -other. - -Its distribution abroad extends through Central and Southern Europe into -Asia Minor, and it is represented by local races in other parts of Asia. - -THE BEDSTRAW HAWK (_Deilephila_ (_Celerio_) _galii_). - -On Plate 15, Fig. 2, will be found a portrait of this moth, which the -ancient fathers of British entomology dubbed the "Spotted Elephant"--at -least, Harris, in 1778, figured its caterpillar under this name. Later it -was called the "Galium Hawk-moth." The olive-brown fore wings have a -tapered, creamy-white stripe running obliquely from the inner margin near -the base to the tip of the wing; the lower edge of this stripe is almost -straight, but the upper edge is irregular; the outer margin of the wings is -greyish. Hind wings creamy {39} white, the basal area and a band before the -outer margin black; the space enclosed is blotched, and sometimes tinged -with pinkish red; but the extreme inner portion is almost pure white. Head -and thorax are olive-brown, edged with white; the abdomen is olive-brown, -with a whitish line along the middle of the back, and ornamented with black -and white on the sides. - -The full-grown caterpillar varies in colour from greenish olive to pale -olive-brown, reddish brown, or sometimes blackish; the spots on the back -are yellowish, edged with black, but occasionally these are absent. It -feeds in August and September, on the bedstraws (_Galium verum_, _G. -mollugo_, etc.), preferring the yellow-flowered kind that flourishes on -sandhills by the sea (_G. verum_, var. _maritimum_). It can be reared very -well on willow herb (_Epilobium_) and on fuchsia. - -When ready for the change it burrows underground, and, where the soil is -sandy and light, it works down pretty deeply before making the frail cell, -in which it turns to a reddish-brown chrysalis with blackish markings, -somewhat similar to those of the next species; the anal spike is blackish, -rather flattened, terminating in a sharp point (Plate 14, Figs. 1, 1a). -Haworth in 1812 mentioned caterpillars from Devonshire, and although single -specimens of the moth seem to have been taken here and there in various -years between that date and 1854, in only one year during that period was -it reported from several parts of the country. This was in 1834, when four -moths were captured in August, and eight or nine others seen at Yarmouth; -caterpillars were also found on the bedstraw growing on the Denes. Odd -examples of the moth were observed that year in Lincolnshire, -Somersetshire, and in the Isle of Wight. In 1855-56, caterpillars were -obtained in August on the sandhills at Deal, and, in September, at -Devonport in the first-named year. A moth was taken in May, 1857, and, -later in that year, specimens were captured at Deal, {40} Brighton, and -Taunton. Three moths were recorded in 1858; and in 1859 caterpillars were -plentiful on the south-east coast, common on the Cheshire coast, also -reported from Devon, Cambs., London, and Darlington; over a score were -found within a short distance of Perth. A good many moths were also taken. -The species was especially abundant in 1870, in which year caterpillars -were collected in hundreds. It seems to have been widely distributed -throughout England, and was again found in Perthshire. Perhaps not more -than three specimens were taken between 1872 and 1888, but in the rainy and -cold summer of the latter year, the moths seem to have invaded the country -in great force, and were reported from many parts of England, and also from -Aberdeen in Scotland, and from Howth in Ireland. Caterpillars, too, were -plentiful on the coast sandhills of Kent, Cheshire, and Lancashire, and -also in the Eastern Counties. - -In March, 1889, Mr. Elisha had moths emerge from chrysalids of the previous -year. These had been placed in a temperature ranging from 60 to 70 degrees, -and the moths came out in from fourteen to sixteen days after commencing -the forcing process. Some half a dozen chrysalids that I had in 1888, from -Lancashire caterpillars, were allowed to remain in the earth, which was -contained in a large-sized flower-pot; the moths emerged in May and June, -1889, all but one being perfect specimens. - -In 1894 Mr. Harwood obtained five caterpillars on the Essex coast, and in -1897 the Rev. A. Miles Moss found a few, and observed traces of others, on -the Lancashire coast, but, apart from these records, very few moths or -caterpillars of this species appear to have been noted in the country since -1888, and we still await the advent of another _Galii_ year. So far the -periods of scarcity between the seasons of plenty have been twenty-five, -eleven, and nineteen years. - -The range of this insect extends through Europe and Asia to {41} Siberia -and Amurland. It is represented in North America by the Galium Sphinx -(_Celerio intermedia_, Kirby = _chamaenerii_, Harris), which so greatly -resembles it that only an expert could readily distinguish one from the -other. - -THE STRIPED HAWK (_Phryxus_ (_Deilephila_) _livornica_). - -Owing to some confusion between this moth (Plate 15, Fig. 3) and the North -American Striped Morning Sphinx (_D. lineata_), which also seems to have -had a place in the cabinets of the earlier British entomologists, the -localities given by authors previous to 1828 are doubtful. Haworth, -however, in 1803, mentions Cornwall, and Stephens, in his remarks on this -species, refers to a specimen from Norfolk; one taken off the mast of the -Ramsgate steam vessel at Billingsgate, in June, 1824; and three specimens, -one of which he figured, captured near Kingsbridge, Devonshire. - -In 1846 thirteen of these moths were recorded from various parts of England -and Ireland, and probably many others were in these islands that year. -Between May 12 and 26, 1860, twenty specimens were taken in the south of -England, and more than half of them in Devonshire. In 1862 a specimen -occurred at Worthing on April 16, and one at Herne Hill on April 29; others -were taken between May 2 and May 18 on the south and south-west coasts, and -at Colchester. Over a score of specimens were recorded in 1868, chiefly in -August, and from localities ranging from Cornwall to Yorkshire. The year -1870 was a good one for the species, and moths were reported from England, -Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Fully fifty specimens were obtained, mostly -in May, and caterpillars were also found. In 1904 the moth occurred in May, -at several places in the south and south-west of England, also in -Gloucestershire, Wales, and at Carlisle; in September of this year a -specimen was taken on the pier at Dover, and another on a small {42} -headland at Barry, in Glamorgan. Some of the early captured females -deposited eggs; caterpillars resulting therefrom were fed on vine, and at -least one moth was reared in September. - -A good many specimens visited the south of England, more particularly South -Devon, in June, 1906, but the species was reported as occurring in large -numbers on rhododendron blossom near Cork in Ireland from June 9 to 13 or -14. In August and September the moth was reported from Kent, Sussex, Hants, -Dorset, Devon, Somerset, and South Wales; such specimens probably being the -offspring of the early immigrants. During the past forty years the barren -seasons for the Striped Hawk appear to have been only ten. The dates of its -occurrence have been somewhat erratic. One was captured in 1887 in the -month of February, one on March 27 in 1903, but the moth has been observed -in each month from May to September inclusive, although May, June, and -August would seem to have been the more favoured. The caterpillar has not -been seen often in England. Mr. Farn recorded six or seven from Ryde in -July, 1870; they were feeding on vine and centaury in a garden. One spun up -in the leaves at the bottom of the box on July 27, but the web was so -fragile that the caterpillar fell out, and changed to the chrysalis state -on the 30th. The moth emerged on August 26. In the same year several -caterpillars occurred in Devon and Cornwall, and one of these was found on -July 11 in a mangold-wurtzel field in the Exeter district. It was -afterwards reared on fuchsia, and produced a moth on August 18. Nine others -were reported from a nursery garden at Plymouth; they were fed up on -dock--the plant upon which they had been found--and the moth was reared -later in the year. In 1902 Mr. Jager received a caterpillar from Starcross -about July 20, and this attained the moth state on September 27. A -caterpillar, believed to be of this species, was found in a sunny garden at -Lewes in Sussex, July 20, 1906. {43} - -According to Hellins the eggs are light green in colour, and the -caterpillars hatch out in about three weeks. When it first emerges from the -egg-shell the caterpillar is dirty white without spots, and the head and -horn are black. The adult is dark green or black dotted with yellow; three -yellow lines on the back and two rows of black-ringed yellow spots, with -some black spots above them; each yellow spot is tinged with pink on the -upper portion. Head black, marked with yellow; horn reddish, with the tip -black. Sometimes the rings of the body are banded. - -It feeds in June and July on vine, fuchsia, dock, and probably other -plants. It may be noted that the foliage of house vines are stated to be -unsuitable food. The blossoms of numerous plants are visited by the moths -in the evening, among which are delphinium, petunia, honeysuckle, tobacco, -rhododendron, valerian, and silene. - -In the daytime it has been found resting on walls, windows, and also the -curtains; on grass turf, railway metals, fences, and on plants and shrubs. - -The distribution of this species is somewhat similar to that of the -Silver-striped Hawk-moth, but it extends into Western China and is -represented in North America. - -THE SILVER-STRIPED HAWK (_Hippotion (Chaerocampa) celerio_). - -Referring to this species in 1828 Stephens wrote: "The first recorded -specimen of the perfect insect was taken flying in Bunhill-fields -burying-ground so long ago as 1779: and the specimen now exists in a high -state of preservation in Mr. Haworth's collection, having been purchased by -him at the dispersion of that of Mr. Francillon. Subsequently to the above -capture the larvae have been found several times in Cambridgeshire.... Two -or three were also taken about fifteen {44} or sixteen years since in a -garden at Norwich, and were kept until they changed to pupae; but -unfortunately, in that state their metamorphosis ended. One of these pupae -I have in my collection. Of late, however, the perfect insect has occurred -more than once, and in totally different parts of the country. Three -specimens, as I am informed by the Rev. F. W. Hope, were taken near Oxford -several years ago. In August, 1826, an injured one was found resting on a -wall near Birmingham; and last summer a second was secured not far distant -from the same locality; the latter I have in my possession. Again, Mr. -Marshall informed me in March last, that, on his way to Manchester, he met -with an individual who possessed upwards of a dozen living pupae, which -were procured from larvae found in that neighbourhood during last season." - -Humphrey and Westwood mention a specimen taken in Brighton in 1834, and in -1846 eight moths were obtained. Something like one hundred and twenty-five -specimens of this species have been recorded between the year last quoted -and the present time. Of these only one occurred in Ireland. This was a -specimen taken at light on September 17, 1881, at Mullaghmore, County -Sligo. Several were captured in Scotland, and one in Wales; but the bulk -were obtained at various places in England, not in the south only but in -the north also. The majority were met with in the autumn, but a specimen -was reported as taken in May, 1848, at Harlestone, another in March, 1862, -at Tooting, and a third in the Isle of Anglesea, July, 1865. In the -last-named year nine specimens were captured in the autumn. Doubleday -recorded a caterpillar found in a garden at Epping (October, 1867), and -other caterpillars have been reported from Newmarket and Sussex. - -At least one example of the moth has been recorded almost annually since -1846, but captures seem to have been more numerous in 1861, 1866, 1870, -1879, 1881, and especially so in 1885. The caterpillar (figured on Plate 1) -varies in ground colour, which may be pale brown, dark brown, or green. -There is a black line along the middle of the back, and a pinkish brown -stripe on each side; the latter runs from the ring next the head to the -horn, but is interrupted on ring four, and the back from this ring to the -horn is covered with linear dots arranged in more or less regular rows; the -underside is thickly sprinkled with black-ringed white dots; on each side -of ring four there is a conspicuous oval mark made up of a blackish outer -ring, an inner ring of yellowish, and one of reddish; the centre is -blackish, with some yellowish dots upon it. Head small, pale brown; horn -blackish and rather rough. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 16. - 1. OLEANDER HAWK-MOTH. - 2. SILVER-STRIPED HAWK-MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 17. - ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH. - _Egg, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar and chrysalis._ - -{45} It feeds on vine (_Vitis vinifera_) and yellow bedstraw (_Galium -verum_); also on fuchsia and virginia-creeper (_Ampelopsis_). August and -September are given as months for this caterpillar, but the Newmarket and -Epping examples referred to were taken in October. - -The moth seems to visit us chiefly in September and October. It does not -appear to have been so often taken at flowers as at light, or when resting -by day, on a wall or window of a dwelling house or shop, to which it had -been attracted at night by the illumination within. The species has a wide -range through Africa and Southern Asia to Java, Borneo, and Australia. In -Europe it is perhaps only native in southern parts; thence it sometimes -wanders through Central Europe to Germany and Holland. The specimens -visiting our islands may come from the latter country, or possibly in years -of comparative plenty the moths come to us _via_ the west coast of Europe. - -THE OLEANDER HAWK-MOTH (_Daphnis_ (_Chaerocampa_) _nerii_). - -The forewings of this handsome moth (Plate 16) are pinkish grey, marbled -with various shades of green and olive brown; some of the marbling edged -with white. Hind wings greyish {46} brown shaded with greenish, with a -whitish, waved cross line. The colours of the head, thorax, and body are -similar to those of the wings. - -[Illustration: FIG. 18. - -CHRYSALIS OF OLEANDER-MOTH. - -(Photo by W. J. Lucas.)] - -The caterpillar feeds on the Oleander (_Nerium oleander_), and also on the -lesser periwinkle (_Vinca minor_). When full grown it is olive green on the -back from the hinder part of the third ring to the small, rough, and -drooping, horn; the under surface and the whole of the first three rings -ochreous; there is a divided brown spot on the ring nearest the head (first -thoracic segment), and two larger blue-black spots on the third ring. These -spots each enclose two whitish clouds; on the front edge of rings five to -nine (second to sixth abdominal segments) are whitish dots, but these are -fewer on rings eight and nine than on the others; a narrow whitish stripe, -edged above and below with whitish dots, runs along the sides from ring -five to the horn; spiracles are black with pale margins (Plate 1). - -Chrysalis brown with blackish central line, which becomes broken and -obscure on the body rings, broken again on the head, but continued thence -along the under surface to the tips of the wing cases. The spiracles are -blackish; the body is dotted, and the last rings are clouded with blackish. - -I have only seen a preserved example of this caterpillar and a dead -chrysalis; descriptions of each are from these. - -The first published notification of the occurrence of this moth {47} in -England is that of Stephens in 1835. He wrote: "A noble specimen of this -remarkably beautiful insect (five inches three lines in expanse), was taken -in the beginning of September, 1833, by a lady in her drawing-room at -Dover. Whether the pupa had been imported in some of the numerous packages -of foreign fruits, etc., or the insect itself had been brought over in one -of the passage-vessels, is a question not easily solved. The larva feeds -upon an exotic plant; but has been found in a garden near Charmouth, as -appears by a subsequent communication to the _Ent. Magazine_ by Captain -Blomer." - -The next record of the moth appears in the _Zoologist_ for 1852. "On the -11th of September a specimen of _Chaerocampa nerii_ was taken in Montpelier -Road, Brighton, by a young gentleman at school, while it was hovering over -a passion flower." Two caterpillars were found in a garden at Eastbourne, -feeding upon the leaves of potato, in October, 1859. In confinement they -ate periwinkle, but they were not reared. The following records are, except -where otherwise stated, of single specimens of the moth: Hastings, August -2, 1862; Sheffield, September 14, 1867; St. Leonards, October, 1868 (? 2 -examples); Ascot, June, 1873; Lewes, September 3, 1874; Hemel Hempstead, -October 15, 1876; Tottenham, Middlesex, Eastbourne, Sussex, and Blandford, -Dorset, September, 1884; Hartlepool and Prestwich, July, 1885; Brighton, -September 7, 1886; Poplar, September 20, 1888; Dartmouth, September 26, -1890; Stowling, Kent, July, 1896; Yalding, Kent, September 18, Teignmouth, -October 23, 1900; Banhead, Scotland, end September, 1901; Liverpool, in a -steamship, and Atherstone, Warwickshire, October, 1903; Eastbourne, July -14, 1904; Lancaster, September 18, 1906. A specimen of _Daphnis hypothous_, -Cramer, a native of India, Borneo, Java, and Ceylon, was captured at -Crieff, Perthshire, in July, 1873, and was recorded as _D. nerii_, and the -error was not rectified until 1891. - -It will be seen from the above that the moth is exceedingly {48} rare in -these islands. The species is an inhabitant of Africa, and its normal range -extends along both sides of the Mediterranean through Asia Minor and Syria -to India. In Europe, north of the Alps, the moth is seldom observed, and it -is probably almost as scarce on most of the Continent as it is with us. - -THE SMALL ELEPHANT (_Metopsilus_ (_Chaerocampa_) _porcellus_). - -The fore wings of this hawk-moth are ochreous with a faint olive tinge; the -front margin is edged and blotched with pinkish, and there is a broad but -irregular band of the same colour on the outer margin. Hind wings blackish -on upper margin, pinkish on outer margin, and ochreous tinged with olive -between; fringes chequered whitish, sometimes tinged with pink. Head, -thorax, and body pinkish, more or less variegated with olive; the thorax -has a patch of white hairs above the base of the wings (Plate 19, Figs. 3, -4). - -In most specimens there are at least traces of two cross-lines in the fore -wings, the space between these is sometimes brownish olive; the outer -border of the hind wings varies in tint, and may be purplish. Occasionally -the ground colour of the fore wings is greenish olive. - -A hybrid, resulting from a pairing between _Chaerocampa elpenor_ and -_Metopsilus porcellus_ has been named _elpenorcellus_ (Staud). - -The egg is a rich full green and rather glossy; it is laid in June on -yellow bedstraw and other kinds of _Galium_. - -A full-grown caterpillar will measure quite two inches in length, and in -general appearance is not unlike that of the next species. It is, however, -greyish brown in colour, merging into yellowish brown on the front rings. -The head is greyer than the body; the usual Sphingid horn is absent, and in -its place there is a double wart. When quite young the caterpillar is pale -greyish green with blackish bristles, and the head and under surface are -yellowish. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 18. - SMALL ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar and chrysalis._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 19. - 1, 2. ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH. - 3, 4. SMALL ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH. - -{49} It feeds, at night, in August and September, on bedstraw growing in -dry places. It will eat almost any sort of _Galium_; also willow herb -(_Epilobium_), and purple loosestrife (_Lythrum salicaria_). - -The chrysalis is pale ochreous brown sprinkled with darker brown; the wing -cases and the ring divisions are also darker. The body rings are furnished -with reddish hooks. It is enclosed in a cocoon similar to that of the -Elephant, and usually is on the ground. The early stages are figured in -Plate 18. - -The moth, which chiefly affects drier localities than the next species, is -on the wing in May and June in the south of England, and June and July in -the north. It has a weakness for the flowers of honeysuckle, and -spur-valerian (_Centranthus_), but will take toll in the way of sweets -wherever found, even from the sugar patches of the nocturnal collector. -Except that it does not appear frequently in the Midlands, the species -seems to be widely distributed throughout the country. In Scotland its -range extends to Perthshire and Aberdeen; and in Ireland it is found all -over the island, and is fairly plentiful in some localities, but especially -attached to the coast. - -Abroad, its distribution covers nearly the whole of Europe, and eastward to -north-eastern Asia Minor, Bithynia, and the Altai. - -THE ELEPHANT (_Chaerocampa_ (_Eumorpha_) _elpenor_). - -The fore wings are olive brown with two pinkish lines, both shaded with -dark olive brown; the first is rather broader than the second, and -terminates just above the centre of the wing and near a white dot; the -second line runs from the white inner margin to the tip of the wing, and -the area beyond it is flushed with pinkish; there is a black mark at the -base of the wings and the fringes are pinkish. The hind wings are black on -the {50} basal half and pinkish on the outer half; fringes white. The head, -thorax, and body are olive brown marked with pinkish, the thorax being -additionally ornamented with white on the sides. The moth is shown on Plate -19, and the early stages on Plate 17. - -The eggs are whitish-green in colour and rather glossy. Those I had were -laid in June on a leaf of willow herb (_Epilobium_). - -When newly hatched the caterpillar is yellowish white, and paler between -the rings; the head is tinged with greenish, and the horn is black. The -full-grown caterpillar measures nearly three inches in length, and is -rather plump. It is blackish or brownish grey, thickly sprinkled with black -dots on the back and more sparingly on the sides; the spiracles are -ochreous ringed with blackish, and below them is an ochreous line, which is -most distinct on the front rings; on each side of the third to fifth rings -there is a round black spot, the second and third pairs enclosing black -centred whitish lunules which are sometimes tinged with pink or yellow; the -horn is much of the same colour as the body. There is a green form of this -caterpillar. - -It feeds, chiefly, at night, in July and August, on _Epilobium hirsutum_ -and on bedstraw especially the kind (_G. palustre_), growing by the side of -brooks and streams. The chrysalis is palish brown freckled with darker -brown, the divisions between the rings and the spiked tail appearing -blackish; enclosed in a cocoon formed of earth and sundry fragments of -stalks, leaves, etc., spun together with silk and generally on the ground, -but sometimes just under the surface. - -The moth is on the wing in June, and very occasionally there is a late -summer emergence. It does not fly until dusk, and may then be seen hovering -over the blossoms of honeysuckle, etc. It is also known to be attracted now -and then to "sugared" trees. The best plan, however, for obtaining a few -fine specimens {51} is to rear them from eggs or caterpillars. The latter -are said to come up to sun themselves about four o'clock in the afternoon, -but they may be found at any time in their season, and in likely spots, by -turning back the herbage and looking for them in their hiding-places. When -in repose the head and front rings are drawn inwards, and this distends the -eyed rings, thus bringing these into prominence and giving the creature a -rather wicked look, from which the uninitiated would be likely to retreat. -The caterpillar, however, is quite harmless, and may be handled with -impunity. - -Although somewhat scarce in the more northern counties, this is a pretty -common species throughout most of England and Wales. Its range extends into -Scotland as far as Dumbarton, and, according to Barrett, along the east -coast to Aberdeen. Kane states that in Ireland it is met with everywhere -and is abundant in some localities. Distributed over Europe, except the -more northern parts, and extending through Asia to Japan. - -THE HUMMING-BIRD HAWK-MOTH (_Macroglossa stellatarum_). - -The brown fore wings with black cross lines, and the brownish bordered -orange hind wings, at once separate this from any other hawk-moth occurring -in our islands. Its greenish eggs are laid on bedstraw, and in July and -August the caterpillars may be found on the same kind of plant. They are -greenish or brownish covered with white dots; a whitish line runs along -each side of the back and a yellowish one lower down on the sides; the -spiracles are blackish, and the horn bluish shading into yellow at the tip. -The yellow-flowering bedstraw (_Galium verum_) seems to be the kind upon -which the caterpillar is most often found, but it also occurs on the hedge -bedstraw (_G. mollugo_). It has been known to eat wild madder (_Rubia -peregrina_), and is {52} stated to thrive in confinement on goose-grass or -cleavers (_G. aparine_). When full grown a loosely woven cocoon is formed -on the ground beneath the food plant, or other herbage, and therein the -caterpillar changes to an ochreous grey or brownish chrysalis. This is -marked with darker brown on the wing covers and around the spiracles; the -"tongue" case forms a small beak-like projection. - -Like the Bee Hawks, referred to presently, the moth is a day flyer, and -delights in the sunshine, although it has been several times seen on the -wing quite late in the evening, and has also been observed hovering in -front of flowers and probing them with its long "tongue" even in the -pouring rain. Blossoms of very many plants, both wild and cultivated, seem -to receive its attention, but it is perhaps most partial to those of the -jasmine where available. In the south of Europe the species is generally -abundant throughout the year; but there would seem to be at least two -distinct broods, one appearing in June, and the other in October. Possibly -there may be an intermediate brood in August, as the period from egg to -moth is known to be less than two months. In the British Isles, so far as -one can gather from the records, caterpillars have only been found in July -and August. Single specimens of the moth have been seen in the earliest -months of the year, as for example, January 31, 1898 (Bath), January 3, -1899 (S. Wales), February 2, 1900 (London); it has also been observed -several times in December. These facts and others connected with this -species in Britain certainly lend colour to the oft-repeated statement that -the moth hibernates in this country. The insect is known to enter houses, -and to examine holes and cracks in walls, dry banks, etc., in the autumn. -Mr. J. P. Barrett, in a note, written in November or December, 1900, states -that six or seven moths came into his house at Margate in October, and that -one was still hidden in his bedroom. However, if it be granted that the -moth does hibernate here, the instances are so rare and isolated that, -unless such specimens are impregnated females, the chances of these -reproducing their kind the following year are not great. We have, -therefore, to fall back upon immigration as the probable source of the -Humming-Bird Hawk-moth in Britain. Except the more northern portion, this -species is distributed over the whole of the Palaearctic region, including -India, China, Corea, and Japan. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 20. - 1. NARROW-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. BROAD-BORDERED BEE HAWK: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 21. - 1. HUMMING-BIRD HAWK-MOTH. - 2. BROAD-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH, _male_; 3 _female_. - 4. NARROW-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH, _male_; 5 _female_. - -{53} THE BROAD-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH (_Hemaris fuciformis_). - -We have but two kinds of Bee Hawk-moths in our islands, and the present -species (Plate 21, Figs. 2, 3) is easily recognized by the broad reddish -brown borders of the wings and especially those on the front pair, which -also have a black bar at the end of the cell. When freshly emerged the -wings are not clear and transparent, but covered with greenish-grey scales, -which are so loosely attached that they are lost after the moth's first -flight. - -The egg is bright green, and is laid on the underside of a leaf of -honeysuckle. When very young the caterpillar is yellowish white, but when -full grown (Plate 20, Fig. 2) it is whitish green on the back, green on the -sides, and reddish brown beneath. Along the middle of the back there is a -darker, much interrupted, green line and a yellow line on each side of it; -the spiracles are reddish, the head is dark green, and the horn reddish -brown merging into violet at the base, and brown at the tip. Sometimes -there are blotches of reddish brown on the sides. When quite mature and -ready to assume the chrysalis stage the caterpillar changes in colour to -purplish brown. At all times it is difficult to detect, as its colour and -markings agree so well with the stems, stalks, and leaves of the food -plant. If a leaf of honeysuckle having round holes on each side of the -midrib be noticed, examination of the underside of that leaf may reveal a -young caterpillar of this species. {54} - -The common honeysuckle, or woodbine (_Lonicera periclymenum_) is the usual -food, but in confinement the caterpillars will eat the foliage of the -cultivated kinds of _Lonicera_, and, it is stated, even snowberry -(_Symphoricarpus racemosus_). In rearing it will, however, be safer to -supply them with the ordinary food wherever this is to be obtained. July -and August are the months in which to look for them. The chrysalis is -blackish brown, the skin is rather roughened, and the ring divisions are -paler brown. It is protected by a silken cocoon, the interior of which is -smooth, and the exterior coated with earth, etc. - -From mid-May to mid-June in average years, the moth is on the wing. The -blossoms of the rhododendron are its favourite attraction, and the best -time to see it at these flowers is on a nice sunny morning between ten -o'clock and midday. The flowers of the bugle (_Ajuga reptans_) growing in -meadows, wood-ridings, on railway banks or hedgerows, are hardly less -attractive, but these are less easily worked than the higher shrubs. The -collector has simply to stand before the latter and await the arrival of -the active Bee Hawks. Among other flowers that this moth has been observed -to visit are those of its own food plant; ragged robins (_Lychnis -flos-cuculi_), ground ivy (_Nepeta glechoma_), and also blue-bell and -primrose. - -The species is widely distributed and locally common throughout England, -but its northern range does not extend apparently beyond Yorkshire. -According to Kane it is absent from Ireland; and the reports of odd -specimens from Scotland are probably erroneous. Its distribution abroad -extends over Europe, except the most northern parts, a large portion of -northern and central Asia, and southwards to North Africa. - -Moses Harris, it may be mentioned, figured this moth in 1775 as "The -Clear-winged Humming-bird Sphinx." {55} - -THE NARROW-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH (_Hemaris tityus_). - -This moth (Plate 21, Figs. 4, 5) has long been known as "_bombyliformis_" -and was so mentioned by Haworth in 1802, but for some years past there has -been a growing tendency to discard the name altogether, and as most recent -authors follow Kirby's identification of this species as the _tityus_ of -Linnaeus, that name is here adopted. - -The chief characters separating this moth from the preceding are the narrow -blackish borders of the wings and the absence of the black mark at the end -of the cell of fore wings. It has been suggested that the female deposits -its green oval eggs on the undersides of the leaves of devil's-bit scabious -(_Scabiosa succisa_) whilst on the wing, but as she will lay freely in a -box it is most probable that she settles on the plants when engaged in egg -laying. - -The caterpillar (Plate 20, Fig. 1) is green, roughened with white points, -from which tiny hairs arise; the green colour varies in tint from whitish -to bluish; the lines along each side of the back are yellowish, and often -have purplish red spots, or patches, upon them; the spiracles are set in -purplish red patches, and the roughened reddish-brown horn is finely -pointed. The under side is traversed by a purplish-red stripe. There is -some modification in the reddish markings, both as regards number and -intensity; these are well developed in the specimen from the New Forest -figured on Plate 20. The caterpillars may be found in June and July on the -under sides of the lower leaves of the scabious, and as they eat holes in -the leaves these marks should afford a clue to their whereabouts. - -A few days before changing to a dark brown chrysalis, which is enclosed in -a coarse and very loosely constructed cocoon, the caterpillar assumes a -reddish colour. - -This moth, which much resembles a large humble bee, is on {56} the wing -from about the middle of May to the middle of June. It should be looked for -in places where its food plant flourishes, such as rough fields adjoining -woods, woodland glades, marshy heaths, fens, bogs, etc. It visits the -blossoms of various low growing plants, among which the louseworts -(_Pedicularis palustris_ and _P. sylvatica_) and the bugle (_Ajuga -reptans_) are perhaps favourites. In some localities the blossoms of the -rhododendron and of the bird's-foot trefoil (_Lotus corniculatus_) are very -attractive. When seen hovering over the flowers it must be approached -cautiously, as, although seemingly fully engrossed in the business in hand, -it is quickly alarmed and its movements are rapid. - -It occurs throughout the greater part of England and Wales and northwards -to Sutherlandshire in Scotland. In Ireland it is abundant in many -localities. - -Distributed over Europe its range extends northwards to Lapland, southwards -to north-west Africa, and eastward to Amurland. - -PROMINENTS (_Notodontidae_). - -In the majority of our moths belonging to this family there is a tooth-like -tuft of scales projecting from about the middle of the inner margin of the -fore wings; these, when the moth is resting, are brought together and -raised above the level of the closed wings (see Fig. 11, page 11). The -antennae of the male are bipectinated in most of the species, but those of -_Odontosia_, _Lophopteryx_, and _Phalera_ are dentated and each tooth has a -little tuft of short hair. - -The moths are not often seen in the day time, but a few species are -sometimes met with at rest on tree trunks, palings, etc. All fly at night -and are pretty rapid on the wing; possibly if it were not for the fact that -a bright light has a powerful attraction for them, the perfect insects -would be rarely captured. {57} Specimens, when caught, except females which -it may be well to keep for eggs, should be killed and pinned at once, as -many kinds become very restless when imprisoned in a box and soon damage -themselves. Females usually deposit their eggs freely, and in most cases -the caterpillars are not difficult to rear when once they begin to feed. -Sometimes it is not easy to induce them to commence this very necessary -business. The caterpillars, except those of _Phalera_ and _Pygaera_, are -without hairs on the body; those of the true Prominents generally have one, -or more, hump on the back; in some kinds the anal prolegs or hind claspers, -are small. When resting the hinder part of the caterpillar is more or less -raised, several of them elevate the front portion also, and frequently the -posture assumed is a most curious one. - -The caterpillars of _Cerura_, _Dicranura_, and _Stauropus_ have the hind -claspers transformed into tail-like appendages, which in the case of the -Puss and Kittens take the form of a pair of slender tubes furnished with -flagellae, or whips, which can be protruded or withdrawn as occasion may -require. These organs are presumably for defensive purposes, but are not -always effective in combating the attack of parasitical flies, as these -evidently manage to deposit their egg on the caterpillars not infrequently. - -The pupa, or chrysalis, of some kinds is enclosed in a hard cocoon on tree -trunks, and others in a soft cocoon generally underground; sometimes, -however, the cocoon is spun up between leaves; occasionally, as for example -that of the Buff-tip, the chrysalis is found in the ground without any -protecting covering, although the cell in which it was formed may have been -flimsily lined with silk. - -Nearly one hundred species are referred to this family in Staudinger's -"Catalogue of Palaearctic Lepidoptera," and of these twenty-five occur, or -have been taken, in the British Isles, nearly all of which are accepted as -indigenous. Two of the {58} three species not generally regarded as true -natives have been found in the caterpillar state, and the third was reared -from an egg obtained with others of the same kind in Norfolk. - -THE ALDER KITTEN (_Cerura bicuspis_). - -This moth (Plate 22, Fig. 3) differs from either of the two next following -in being whiter, and in having both margins of the central band of the fore -wings angled or bent inwards above the middle; this is markedly so on the -outer side. The band itself is black, inclining to purplish rather than -grey. Barrett mentions a specimen without central band or cloud towards -tip. - -[Illustration: FIG. 19. COCOON OF THE ALDER KITTEN.] - -According to Buckler, the caterpillar is yellow-green; head dark -reddish-brown; at the back of the head commences a broad, reddish-brown -blotch, which runs to a point on the back of the third segment, where is a -slight elevation; on the fourth it recommences and becomes broader on each -segment to the eighth, where it extends below and encloses the spiracles, -thence it narrows to the tenth, continuing on the eleventh and twelfth as a -broad stripe, and {59} widening on the thirteenth, where it again narrows -to the tentacles; in the broad portion of this dorsal marking are faint -indications of two or three orange spots; on each side it is broadly edged -with pale yellow, and on the sixth, seventh, and eighth segments its margin -is deeply indented. It feeds on alder and birch in July and August. - -The cocoon is shown in its natural position on birch bark (Fig. 19). This -was kindly lent to me for figuring by Mr. L. W. Newman, of Bexley, who also -had another in which lichen as well as fragments of bark were worked into -the surface, so that the cocoon was less in evidence than the one -portrayed. - -The moth emerges in May and June. - -The first British specimen, a male, was found on alder near Preston, and -was recorded by Doubleday in the _Zoologist_ for 1847. A second example was -noted from the same locality in 1849. This district in Lancashire, and -Tilgate Forest in Sussex, are the chief homes in the north and the south of -England respectively; but one or more specimens have occurred in Cheshire, -Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Devonshire, and more -frequently in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire. It does not seem to -inhabit Scotland or Ireland, neither has it been recorded from Wales, so -far as I can find, more than once. - -The species is found in Germany, Switzerland, Eastern France, Belgium, -Southern Sweden, Central Russia, Livonia, Finland, Ussuri, and a local race -occurs in Amurland. - -THE POPLAR KITTEN (_Cerura bifida_). - -Fore wings grey, with a broad, dark grey central band, and a cloud of the -same colour towards the tips of the wings; the band is inwardly margined by -an almost straight black line, and outwardly by a curved line; the third -line is double, and curved towards the costa, forming the inner edge of the -grey cloud, the lower part is wavy. The first black line is inwardly, and -{60} the second outwardly edged with ochreous, and preceding the first is a -series of black dots. - -The full-grown caterpillar, which is green, with a yellow-edged, purplish, -irregular stripe on the back, is figured on Plate 23, together with a very -young example, the purplish-black eggs as laid, and the red-brown -chrysalis. The cocoon from which the chrysalis was extracted was spun up on -a fairly stout twig of poplar, from which some of the bark had been torn; -the cocoon was formed, as regards the upper part, on the bare twig, and -this was covered with gnawed wood, instead of with bark fragments, as is -the lower end. The moth is figured on Plate 22, and the early stages on -Plate 23. - -The moth emerges in June, sometimes in July, and may occasionally be found -at rest on the trunks of poplars, on which the caterpillar feeds from July -to September; also on adjacent walls or palings. The cocoons are made up on -the surface or in the chinks of the bark, and may be searched for, all -through the winter and early spring. It is curious to note how readily -these are detected after the moth has escaped, and how difficult they are -to see before that event. Usually there is but one brood in the year, but -in the hot summer of 1906 a male specimen emerged from a few chrysalids -that I had reared from eggs laid at the end of June of that year. On the -other hand, the moth has been known to remain in the chrysalis for two -winters. - -The species is not uncommon in some parts of the London district, and seems -to occur throughout England wherever poplars abound. It does not appear to -have been found in Scotland, and is scarce in Ireland. Abroad it is found -in Central Europe with a northern range to Finland, southwards to Italy and -Greece, and eastwards to the Altai. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 22. - 1. POPLAR KITTEN-MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. ALDER KITTEN-MOTH, _male_. - 4. SALLOW KITTEN-MOTH, _male_; 5 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 23. - 1, 1a, 1b. POPLAR KITTEN: _eggs, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a. SALLOW KITTEN: _eggs and caterpillars_. - -{61} - -THE SALLOW KITTEN (_Cerura furcula_). - -This moth differs from the last in its generally smaller size, but more -especially in the shape of the black line forming the outer margin of the -central band; this is always more or less angled or dentate towards the -front margin of the wings, whereas, in the Poplar Kitten, this portion of -the line forms a clean curve (Plate 22, Figs. 4, 5). - -The eggs are black, rather glossy, and are generally deposited in pairs, -but rarely more than three, and often only singly, on the upper surface of -a leaf of sallow or willow. The caterpillar feeds from July to September, -sometimes as early as the end of June, or as late as October. It is green, -with a yellow tinge; the markings on the back are similar to these -characters in the caterpillar of the preceding species, but, as will be -seen by looking at the figures on Plate 23, they are not quite the same in -outline. The figure of the young caterpillar on this plate was made soon -after it left the egg, and the shell from which it emerged is also -depicted. Sallow and willow are the usual food plants, but in August, 1906, -I found a half-grown caterpillar of this species on aspen, but it died a -few days afterwards. The reddish-brown chrysalis is enclosed in the usual -hard cocoon of its kind, which is affixed to a branch or the trunk of the -tree upon which the caterpillar fed. A depression is usually selected, and -when the cocoon is finished off with its covering of bark fragments it is -difficult to see. - -The species is well distributed over England, Ireland, and Scotland; -perhaps more frequently obtained on the mosses of Cheshire, Lancashire, and -Yorkshire, than in other parts of England. It is found in Central and -Northern Europe, and, according to Staudinger, in Amurland and North -America. {62} - -THE PUSS MOTH (_Dicranura vinula_). - -Portraits of both sexes of this rather common moth are given on Plate 24. -The head, thorax, and body are very fluffy. The whitish fore wings are -crossed by several wave-like lines; the main veins (_nervures_) are -ochreous, and the branches (_nervules_) are blackish; beyond the more or -less clear basal area there is often a broad but irregular blackish band, -and the wavy markings on the outer area vary in intensity (sometimes the -short streaks between the veins terminate on the outer margin in black -dots). Hind wings whitish in the male, and suffused with blackish in the -female, to a greater or lesser extent. In some examples of the female the -fore wings and the body are also tinged with blackish. The antennae are -bipectinated in both sexes, but those of the female have the teeth much -shorter than those of the male. - -The eggs are usually laid in pairs on the upper surface of a leaf of -sallow, willow, or poplar. In colour these are purplish or reddish brown, -shining, and finely grained; a minute depression at the top is yellowish, -with a black speck at the bottom of the hollow. - -In its last stage the caterpillar is green, with a white or yellowish-edged -purplish brown band on the back; the head is light brown margined with -black and purplish behind, and the ring immediately following (first -thoracic) is green margined with yellow and having two black spots on the -upper part. When the creature assumes the position which Professor Poulton -terms the terrifying attitude, the front part is elevated, the head is -drawn back into the ring next to it, and the tails are raised and curved -forward over the back (see Plate 25). Seen thus from the front the -appearance of the caterpillar is certainly grotesque, and no doubt affords -it some protection from its enemies. It feeds on poplars, sallows, and -willows, usually in July and August, but sometimes as late as September. -{63} - -[Illustration: FIG. 20. - -CATERPILLAR OF PUSS MOTH.] - -The reddish brown chrysalis is enclosed in a hard cocoon spun up and -securely attached to the trunk or under a limb of the tree upon which the -caterpillar was nourished, or upon some other adjacent thereto. I once -found a cocoon on the lower rail of a garden fence. In constructing the -cocoon fragments of bark and wood are worked on the exterior, but failing -these the caterpillar will make use of any available material for the -purpose. If enclosed in a tumbler covered with glass it will spin a -transparent cocoon. Emergence from its strong pupal chamber would appear to -be a difficult matter, but the caterpillar and the chrysalis both -contribute something towards assisting the final efforts of the moth to -escape. The caterpillar, in constructing the cocoon, is careful to make the -exit end with a thinner layer than the other parts; then the chrysalis is -provided with a cutting implement in the shape of a keel-like arrangement -on the fore part, and with this it operates at the right time on the weak -end until a breach is made; the moth breaks the head end of the chrysalis -case and moistens {64} the ruptured material with a softening fluid so that -the insect is able to force its way out of the cocoon; the chrysalis case -remains in the cocoon. - -The moth is on the wing in May and June, and sometimes July. Three -specimens that I reared this year (1907) from eggs found on a leaf of -poplar last year, emerged on June 4th, 10th, and July 12th. They all -pupated about the same time, and side by side on cork bark. - -I believe this species has not been recorded from the Orkneys or the -Shetlands, but with these exceptions it seems to occur in more or less -frequency throughout the United Kingdom. It is widely distributed in -Europe, and its range extends to Siberia. In Lapland, Amurland, Japan, and -North Africa it is represented by named forms. - -THE LOBSTER (_Stauropus fagi_). - -The English name of this insect does not apply to the greyish brown or -sometimes blackish moth (Plate 26), but to its remarkable caterpillar, the -figures of which, on Plate 27, are reproduced from drawings by Mr. Alfred -Sich. In colour this curious-shaped creature is always some shade of brown, -the head is marked in front with reddish, the ring divisions of the body -are darker brown, and the hind rings are reddish brown. - -The late Mr. W. H. Tugwell, referring to the early history of these -caterpillars, states that a female of the blackish form received from -Reading in May was kept alive for seven days, during which time she laid a -few eggs on oak leaves each night; "all told" she produced forty eggs. As -she was then quite exhausted, a good many had probably been laid -previously. The eggs when first laid are of a pale cream colour, -hemispherical in shape and flattened beneath. About the seventh day a -circular depression, and a dark spot, appear, and gradually the entire egg -assumes a dull purplish colour. "On the tenth day the caterpillars hatch -out. When they first leave the shell they appear extremely large, this is -partly on account of the long legs and the caudal appendages which are ever -nervously twisting about. The young caterpillars most carefully keep guard -over their own egg-shell, which is to them an all-important item, as this -provides them with their first meal--the first and only food they take for -seven days, in fact, for a longer period, as it is not until after moulting -their first skin that they eat any other food. This fact I proved over and -over again, as, being an invalid, my time was quite free to watch them hour -after hour and day after day. As soon as they have eaten their way out of -the shell they stretch themselves, and then from time to time nibble -portions of the white chitinous-looking egg-shell, and a tough morsel it -seems to be for them; but they never leave it for more than an inch or so, -and then rapidly come back. They keep nervously moving around and about -this, and if perchance another caterpillar should approach within touch of -it, a vigorous attack is made to drive off the intruder. All going well -during the first hour or two, the whole of the shell, or sometimes not more -than from half to two-thirds of it is consumed; and once the caterpillars -really leave the egg-shell, that is, walk away from it, they do not touch -it after. If by any chance a young caterpillar gets driven away from the -egg-shell, death is certain to result, as I could never induce them to feed -on portions of empty shells left by others; nor would they eat the leaves -or the brown stipules of the beech, which it has been suggested they do -eat. In no single instance did they eat other food in their first skin save -and alone the one meal of their own egg-shells." - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 24. - PUSS MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 25. - PUSS MOTH. - _Egg, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -{65} The caterpillars feed on beech, and also occasionally on birch, oak, -hazel, and some fruit trees, and may be found from July to September. - -The chrysalis, which is enclosed in a tightly woven cocoon {66} spun up -between leaves, usually dead ones, is blackish brown with a violet bloom -upon it. - -The moths are on the wing in May and June in an early season, but not until -June and July in a backward one. They may be sometimes found resting by day -on the stems of small trees or even bushes. "In fact, anything," Mr. -Holland says, "which stands upright in a beech wood will do, so that it is -not too large." The blackish form of the moth is so like a knot on a stem -that it is easily overlooked. There is sometimes a second emergence in -August. Possibly those caterpillars found during the latter part of -September in some favourable years are from eggs deposited by moths -emerging in early August, and the offspring of May parents. - -The species is widely distributed, but not often common, over the Midland, -Southern, and Eastern Counties of England. It seems to flourish chiefly in -beech woods, and is perhaps more frequent in parts of Berkshire, Bucks, and -Oxfordshire, than elsewhere, but it is not uncommon in some seasons in the -New Forest. It has been reported from Swansea in Wales, and once from -Selby, Yorkshire. In Ireland it is exceedingly rare, and is not known to -occur in Scotland. The range abroad extends through Central Europe, -northward to Sweden, southward to Spain and Portugal, and eastward to -Armenia, Ussuri, and Japan. - -THE DUSKY MARBLED BROWN (_Gluphisia crenata_). - -Only three authenticated British examples are known of this dingy -grey-brown moth (Plate 28, Fig. 3). The earliest intimation we have of the -occurrence of this species in England is the following record by the late -Mr. Henry Doubleday in the _Entomologist_, vol. i. p. 156: "_Chaonia -crenata._ The first British specimen of this insect was taken in Ongar Park -Wood, in June, 1839; a second in the same place, in June of the present -year. Both specimens were females." The locality mentioned in the foregoing -notice which was penned July 10th, 1841, is in the County of Essex. At a -meeting of the Entomological Society of London held in April, 1854, the -Rev. Joseph Greene exhibited a specimen that he had reared from a -caterpillar obtained from a poplar near Halton, in Bucks, August, 1853. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 26. - LOBSTER MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 27. - LOBSTER MOTH. - _Egg, enlarged, caterpillars, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -{67} According to Buckler the caterpillar is pale green, with a thin -whitish line down the middle of the back, a broader yellow line on each -side, and some reddish spots on the front and hind rings of the body; the -spiracles are black. It spins a somewhat oval-shaped cocoon between two -poplar leaves, and therein turns to a glossy blackish brown chrysalis. - -Abroad the species is found in Central Europe, North Italy, North-western -Russia, Southern Norway, and also in Amurland and Ussuri. There are said to -be two broods on the continent, one emergence of moths taking place in -April and the other in June or July. - -THE MARBLED BROWN (_Drymonia trimacula_). - -Somewhat similar to the next species, but the fore wings are generally -whiter; the cross lines are not so straight, and there is no black crescent -above the centre of the wings (Plate 28, Fig. 1). - -The caterpillar is green, with two yellow lines on the back, and a yellow -one along the spiracles, the latter edged above with reddish. It feeds on -oak, and may be found from July to September; stated to hide by day in the -chinks of the bark. The reddish brown chrysalis is enclosed in a cocoon of -earth held together with silk. It may be searched for at the roots of -grass, etc., around the foot of oak trees growing in parks or in the more -open parts of woods. The moth appears in May. - -Although nowhere really common, it seems to occur pretty generally over the -southern portion of England, and as far north {68} as Derbyshire and -Staffordshire. Farther north, and in Wales and Scotland, it has been rarely -met with. Recorded by Birchall to be not uncommon at Killarney; but Kane -states that he has never seen an Irish specimen. - -The species occurs locally throughout Central Europe, also in Transylvania, -Northern and Central Italy, and Eastern Armenia. In Ussuri, and Japan, it -is represented by the form _dodonides_, Staud. - -THE LUNAR MARBLED BROWN (_Drymonia chaonia_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 28, Fig. 2) are dark fuscous, almost -blackish, a short white line near the base; the central third is white -clouded with the ground colour and limited by white edged black wavy lines; -a black crescent just above the centre of the wing. Hind wings smoky grey -with a pale curved line. The egg, which is bluish white in colour, is of -the usual Notodont shape. Caterpillar green, merging into bluish-green on -the back; the lines are pale yellow, or creamy white, that along the black -margined spiracles is rather broad and is sometimes tinged with reddish on -the three front rings. Head green, mouth marked with pale yellow. Feeds in -June, July, and August on oak. From about a dozen eggs that I had in May, -1907, the caterpillars hatched on the 13th of the month. Only one got -through safely to the chrysalis stage which it reached at the end of June. -On June 26th some half-grown and smaller caterpillars were received from -the New Forest, only one of these was seen on July 19th, but it was then -nearly full grown and appeared to be quite healthy, and others had pupated -or died. - -The chrysalis is deep red brown, enclosed in a silken cocoon covered with -particles of earth; generally found at the roots of isolated oak trees -(Plate 29, Figs. 1, 1a). - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 28. - 1. MARBLED BROWN MOTH. - 2. LUNAR MARBLED BROWN. - 3. DUSKY MARBLED BROWN. - 4. SWALLOW PROMINENT, _female_; 5 _male_. - 6. LESSER SWALLOW PROMINENT. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 29. - 1, 1a. LUNAR MARBLED BROWN: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a, 2b. SWALLOW PROMINENT: _egg, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 3, 3a, 3b. LESSER SWALLOW PROMINENT: _egg, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{69} The moth emerges in May, sometimes at the end of April, generally in -the afternoon; it sits on the tree trunk to expand and dry its wings, and -then ascends higher up the tree. It is found in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, -and in most of the southern counties of England, and in the west, but it -seems to be rarer eastward and northward, and also in Scotland. In Ireland -it has been found, very sparingly, in Wicklow and Kerry, and "numbers were -taken in a moth trap at Clonbrook." - -The range abroad is very similar to that of the next species. - -THE SWALLOW PROMINENT (_Pheosia tremula_). - -Normally whitish, with a brown shaded black stripe along the inner margin -of the fore wings, and a brownish cloud, with black streaks in it, towards -the tips of these wings; the outer extremities of the veins are white, -there is a white wedge-shaped streak between veins 1 and 2, and from the -apex of this an indented white line runs to the base of the wing. Sometimes -the whole discal area is suffused with brownish. The moth is shown on Plate -28, Figs. 4, 5, and the early stages on Plate 29, Figs. 2, 2a, and 2b. The -egg when laid is creamy white, and the newly hatched caterpillar is pale -green. When full grown the caterpillar is green with rather darker, but not -always clearly defined, lines along the back, and a yellow line along the -region of the black spiracles; the underside is sometimes reddish. Another -form is brownish in colour and the yellow line is then generally obscure. -The green form is figured on Plate 29. The usual food is poplar, but sallow -is also eaten. It may be found in late June and early July and again in -September and October. The chrysalis is reddish brown and glossy except on -the wing covers, which are granulated and appear darker. The cocoon is -roughly constructed of silk and earth, and before spinning it the autumnal -caterpillar sometimes burrows a good depth under the surface of the soil; -the summer cocoons are said to be made up among leaves. The moth is on the -wing in May and August. {70} - -The species is perhaps most common in the southern and eastern counties of -England, but seems to be pretty generally distributed throughout the -country, and extends into Scotland as far as Moray. In Ireland it has a -wide range but is only common near Londonderry. Abroad it is found in -Central and Northern Europe, and as far east as Amurland and Ussuri. In -America it is represented by _P. dimidiata_, H.-S., which does not seem to -be really specifically distinct. - -THE LESSER SWALLOW PROMINENT (_Pheosia dictaeoides_). - -Very similar to the last species, but generally smaller, and the ground -colour has usually less brown in it; the chief character, however, by which -it may be distinguished, is the broader and clearer white wedge-shaped mark -between veins one and two on the fore wings. Reference to the figures of -each species on Plate 28 will show this at once. - -The eggs are greenish white, and the full-grown caterpillar is purplish -brown on the back merging into violet on the sides; there is a broad yellow -stripe along the spiracle area; the head is violet, faintly marked with -black. A noticeable feature of this caterpillar is its varnished -appearance. It feeds on birch in June and July, and sometimes in September -and October. The early stages are figured on Plate 29, Figs. 3, 3a, and 3b. - -The species has a somewhat similar distribution to that mentioned for the -preceding, but it seems to be commoner in the North of England and in -Scotland than elsewhere in the British Isles. - -THE PEBBLE PROMINENT (_Notodonta ziczac_). - -This moth varies in the colour of the fore wings from pale ochreous brown -to a darker brown tinged with reddish; the usual pale greyish patch in the -middle of the costal area is {71} sometimes obliterated by a suffusion of -the darker colour; the dark-brown first and second lines are often only -visible towards the front edge of the wings; a blackish lunule or crescent -forms, in conjunction with the strongly curved outer line, the outline of -the characteristic pebble-like mark on the apical area of the wings; a pale -saw-edged line, which is inwardly shaded with dusky and intersected by -black streaks on the veins, traverses the pebble mark, but in the lighter -coloured specimens this line is not traceable. The female has browner hind -wings than the male. The moth is depicted on Plate 31, Fig. 2; and the -early stages on Plate 30, Figs. 1, 1a, and 1b. - -The caterpillar, when full grown, is pale ochreous grey, sometimes tinged -with pink or purplish brown, or with yellowish, and especially on the hind -rings; a yellow stripe along the back is edged here and there with -brownish; the diffuse dusky line along the area of the black margined -spiracles is edged with yellowish. It is occasionally found on poplar, but -sallows and willow are the more usual food plants, and it feeds upon these -in June and July and again in August and September. The reddish brown -chrysalis is enclosed in an earthen cocoon just under the surface of the -ground at the roots of tree or bush upon which the caterpillar fed. The -moth emerges in May and June from chrysalides of the previous year, and in -August as a second generation. Three broods in the year have been obtained -in confinement, but this is probably exceptional. - -Widely distributed throughout the British Isles, but seems to have a -preference for fens and marshy ground. It occurs all over Central and -Northern Europe, its range extends through France to Spain, Italy, and -Corsica, and it has been recorded from Armenia and Amurland. {72} - -THE IRON PROMINENT (_Notodonta dromedarius_). - -The specimen shown on Plate 31 is from Surrey, and represents the form most -frequently obtained in the south of England. Northwards the species becomes -darker in colour, and the reddish and yellow marking much reduced. The form -_perfusca_, as figured by Stephens, has the fore wings dark purplish grey, -streaked with dark brown; a pale patch at the base is russet marked, the -line before the middle of the wing is russet, and a dash of the same colour -lies at the lower extremity of the line beyond the middle; the hind wings -are brownish grey with a broad whitish cross line. The specimen, which is -of the female sex, was from Dublin, and the form was not then supposed to -occur in any other part of the British Isles. It is now, however, well -known in Scotland and the North of England, and also in Ireland. Some -examples that I have seen from Scotland are much larger and darker than the -figure referred to. In his description of this form Stephens states that -the fore wings are fuscous mixed with chestnut, with darker clouds. The -caterpillar, which is figured on Plate 30, is green, becoming yellowish on -the back; a rather broad stripe on the back of the front rings and the -markings on the humps and on other parts of the body are purplish brown. It -feeds on birch, alder, and sometimes hazel, usually on the former, in June, -July, and August. In some seasons, and localities, the moth appears twice -in the year: the caterpillar may then be found in September and October. -The chrysalis is blackish-brown and rather glossy, enclosed in a cocoon -composed of silk and sand or other soil, and may be obtained by lightly -digging up the earth and sods at the roots of trees. - -THE THREE HUMPED (_Notodonta phoebe_ = _tritophus_). - -Very little is known in Britain of this Central European moth (Plate 31, -Fig. 3). The first specimen of which we have any {73} knowledge was reared -on August 10, 1842 from a caterpillar found in Essex on aspen. This example -was included, with two others, one of which was captured in Suffolk, in the -collection of the late Dr. Mason, which was dispersed at Stevens' Auction -Rooms in March, 1905. - -Besides the specimens mentioned above, a caterpillar, which subsequently -died, was beaten from alder in the Exeter district in 1870; another was -obtained from hazel in Gloucestershire, but this was "ichneumoned." Then -there is a record of a moth or caterpillar, presumably the former, -occurring in the neighbourhood of Paisley; and there is a report that a -caterpillar was once found at the base of an aspen growing on Clapham -Common. A specimen was taken at electric light at Bedford, May, 1907. - -The caterpillar is green, with three reddish humps on the back, and an -interrupted reddish line along the sides. It feeds on poplar in July and -August. - -THE LARGE DARK PROMINENT (_Notodonta tritophus_ = _torva_). - -Another Central European species, of which only one specimen is known to -have occurred in Britain. This was reared from an egg, or from a -caterpillar, obtained in Norfolk in the latter part of the summer of 1882. -The moth might be mistaken for a small dark coloured specimen of the next -species (_N. trepida_), but the dark hindwings readily distinguish it -(Plate 31, Fig. 4). - -The caterpillar, although darker, bears considerable resemblance to that of -the Pebble Prominent; it feeds in June and July, and also in September, on -aspen. - -According to Staudinger this species is the _tritophus_ of Esper, an -earlier name than _torva_, Hubn.; whilst the preceding species, that has so -long been referred to _tritophus_, Fabricius (or _trilophus_), is found to -be _phoebe_, Siebert, which name has seventeen years' priority. {74} - -THE GREAT PROMINENT (_Notodonta trepida_). - -Fore wings greyish, or ochreous grey, with dark cross lines; a blackish -tuft from middle of inner margin, and a series of dark, or sometimes -reddish, spots on a pale cross line before the inner margin. Hind wings -whitish, sometimes ochreous tinged; clouded with greyish on costal area -(Plate 31, Fig. 5). When full grown the caterpillar is rather larger than -the one figured on Plate 30. In colour it is green, with yellow lines along -the back, seven reddish-edged yellow oblique streaks on the sides, and a -reddish tinged stripe on the two rings nearest the head. It is stated to -assume a purplish tint when quite mature. May be found from end of June to -early August on oak. The dark reddish brown chrysalis, which is enclosed in -an earth-covered cocoon, may be found at the roots of oak trees in the -autumn or winter. - -The moth emerges between late April and early June, sometimes remaining in -the chrysalis for two winters. Light attracts it freely, and it is -frequently seen in the illuminated moth trap, and may be occasionally noted -on the iron frame of a gas lamp in suitable places. Sometimes the moth is -met with in the daytime, resting on the trunks or branches of oak trees in -woods, or on palings adjacent thereto. When such specimens happen to be -females, they should be kept for eggs, which they lay freely. - -It occurs in most of the southern counties of England, is somewhat rare in -the Midlands, and scarce in the northern counties and in Scotland. Recorded -by Birchall as "not uncommon in Co. Wicklow," but Kane ("Cat. Lep. -Ireland") states that he has no information concerning its occurrence in -the sister island. Distributed throughout Central Europe, extending into -Spain, Italy, and Corsica; also to South-east Russia, Armenia, and possibly -Ussuri. {75} - -THE WHITE PROMINENT (_Leucodonta bicoloria_). - -The glossy white moth, prettily marked with orange and black, shown on -Plate 33, was not known to inhabit the British Isles until 1858 when -Bonchard obtained one specimen in a large birch wood in the Killarney -district, Ireland; in the following year he took a second specimen. Both -captures were made in the month of June. In June, 1861, one example of the -moth was found in Burnt Wood, Staffordshire; and in the same wood, June, -1865, no fewer than six specimens were secured, and eggs obtained from one -of the females. The caterpillars duly hatched out, but most of them were -lost, only seven attaining the moth state. Kane states that in 1866 a -specimen was taken in Mucross demesne, and caterpillars "were said also to -have been beaten." Miss Vernon of Clontarf showed him her collection of -insects from Kerry, and he found therein two rather poor specimens of the -White Prominent from a new locality in Kerry. Barrett mentions the capture, -in 1880, of a specimen near Exeter, Devonshire. From the foregoing, which -comprises all that appears to be definitely known about British _L. -bicoloria_, it will be gathered that the species is not only very local, -but exceedingly rare. - -The caterpillar, figured on Plate 32, from a coloured drawing by Mr. A. -Sich, is pale yellowish green, rather whiter on the upper surface; the -lines are green, the central one darkest; the stripe along the spiracles is -yellow edged with green. It feeds on birch in July; and changes in due -course to a dark reddish brown chrysalis, which is enclosed in a compact -silken cocoon spun up between leaves. The moth emerges in May or June. -Abroad the species seems to be generally distributed in Central Europe, and -is also found in the Ural, Amurland, Ussuri, and Japan. {76} - -THE MAPLE PROMINENT (_Lophopteryx cuculla_). - -To Donovan and the entomologists of his time this moth (Plate 33, Fig. 4) -was known by the English name still in use, Stephens considered it a rare -insect, and remarks that he once caught a specimen at Darenth Wood, by -"mothing," in June, 1820; several other examples had been taken in the same -place, and in the neighbouring woods. Although many more localities are now -known for the moth, it still continues to be rather a scarce species. It -appears to inhabit woods on a chalky soil almost exclusively, and is found -less uncommonly in the woods of Buckinghamshire than in its other haunts in -Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Kent, Sussex, Devonshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, -Suffolk, and Norfolk. The bulk of the specimens in collections were -probably reared from the egg, or from caterpillars obtained by beating or -searching the maple bushes growing in the woods frequented by the moth. - -The caterpillar is whitish green, rather glossy, with a dark green line -along the middle of the back, which is broadest on the front rings, and a -pale yellow stripe on the sides, the latter edged above with pale green; -spiracles pinkish edged with black; a hump on the eleventh ring is purplish -tinted. Head pale ochreous brown marked with reddish brown. Sometimes the -general colour is yellowish or pinkish ochreous. May be found in June and -July on maple (_Acer campestris_) and in confinement will feed very well on -sycamore (_A. pseudoplatanus_). The moth usually emerges in May or June, -but in 1901 Mr. Adkin reared ten moths, July 24 to 31, from eggs deposited -in the spring of that year. The species does not seem to be a common one -even abroad; its range extends through Central Europe to Italy and Sicily, -and it is also found in Ussuri. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 30. - 1, 1a, 1b. PEBBLE PROMINENT: _egg, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a, 2b, 2c. IRON PROMINENT: _eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 3, 3a. GREAT PROMINENT: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 31. - 1. IRON PROMINENT. - 2. PEBBLE PROMINENT. - 3. THREE HUMPED MOTH. - 4. LARGE DARK PROMINENT. - 5. GREAT PROMINENT. - -{77} - -THE COXCOMB PROMINENT (_Lophopteryx camelina_). - -Probably the commonest of the true Prominents, and certainly the most -variable. The early stages are figured on Plate 32, and two forms of the -moth on Plate 33. In its typical and southern form the fore wings are more -or less pale reddish brown with a darker cloud on the inner marginal area; -there are three dusky, or blackish, cross lines, but two of these are -generally very indistinct, the third runs from the blackish "tooth" on the -inner margin to the front edge of the wing, and is followed by a pale wavy -band often outwardly bordered with dusky. Sometimes the fore wings are -clouded with dark brown, and in the North of England a dark reddish form -occurs. In Scotland the fore wings vary in colour from dusky brown through -reddish to pale yellowish brown; sometimes the "tooth" is reddish in -chestnut coloured specimens. The whitish eggs are laid on the undersides of -the leaves of various trees and bushes upon which the caterpillar feeds; -these are chiefly birch, oak, hazel, sallow, and beech. - -The caterpillar, which appears in July to October, and sometimes even -later, is green, with a darker line on the back, and a yellow one on the -sides; two reddish tipped wart-like projections on the back of ring eleven. -Occasionally the general colour is ochreous with a pinkish tinge, or it may -be even purplish. There are two broods in the south of England, but only -one in the north. The moths of the first brood fly in May and June, and -those of the second in July and August, sometimes rather later. Pretty -generally distributed throughout England and Wales, Ireland and Scotland. -Abroad its range extends over Northern and Central Europe to Northern -Spain, Northern and Central Italy, Dalmatia, Turkey, Armenia, Siberia, -Amurland, Corea, and Japan. {78} - -THE SCARCE PROMINENT (_Odontosia carmelita_). - -In 1828, when Stephens figured this moth, he only knew of two British -specimens, both of which had been reared about sixteen years previously -from caterpillars found at Darenth Wood. The wings, which are not thickly -scaled, are purplish grey, becoming reddish brown on the front margins of -the fore wings; the outer transverse line of the fore wings starts from a -conspicuous creamy patch on the front margin, and the line on the hind -wings is most distinct above the anal angle, where it runs through a -purplish cloud (Plate 33, Fig. 5). - -In April and May the pale blue eggs are laid on the underside of birch -leaves. The caterpillar in June feeds on the foliage of the birch, and when -full grown is green freckled with yellowish above; a darker line runs along -the middle of the back, and a reddish spotted, or tinted, yellow stripe -along the sides; the small head, also green, is marked with yellowish. When -the chrysalids are kept indoors the moths emerge earlier than in the open, -and it therefore sometimes happens that eggs are laid and the caterpillars -hatch before the birch leaves are ready for them. In such cases I have got -over the difficulty in a measure by removing a portion of the outer -covering of one or two of the most forward buds to give the caterpillars a -chance of getting at the unexposed leaves. The moth emerges in April or -May, and, as pointed out by Mr. R. Adkin, it sometimes remains in the -chrysalis for two winters. Possibly this species may be found in most -districts where birch abounds; but, so far as its distribution in our -islands is known, it certainly appears to be distinctly local. Besides -Darenth, it also occurs in West Wickham Wood, and at Wateringbury, in Kent; -the Weybridge district, Dorking, and Haslemere, in Surrey; Ashdown Forest, -Blackdown Woods, Haywards Heath, and Tilgate Forest, in Sussex; New Forest, -Hampshire, and Berkshire. There seems to be no record of the moth having -been found in any other part of England, except Keswick and Windermere. In -Scotland it has been reported from Galashiels, Clydesdale, the Tay -district, Argyleshire, and Moray. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 32. - 1, 1a, 1b. PALE PROMINENT: _egg, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a. WHITE PROMINENT: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 3, 3a, 3b. COXCOMB PROMINENT: _egg, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 4. MAPLE PROMINENT: _chrysalis_. - 5, 5a. SCARCE PROMINENT: _chrysalis and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 33. - 1. WHITE PROMINENT. - 2, 3. COXCOMB PROMINENT. - 4. MAPLE PROMINENT. - 5. SCARCE PROMINENT. - 6. PALE PROMINENT. - 7. PLUMED PROMINENT, _male_; 8, _female_. - -{79} - -THE PLUMED PROMINENT (_Ptilophora plumigera_). - -The thinly scaled fore wings are ochreous brown in the male, and purplish -brown in the female, and the markings, which are most in evidence in the -male, are yellowish. Hind wings, more sparsely scaled than the fore wings, -are pale ochreous brown in the male and darker in the female. It varies in -the tint of general colour and in the intensity of the yellowish markings. -In the female the antennae are simple, but in the male they are very -plume-like, hence the English name. Buckler describes the caterpillar as -whitish blue-green, with a broad deep green stripe down the middle of the -back, and a narrow yellow line on each side of it; spiracular line slender, -white, and wavy; head rather small, glossy, yellowish green. When quite -full grown and mature it changes to a uniform semi-transparent green, like -the underside of a leaf of maple, upon which, and also sycamore, the -caterpillar feeds in May and early June. Maple bushes growing in hedgerows -are usually selected by the female moths when laying their eggs. These are -placed on the twigs near a bud, and may be searched for at any time from -November until April. The moth is shown on Plate 33. - -This species was figured by Stephens (1828) as _Ptilophora variegata_ and -the only locality then known to him was Darenth Wood, where, he states, the -caterpillar was obtained almost every year. It still occurs in Kent and -possibly in its old haunt; it is also recorded from Watergate, Sussex; -South Devon (Torquay district); and Gloucestershire. In Bucks, Berks, and -Oxfordshire it is more frequent than in either of the counties previously -mentioned, and in all it seems to be found chiefly in chalky localities. -The moth, which is on the wing in November {80} or sometimes in late -October, has rarely been taken when flying at night or resting by day. -Light has an attraction for the male, but apparently not for the female. - -Distributed through Central Europe, its range extends to Southern -Scandinavia, Northern Italy, Livonia, Bulgaria, S.E. Russia, and Japan. - -THE PALE PROMINENT (_Pterostoma palpina_). - -This blackish streaked, pale brownish grey moth has been known as the Pale -Prominent since 1775, when Moses Harris gave it this name. Beyond the black -scaled tooth-like projection the inner margin is notched. The antennae of -the female are pectinated, but the teeth are shorter than those of the -male; and the blackish streak on the wings are usually less defined. Except -that some specimens are more strongly marked than others there is little to -note in the way of aberration. Mr. Harwood of Colchester has, however, -recorded an almost black variety, and this may be referable to the form -from Russian Lapland, known as var. _lapponica_, Teich. The moth is figured -on Plate 33, and the early stages on Plate 32. - -The caterpillar is bluish green, with white lines along the back and sides, -and a black edged yellow stripe along the spiracles; the stripe is marked -with reddish on the three rings nearest the head. It feeds chiefly on -poplar, but has been found on willow and sallow. Usually to be obtained -full grown early in July or late in June; in the south and south-east of -England, it is found also in September and October. The chrysalis is -purplish, or reddish, brown and rather shining. It may be found, in a -cocoon formed of silk mixed with particles of earth, among the roots of -grass, etc., at the foot of poplar or willow trees. Moths are on the wing -in May and June, and again in July and August. Coming to electric and gas -lamps, as well as entering lighted rooms, and illuminated moth traps, they -are often secured; otherwise they are rarely seen in a state of nature. The -species is most frequent, perhaps, in the southern countries, but seems to -occur throughout England; it becomes scarcer from the Midlands northwards -to Durham and Cumberland. It occurs in Southern Scotland, and has been -recorded from Moray. In Ireland it is widely distributed, but is not noted -as common in any locality. The range abroad extends through temperate -Europe into Asia Minor, and as far east as China and Japan. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 34. - 1, 1a, 1b, 1c. CHOCOLATE TIP: _egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 2, 2a, 2b. SMALL CHOCOLATE TIP: _caterpillar, chrysalis, cocoon and - larval retreat_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 35. - 1, 2. CHOCOLATE-TIP MOTH. - 3. BUFF-TIP MOTH. - 4. SCARCE CHOCOLATE-TIP, _male_; 5 _female_. - 6. SMALL CHOCOLATE-TIP, _male_; 7 _female_. - -{81} - -THE BUFF-TIP (_Phalera bucephala_). - -[Illustration: FIG. 21. - -EGGS OF BUFF-TIP MOTH.] - -This species (Plate 35, Fig. 3) is easily recognized by its violet-grey -fore wings, and the more or less round, pale, ochreous blotch on the outer -third. The blotch is clouded, to a greater or lesser extent, with pale -brown, and the inner area of the wings is flecked with silvery grey; the -cross lines are edged with reddish brown. - -The rather downy caterpillar is yellow, with several interrupted blackish -lines, and of these the one along the middle of the back is the broadest -and blackest; head black. It feeds, during August and September, in -companies, until nearly full grown, and the foliage of almost any kind of -tree or bush appears to be suitable food, although that of elm, lime, and -hazel is often selected by the female moth when depositing her whitish -eggs, which {82} she lays in neatly arranged batches on the undersides of -the leaves. If undisturbed, a company of these caterpillars quickly clear a -fair-sized branch of all leafage. The chrysalis is purplish brown (the -early stages are shown on Plate 37). - -The moth flies in June and July, but is rarely seen in the daytime. The -wings in repose are closely folded down to the body and the insect has then -a very stick-like appearance, and may thus easily escape detection. - -Occurs throughout England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. It is most -common, and the caterpillar often abundant, in London and its suburbs, as -well as other southern parts of the country. Its range extends through -Europe to Northern Asia Minor, Armenia, and Siberia. - -THE CHOCOLATE-TIP (_Pygaera curtula_). - -Two examples of this moth are shown on Plate 35. Fig. 2 represents the -spring (April and May) form, and Fig. 1 the summer (July and August) form. -Sometimes there is a third brood, in September or October, and Barrett -describes the individuals of this as "pale drab, dusted with darker atoms, -and with the chocolate blotch paler towards the apex." Hybrids have been -obtained from a pairing between _curtula_ female and _anachoreta_ male, and -these were most like the female parent. The early stages are figured on -Plate 34, Figs. 1-1c. - -The verdigris-green eggs are laid in batches on the leaves of poplar and -aspen, upon which the caterpillars feed in May and June, and, as a second -brood, in August and September. In colour the caterpillar, which is rather -hairy, is grey, with a pinkish tinge, sprinkled with black, and with orange -spots on the sides; there is a raised black spot on the fourth ring, and -another on the eleventh; head blackish. The chrysalis is reddish-brown, -spun up in a packet of leaves. This species appears to be less common in -England than formerly. It is, {83} perhaps, more often observed in Kent and -Sussex than in the other counties it inhabits, which, according to Barrett, -are Berks, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, in all of which it is local; -also, but more rarely, in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, -Leicestershire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland, the latter county being its -northern limit. To the above may be added Hertfordshire and Middlesex. -Although caterpillars are reported to have been found in Ireland, the moth -has not been reared in that country. - -This species is distributed through Northern and Central Europe, extending -to South France, Corsica, North Italy, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Mongolia. - -THE SCARCE CHOCOLATE-TIP (_Pygaera anachoreta_). - -This moth is distinguished from that last referred to by the black spots in -and just below the blotch at the tip of the fore wings; the blotch itself -is dull reddish, merging outwardly into greyish, and is intersected by a -white line. There is some variation in the tint of the general colour, -ranging from dusky to reddish grey, but otherwise the species is constant -(Plate 35, Figs. 4, 5). - -The caterpillar, which feeds on poplar and sallow from May to August, or -even later, is rather hairy, dark grey or blackish in colour; there are -four ochreous or whitish lines on the back, and a row of black spots -followed by a series of orange ones on the sides; below the spiracles are -some yellowish markings; the raised spots on rings four and eleven are -reddish brown; the former has a white spot on each side, and the back of -the latter is edged with white; head black and rather glossy. Chrysalis -blackish in hue, spun up among leaves. The moths emerge in May, and again -in July; in confinement there is sometimes a third brood in September. -Except that two {84} specimens were reported as found in a street at Deal, -the moth does not seem to have been noticed at large. - -This species was known to Haworth, but, as a British insect, was -exceedingly rare until 1859, when Dr. Knaggs found some caterpillars upon -poplar in the neighbourhood of Folkestone. From the stock then obtained the -moths were reared in numbers for some time. Batches of eggs were also put -down in various localities, and the species seems to have flourished in -some of them for a while, but failed eventually to establish itself in any -of them. Then the species disappeared from the Folkestone locality, -although a caterpillar or two were found there in 1861, and on to 1912 in -other places on the Kentish coast. In 1893 eggs were obtained at St. -Leonard's, in Sussex, and thus originated a new stock. - -The species has a wide range in Central and Northern Europe, extending to -some of the southern parts; it also occurs in Siberia, Amurland, China, and -Japan. - -THE SMALL CHOCOLATE-TIP (_Pygaera pigra_). - -This species will be recognized by its smaller size and less distinct -chocolate blotch on the tips of the fore wings. The ground colour varies -from whitish grey to pale brownish grey; the pale cross lines are usually -well defined; the first is bordered with chocolate colour, and angled above -the middle; the third line runs from a white spot on the costa and through -the chocolate patch. The moth is shown on Plate 35, and the early stages on -Plate 34. - -Of the offspring resulting from eggs laid by a female _curtula_ that had -paired with a male _pigra_, and also those from a female _pigra_ crossed -with a male _curtula_, the hybrids in each case most nearly resembled the -female parent. - -The eggs are pale olive green tending to brownish, and all that I have seen -have been laid in irregular lines on leaves, or {85} on the sides of a chip -box. The caterpillar is greyish, with some short hairs and black dots; the -back is broadly marked with yellow, and there is a yellow stripe, with -black dots on it, low down on the sides; rings four and eleven have each a -raised black spot; head blackish. Feeds from June to September, on dwarf -sallow (_Salix repens_), and also on young plants of aspen. Like other -caterpillars of this genus, it hides by day in a packet of leaves spun -together. There are certainly two broods, if not more, in the year. The -moth emerges in May, and more irregularly in July or August, and October. -Except when attracted to a light, the moth is rarely seen, but in fens, -marshes, and boggy places generally, the caterpillars may often be obtained -in numbers almost throughout the United Kingdom. Its distribution abroad -embraces Northern and Central Europe, with extension into Northern Spain -and Italy; Bulgaria, South-east Russia, and Armenia. - -THYATIRIDAE. - -The nine British species next to be considered belong to the old family -Cymatophoridae, but as the name _Cymatophora_, as indicated by Hubner in -the "Tentamen" (1816), is now generically used by authors for some species -of Geometridae; and as Hubner's _Verzeichniss_ generic names will have to -be used for the species previously included in _Cymatophora_, Tr., the term -Thyatiridae has here been adopted for this family--the Polyplocidae of -Meyrick and others. - -THE BUFF ARCHES (_Habrosyne derasa_). - -This pretty species (Plate 36, Figs. 1, 2) is well distributed over the -greater part of England and not at all uncommon in the more sylvan -districts of the southern counties. It occurs in Wales but has only once -been recorded from Scotland. In {86} Ireland it is found in almost every -well-wooded locality, but is not generally common. The moth hides among the -foliage of the bramble and also creeps under the withered leaves on the -ground. It comes freely to sugar, and is often the earliest to attend the -banquet, but is rather skittish at first and should be given time to settle -down. - -The fore wings are pale olive grey with two whitish streaks across them, -the first oblique approaching the second towards the inner margin; the -space between the streaks is clouded with brownish buff and there is a -whitish cloud on the costal area, and some strongly waved cross lines -before the second streak. - -The caterpillar, which is rusty brown, with a blackish central line on the -back, a black edged yellowish spot on ring four, a smaller one on ring -five, and sometimes a tiny one on ring seven, feeds in August and -September, sometimes later, on bramble, and is said to eat hawthorn and -hazel. It hides during the day and comes up to feed at night. The -chrysalis, which is enclosed in an earthen cocoon below the surface of the -ground, or sometimes among moss, is purplish black with the ring divisions -reddish; the anal spike is furnished with hooks. As a rule the moth does -not emerge until June or July following the year of pupation, but it has -been found on the wing in September and October. - -Distributed over Central Europe, extending into Southern France, and -Northern Italy, Southern Sweden and Livonia, and eastward to the Himalayas, -Corea, and Japan. - -THE PEACH-BLOSSOM (_Thyatira batis_). - -The olive brown fore wings of this moth are adorned with five pink-tinged -whitish spots, and clouded with brown; the pink tinge varies in amount and -in brightness, and sometimes gives place to pale ochreous. The moth is -figured on Plate 36, and the early stages on Plate 37. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 36. - 1. BUFF ARCHES MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. PEACH-BLOSSOM MOTH, _male_; 4 _female_. - 5. FIGURE OF EIGHTY, _male_; 6. _female_. - 7. POPLAR LUTESTRING, _male_; 8 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 37. - 1, 1a. BUFF-TIP: _eggs and caterpillar_. - 2, 2a, 2b. PEACH-BLOSSOM: _eggs, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{87} - -The fluted greenish-white eggs are laid upon the edges of bramble-leaves. - -The caterpillar is pale reddish brown shaded with darker and freckled with -whitish (in the young stage the second and third rings are whitish above); -a slender dark brown line along the middle of the back, and a broader one -along the sides, the latter not distinct on the first three rings; the two -rings nearest the head each have a divided ridge, the second being the -larger; there are also similar ridges on the fifth to ninth rings, and the -back of ring eleven is slightly raised; a series of pale triangular marks -on the back. It feeds on bramble in July, and may be found from that month -until September. - -In confinement it will thrive on raspberry or the cultivated kinds of -blackberry. From some thirty eggs I had in June this year (1907) the -caterpillars hatched on the 27th; several of these fed up rapidly and one -or two had spun up for pupation, among the leaves, in July (about 24th), -whilst others remained quite small, and a few were in the last skin but -one. Early in August the larger caterpillars just referred to pupated, and -the smaller ones began to feed up, and by the end of the month they had -attained to full growth, although they did not spin cocoons until the -second week in September. - -From July chrysalids moths will often emerge in August or September of the -same year, but none have appeared from those under observation. The -chrysalis is pale brown mottled with dark purplish or reddish brown, wing -cases reddish. The species frequents woods or wooded localities, and is -generally distributed throughout England and Wales, but commoner in some -parts than others. Rather local in Scotland but not uncommon in Perthshire. -Sometimes very abundant in Ireland, occurring in similar localities to the -preceding species. It is found over the greater part of Northern and -Central Europe, and as far east as Amurland and Japan. {88} - -THE FIGURE OF EIGHTY (_Palimpsestis octogessima_). - -This moth (Plate 36, Figs. 5, 6) may be distinguished by two whitish marks -on the fore wings which have some resemblance to the numerals 80, hence the -common name. These are really the white outlines of the reniform and -orbicular stigmata, each of which has the central part filled in with -black; sometimes the lower portion of the 8 is obscure, but in a general -way the character is not difficult to make out. - -The caterpillar is yellowish tinged with greyish on the back; a greyish -plate on the back of the ring nearest the black marked orange head; three -black spots on each side of the first ring, two such spots on ring two, and -one on each side of rings three to eleven; the back of the last ring has a -greyish plate. It feeds in July and August, earlier or later in accordance -with season, on poplar. During the day it hides between united leaves, or -in a curled up withered leaf, upon the tree. The shining black chrysalis -with somewhat reddish ring divisions is enclosed in a rather loosely -constructed cocoon spun up between leaves, or among moss etc., at the base -of poplar trees. The moth emerges in May or June. It is partial to sugar, -and is said to prefer its sweets served up on poplar trunks. Probably it is -most often and regularly obtained in the Eastern Counties, but it is -locally not uncommon in Worcestershire and Herefordshire; also found in -Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Surrey, and, I -believe, Sussex. The range abroad is similar to that of _T. batis_. - -THE POPLAR LUTESTRING (_Palimpsestis or_). - -May be recognized in the typical form by the four-lined bands, -"lutestrings," on the greyish, sometimes pink-tinged fore wings; the -reniform and orbicular marks are often present although the first is -generally obscure, and they never assume the similarity {89} to figures -noted in the last species (Plate 36, Figs. 7, 8). In Scotland the moths -have a paler ground colour generally, var. _scotica_, Tutt; one from -Ireland with ground colour pearly white and broad black "lutestrings" has -been named var. _gaelica_, Kane. Hybrids from a cross pairing of this -species with the last have been obtained by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher. These -specimens have the "lutestrings" of _or_, and the "figure of 80" -characteristic of _octogessima_. Caterpillar yellowish green with a dark -line along the middle of the back, and two black spots on the front edge of -the ring next the yellowish brown head. It feeds on poplar, and hides -between united leaves in the daytime; may be found from July to September -or even later. Chrysalis, reddish brown, the surface minutely pitted, and -spike pointed, and thickened at the base; in a brownish cocoon spun up -between leaves. The moth emerges in June or July, and it comes freely to -sugar, but like other members of this family is not always easy to box. It -seems to occur in most places where poplar trees are well established; -widely distributed over England, and found throughout Scotland even to the -Shetland Isles. In Ireland it seems to be local and rare. Distribution -abroad much as in the last species. - -THE LESSER SATIN MOTH (_Palimpsestis duplaris_). - -Figs. 1, 2, on Plate 39, represent the typical southern form of this -species. The fore wings are pale greyish with a whitish edged, broad, dark -central band; two black dots on the outer edge of the band distinguish this -species from the next. In Scotland and in Northern England the general -colour is blackish or purplish grey (Fig. 3), and sometimes specimens more -or less suffused with the darker colour are found in the southern half of -England. Quite the darkest, almost black, form seems to occur in Cannock -Chase, Staffordshire, and in Delamere Forest, Cheshire. The caterpillar is -greenish; central area of the back {90} green, margined on each side by an -olive green, or brighter green, stripe; some black dots along the sides; -head reddish brown marked with black. Feeds on birch, and may be found from -August to October. It spins the leaves together for a shelter during the -daytime, and comes out to feed at night, when it may be obtained by beating -the boughs. Other food plants mentioned are alder, oak, and hazel. The pupa -is of a dull reddish colour, in a slight cocoon between leaves. - -Widely distributed throughout England and common in most woodlands, -especially in the south and east; it ranges through Scotland to the -Shetlands. In Ireland, where the moth has the ground colour silvery grey -(var. _argentea_, Tutt), it has been obtained in many localities, from -Donegal and Tyrone to Kerry and Cork. - -THE SATIN CARPET (_Palimpsestis fluctuosa_). - -In colour and general pattern this species (Plate 39, Fig. 4) is very -similar to the last in its typical form. The points of distinction are, the -slightly larger size, whiter ground colour, and the absence of the two -black dots from the edge of the band. In August and September the -caterpillar feeds, at night, on birch, and by day conceals itself between -leaves. It is reddish or violet grey above, and pale ochreous-white -beneath; the lines down the centre of the back and along the sides are -darker; on the first ring there is a greenish-tinged yellow plate, and from -this to the eleventh ring there are two series of black dots along the -back. Head yellow-brown, blackened above; a black circle on each cheek. -Chrysalis reddish-brown, in a cocoon among leaves either on the tree or on -the ground. The moth emerges in June, and is distinctly local. Sometimes it -may be disturbed from its resting place among the foliage; it becomes -active on the wing at dusk for a short time; sugar does not seem to possess -any great attraction for it, anyway it does not attend the feast prepared -for Noctuae so frequently as other members of this family. It is known to -occur, chiefly in woods, in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire in the -south; Essex and Suffolk in the east; also in Worcestershire (Wyre Forest), -and Herefordshire; in the Barnsley and Sheffield districts of Yorkshire; -and it has been reported from Cumberland. In Ireland it is rare and only -recorded from Killarney, Kerry, and Sligo. Abroad it occurs in Central -Europe, the range extending to Southern Scandinavia, and to South-east -Russia. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 38. - 1. FROSTED GREEN: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a, 2b, 2c. YELLOW HORNED: _egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 39. - 1. LESSER SATIN MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_; 3 _northern var_. - 4. SATIN CARPET MOTH. - 5. LESSER LUTESTRING, _male_; 6 _female_. - 7, 8. YELLOW-HORNED MOTH. - 9. FROSTED GREEN MOTH, _male_; 10 _female_. - -{91} THE LESSER LUTESTRING (_Asphalia diluta_). - -The fore wings are whitish or greyish, and sometimes tinged with brown; -crossed by two brownish bands. Variation is chiefly in the tint of the -bands and also in their width and definition. In var. _nubilata_, which -occurs in Yorkshire, the general colour of the fore wings is darker than -normal, and there is a basal patch and three cross-bands of reddish or -purplish brown (Plate 39, Figs. 5, 6). - -Caterpillar, yellowish above and greyish beneath; a dusky line along the -middle of the back, and one, dotted with black, low down on the sides; head -dark brown, almost blackish. It feeds in May and June on oak, but only at -night; it constructs a leafy chamber in which it sits tight during the day, -and is not easily evicted unless its apartment is forcibly opened. The -reddish chrysalis is enclosed in a flimsy cocoon between, or among, leaves. -Although September is the month during which the moth usually emerges, it -is sometimes seen earlier. It is so partial to sugar, that it may often be -seen at an old patch before the new feast has been set out for the evening -entertainment. The species is fairly well distributed throughout England -and Wales, and most common in the south of the former country. It extends -into Southern Scotland, but {92} apparently does not occur in Ireland. -Abroad it is found in Central Europe, Belgium, North Germany, North Italy, -and North-east Asia Minor. - -THE YELLOW HORNED (_Polyploca flavicornis_). - -In the South of England this species is greenish grey, sometimes speckled -or dusted with darker grey; the reniform and orbicular marks are generally -clear and distinct, but in some examples they are united and form a whitish -blotch outlined in blackish; the cross lines are usually well defined, but -in the dark grey dusted form are very obscure. Specimens from Scotland are -generally larger, there is less green, if any, in the ground colour, and -the markings are often more pronounced and brighter. This form is the var. -_scotica_, Tutt, and may be more or less identical with the var. -_finmarchia_, Schoyen, from Norway and Lapland (Fig. 7, Plate 39, shows the -English form, and Fig. 8 the Scotch form). - -The caterpillar is greenish, light olive green, or dark olive green above, -and yellowish beneath; a line along the middle of the back is paler, and on -each side there is a row of black spots and finely black-edged white dots; -a line above the brownish outlined spiracles is yellowish: the head is -yellow brown with blackish jaws and black mark on each cheek. It feeds in -June and July on birch, preferring the foliage of bushes. During the -daytime it resides in a leaf neatly folded in half; when quite young, the -caterpillar then being blackish, a small leaf or just the turned-over edge -of a large one answers its purpose. The chrysalis is reddish, enclosed in a -flimsy cocoon among leaves, moss, or roots of grass, etc., sometimes just -under the surface of the soil. The early stages are figured on Plate 38, -Figs. 2-2c. The moth emerges in March or April of the year following -pupation, as a rule, but it may remain in the chrysalis for two winters. It -is often obtained in birch woods, or wherever there {93} is a good growth -of birch, by jarring the twigs and branches of birch upon which it rests -during the day, or it may be found by searching the low bushes and -underwood. Soon after dusk it is on the wing, and will then visit sugar and -sallow bloom. - -Generally distributed throughout Great Britain. In Ireland it appears to be -very rare. Its range abroad, in the typical form, extends over Northern and -Central Europe to North Italy and to South-east Russia. - -THE FROSTED GREEN (_Polyploca ridens_). - -This moth (Plate 39, Figs. 9, 10) is also on the wing early in the year, -but although it is sometimes found on tree trunks in April or perhaps as -late as the first week in May, it seems to be rarely obtained otherwise in -the perfect state. It does not "come to sugar" often, if at all, and so far -as is known, does not visit any of the usual natural attractions. - -The ground colour of the fore wings varies from whitish to green, but in -some specimens the general hue is olive or blackish green, and the markings -then appear to be wavy whitish lines crossing the wings, one near the base, -and the other before the outer margin. - -The caterpillar (Plate 38, Fig. 1) is yellow above and rather greenish -beneath; a greenish grey double stripe along the back is interrupted at the -ring divisions; there are also white dots with black or blackish edges on -the back and the sides; a yellow line along the spiracle area is shaded -above and below with greenish grey; the head, which is notched on the -crown, is yellowish, with a black mark on each cheek. It feeds, at night, -on oak, from May to July; hiding by day on the underside of a leaf, a -portion of which is folded over and secured with silk, to form a suitable -retreat. These caterpillars respond more readily to the persuasive -beating-stick than others of the group. - -The species affects woodland localities in most of the southern {94} -counties of England, and it is also found in South Wales. Its range extends -into the Eastern Counties and through the Midlands northward to Cumberland. -It does not seem to have been noted from Scotland or Ireland. Abroad it is -distributed over Central Europe and northward to Denmark and Livonia, and -southward to South France and Andalusia. - -TUSSOCK-MOTHS (_Lymantriidae_). - -About seventy-two species, referred to this family, are known to occur in -various parts of the Palaearctic region; ten of these are found in our -islands. The Black V-moth (_Leucoma v-nigrum_ or _Arctornis l-album_) has -been reported as British, but if the few examples that have been recorded -were natives, the species has long since disappeared from this country. - -Some of the caterpillars, as, for example, those of the Brown and -Yellow-tails, are not altogether pleasant to handle, as the hairs with -which they are covered have a disagreeable trick of transferring themselves -to our hands, whence they find their way to our face, and when there are -apt to set up most unpleasant irritation and swelling of the parts -affected. These urticating hairs are more troublesome when received from -the caterpillar or cocoon, but those from the moth itself communicate a -very respectable simulation of the skin trouble known to the doctor as -Urticaria. - -THE SCARCE VAPOURER (_Orgyia gonostigma_). - -The male of this species, and also of the next, flies in the sunshine, but -the female of each is wingless, or nearly so, and has to remain at home on -the cocoon from which she emerged. Here she lays a large number of eggs, -from four to five hundred, upon the exterior. The eggs of this species are -whitish and rather glossy when first laid; the top is sunken. Apart from -{95} the deeper brown colour of the fore wings and the blacker hind wings, -the male of this species has a white mark near the tip of each fore wing, -and this character will distinguish it from the same sex of the Common -Vapourer. - -The caterpillar is blackish with star-like tufts of hair, white on the back -and greyish on the sides; on rings four to seven are brushes of brown -hairs; a pencil of black hair on side of the first ring pointing forward, -and a thicker one on the back of ring eleven directed backward; the -interrupted stripes along the back and sides are reddish orange, -approaching vermilion; those along the back are united in front of the -pencil on ring eleven, and those of the sides unite behind the pencil. Head -glossy, black. The foliage of sallow, willow, and oak, is perhaps the more -usual food, but it has been known to eat beech, elm, hawthorn, sloe, and -nut, and has been found on meadow-sweet. The chrysalis is brown, inclining -to yellowish between the rings, and the back is hairy; enclosed in a cocoon -spun up among leaves or in any suitable cranny. The male and female moths -are figured on Plate 40 (Fig. 3, 5), and the caterpillar and chrysalis on -Plate 41. - -The moths emerge in June, and from their eggs caterpillars result in July. -These, feeding up quickly, attain the perfect state in late July or early -August. Caterpillars from this second generation usually go into -hibernation when quite small, and feed up in the following April and May; -in confinement they may, however, get through their metamorphosis and reach -the moth state in September or October. Sometimes it happens that a part of -the summer brood of caterpillars will feed up straight away and produce -moths in August; others, feeding and growing more slowly, assume the winged -state in November; whilst a third portion will remain small and go into -hibernation. - -This very local species used to be obtained in the Wimbledon district, but -it has not been seen there for some years past. {96} Other localities for -it are the Norfolk and Cambridge fens, Bewdley Forest in Shropshire, and -Wyre Forest, Worcestershire; it is also found in some parts of Devonshire, -Suffolk, Essex, and Yorks. Its range abroad extends through Northern and -Central Europe, southward to North Spain, Piedmont, and Corsica, and -eastward to Amurland, Corea, and Japan. - -THE VAPOURER (_Orgyia antiqua_). - -The male has the wings rather more ample than the same sex of the last -species, the colour is a more ochreous red and there is a large white spot -at the lower angle of the fore wings, but no white mark at the tips of -these wings. Specimens from the north of England are rather darker than -southern examples. In the course of temperature experiments it has been -noted that the colour of the moth is darkened if the chrysalids are put in -a refrigerator for a few weeks, and then brought into a mean temperature of -40deg Fahr. In the female the appendages representing wings are somewhat -larger than those of the female of the Scarce Vapourer, but are quite -useless as organs of flight (Plate 40, Figs. 4, 6). - -In general colour the caterpillar is violet or smoky grey; the markings on -the back comprise a creamy, red-dotted line along the middle area, this is -edged with black, and on each side of it is a series of raised red spots; -the broken line along the sides is yellowish, and the four brushes of hair -on the back are yellow, sometimes merging into brown above; the pencils of -longer hairs are blackish on the ring nearest the head, and dark grey or -brownish on the last ring. It may be found through the summer on the leaves -of most trees and bushes. Chrysalis blackish, glossy, and rather hairy. The -cocoons are spun up in the crevices of bark on tree trunks, or in the fork -of a twig, under the eaves of an out-house or shed, on palings and fences, -etc. The hairs of the caterpillar are mixed with the silk of the cocoon; -the female lays her pale brownish eggs, which are minutely pitted and have -a darker ring below the sunken top, on the outside of the cocoon, and there -they remain through the winter. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 40. - 1. DARK TUSSOCK MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. SCARCE VAPOURER, _male_; 5 _female_. - 4. VAPOURER, _male_; 6 _female_. - 7. PALE TUSSOCK, _male_; 8 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 41. - 1, 1a. SCARCE VAPOURER: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - 2, 2a. COMMON VAPOURER: _egg-batch on cocoon and enlarged egg_. - 3, 3a, 3b, 3c. PALE TUSSOCK: _egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 4. DARK TUSSOCK: _caterpillar_. - -{97} Generally distributed throughout the United Kingdom, but not so common -in Ireland as in England and Scotland. It is quite a Cockney insect, and is -found in almost every part of the Metropolis where there are a few trees. -Occurs practically over the whole of Europe, and in North-east Asia Minor, -Armenia, Siberia, Amurland, and North America. - -THE DARK TUSSOCK (_Dasychira fascelina_). - -The figures of the sexes of this species on Plate 40 represent the dark -grey form. Sometimes the forewings are whitish grey and occasionally slaty -grey; the cross lines may be stronger or fainter, and in some specimens are -nearly absent; the yellowish colour usually seen on the cross lines may be -missing, or, on the other hand, other parts of the wings may be stippled -with yellowish. Laying her eggs in batches, the female carefully covers -them with dark brown hairs from the tuft at the end of her body. - -The caterpillar (Plate 41, Fig. 4) is blackish, with star-like tufts of -hairs, yellow, mixed with longer blackish ones towards the head and tail, -brownish grey on the middle portion; a brush of black hairs on rings four, -five, and eleven, and of white hairs on six, seven, and eight. Head black. -When full grown (Plate 42, Fig. 3) the hairs of the body are greyish, and -those of the brushes on the back are black flanked with white. When -disturbed it rolls in a ring. It feeds on hawthorn, and various species of -_Salix_, also on broom and ling. It hibernates when still small, in a -silken cocoon-like envelope which it spins in the fork of a branch, or -among the twigs of a bush; growth is completed in April or May, and the -winged state attained in {98} June or July. Sometimes the young -caterpillars have been found in their winter quarters about the middle of -July, and this would seem to imply that they occasionally lie dormant for -two winters; at least this would appear to be so in Scotland whence such -individuals have been recorded, with the additional information that they -did not eat through the summer and that one was still alive in the -following March. The chrysalis is glossy black, and hairy (Plate 42, Fig. -3a). - -This is chiefly a northern insect, occurring most commonly on the Cheshire, -Lancashire, and Cumberland coast. It is more generally distributed in -Scotland and is often abundant on the moorlands. In Ireland three -caterpillars were found by Mr. Kane in the Bog of Allen, and the species -has also been recorded from Tullamore and Mullingar. Distribution: Northern -and Central Europe, extending to the Altai. - -THE PALE TUSSOCK (_Dasychira pudibunda_). - -This moth is much commoner and more widely distributed in England than that -last mentioned. The central area of the greyish white fore wings is subject -to variation in width and also in tint; this latter may be darker or -lighter than the example shown on Plate 40, and the cross lines are in some -specimens black and very distinct. The colour of the female ranges from -pale greyish white through various tones of grey, and the bands on the hind -wings may be as well defined as in the male. Black males of the species -have been recorded. - -The hairy caterpillar is green or yellow, the former mottled with whitish -and the latter with greenish; on rings 4 to 7 are thick brushes of yellow -hairs, and on ring 11 there is a tuft of reddish hair; the back is marked -with black between the brushes, and there are black spots on the sides of -the hind rings. Sometimes the caterpillar is light or dark brownish and the -brushes are then greyish, or tinged with pale reddish or blackish. -Altogether it is a pretty creature, and as it is, or was previous to the -modern "washing," common in hop gardens at picking time, it was christened -the "hop dog." It may be found from July to September on the foliage of -birch, hazel, oak, and many other trees, as well as on hop. The moth -appears in May and June, and rests by day on herbage, especially on bracken -in woods (see Fig. 6, p. 7); at night it comes readily to light, but -specimens so obtained are generally of the female sex. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 42. - 1, 1a. YELLOW-TAIL: _caterpillars_. - 2. BROWN-TAIL: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. DARK TUSSOCK: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 43. - 1. BROWN-TAIL MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. YELLOW-TAIL MOTH, _female_; 4, 5 _males_. - 6. WHITE SATIN MOTH, _female_. - -{99} It is most at home in the southern portion, but occurs throughout -England and Wales, to Cumberland. Only doubtfully recorded from Scotland, -but in Ireland it has occurred in Galway, Kerry, Waterford, Cork, and -Wicklow. - -Distribution: Central and Northern Europe eastward to North-east China and -Japan. - -THE BROWN-TAIL (_Euproctis chrysorrhoea_). - -Although sometimes found in the East and West of England, and even in -Yorkshire and Durham, this appears to be essentially a coast species in -Britain, and confined at that to Kent and Sussex, the former especially. -Even in these favoured localities where it is usually abundant, it is, -however, not always in evidence. The moths sit about at the end of July and -early August on leaves of hawthorn, sloe, sea-buckthorn (_Hippophae -rhamnoides_), and wild rose, generally on the underside. Near the females -will be found batches of eggs, which are covered with "fur" from the anal -tuft of the female. The caterpillars hatch out in August, and while still -very small go into hibernation in a common nest. In the spring, when active -again, they construct a new habitation, and another or perhaps two more -before they are full grown, about June. The chrysalis is very dark, almost -blackish-brown, with tufts of hair, and the fairly substantial brownish -cocoon in which it is enclosed {100} is composed of silk and caterpillar -hairs, and is spun up on the food-plant, often singly, but not -infrequently, several are made up in a common silken covering. - -The caterpillar is blackish with brownish warts, each bearing a tuft of -brownish hairs; a row of tufts of white downy scales on each side of the -back of rings four to eleven; the central line on the back is black, edged -on each side by a red line of variable width from rings six to ten; a -vermillion round spot on nine and ten. Head blackish. - -The moth is shown on Plates 43, 45, and the caterpillar on Plate 42, Fig. -1. - -Distribution, Central and South Europe to North-west Africa and Asia Minor. - -In 1897 an appeal was made to British entomologists to refrain from taking -many specimens of this species; while American entomologists were seeking -power to compel local authorities to suppress the Brown-tail, which about -that time was a new, and no doubt introduced, insect pest in the State of -Massachusetts. - -THE YELLOW-TAIL (_Porthesia similis_). - -The male has usually only one black mark on the fore wings, but sometimes -there are two, as seen in Fig. 5, Plate 43; more rarely there is a dot or -two towards the tips of the wings. The habit of the moth is to sit upon the -foliage of bushes and the branches of trees, where it might easily be -passed over for a fluffy white feather; occasionally it may be found on -palings or even iron railings. About dark it is on the wing, and light has -then a great attraction for it. The caterpillar is black with black and -grey hairs; a vermillion stripe down the middle of the back has a black -central line, and is expanded on rings four, eleven, and twelve; along each -side there are tufts of snowy white fluffy scales; the back of rings four, -{101} five, and eleven is velvety black and slightly raised, especially on -ring four. Head black and glossy. - -The caterpillars hatch from the eggs, which are laid in batches, in August, -hibernate, each in a silken case, and recommence feeding in the spring -(Plate 42, Figs. 1, 1a). In May, when nearly full grown, they separate and -are then common objects on hawthorn hedges in many districts. They also -feed on the foliage of oak, beech, birch, sallow, rose, apple, pear, and -other fruit trees. Sometimes a nearly fully mature caterpillar has been -found in August, this has pupated and produced a moth the same year. The -chrysalis is rather hairy and of a brownish colour; the cocoon is similar -to that of the last species. In late June and through July the moth is -generally common throughout the Southern part of England, and as far -northwards as Lancashire and Yorkshire. It has been very rarely seen in -Scotland, and not at all in Ireland. - -Distribution, Central and South-eastern Europe, extending to Amurland, -China, Corea, and Japan. - -THE REED TUSSOCK (_Laelia coenosa_). - -This insect (Plate 45) was formerly abundant in some parts of fenland, and -was first met with, as a British species, at Whittlesea Mere about 1819 or -1820. It was subsequently found in Yaxley and Burwell fens. Up to 1860 it -continued to occur freely in all stages, but by 1865 larvae at a shilling -per dozen, the price at which they had been sold by the reed cutters, were -no longer obtainable, and they became so scarce that in the year 1871 or -thereabouts, only two caterpillars were seen. The species was at that time -seemingly on the decline, but a year or two later a good many males were -attracted by the rays of a powerful lamp that had been set up at Wicken. -Then the moths became fewer and fewer {102} until at last, somewhere about -1880, even the lamps would not draw a single specimen, and soon it appeared -probable that the last of the Reed Tussock had been seen in the fens, its -only known habitat in Britain. - -Caterpillar, dusky with a blackish stripe along the middle of the back; the -raised dots are ochreous grey with pale yellowish brown hairs arising from -them; there are four brushes of yellow hairs on the back, bunches of long -hairs on the first ring extended over the brownish head, and a pencil of -similar hairs on ring eleven directed backward. The food plants given are -bur-reed (_Sparganium_), Stephens; _Cladium mariscus_, Barrett, and reed -(_Phragmites communis_). Stephens states that the caterpillar and the moth -were found at the end of July and beginning of August, but other -authorities give August to June for the caterpillar, and July for the moth. -The caterpillar described above, and of which a figure is given on Plate -44, was obtained, together with eggs and cocoon, from Dr. Staudinger and -Bang Haas, of Dresden. All are preserved examples. - -Abroad this species is found in Northern Germany and France, Hungary, -Bulgaria, Amurland, China, Corea, and Japan. - -THE WHITE SATIN MOTH (_Stilpnotia salicis_). - -The English name of this species dates back to about 1773, and is a very -suitable one for it, the fore wings being especially glossy and satin-like. -It seems to be less generally distributed over the country than formerly, -but it is still common in most years, and in many places; more particularly -in the south of England, and on the Lancashire coast. Even yet it occurs in -the suburbs of London, and on the southern side is sometimes not uncommon. -In Scotland it appears to be rare; Barrett mentions it from Aberdeen, -Pitcaple, Inverurie, Peterhead, and Ayrshire. Kane states that in Ireland -the species, so far as he knew, only occurred in a locality near Ahascragh. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 44. - 1, 1a, 1b. REED TUSSOCK: _egg, caterpillar and cocoon_. - 2, 2a. WHITE SATIN: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 45. - 1. REED TUSSOCK MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3, 4. BROWN-TAIL _varieties_. - -{103} - -The caterpillar, which is hairy and variegated with reddish and black and -white, may be recognised by the large bright white marks on the back. It is -often seen in the daytime on the boles or branches of poplars, as well as -on the foliage. It frequently falls a victim to the parasitical flies, and -it is probably due to these enemies that the species is less common in some -years than in others. Besides poplar, it will feed upon sallow and willow. -Hibernating when quite tiny, it reappears in April, and, feeding up, is -ready to enter the chrysalis state in June or July, when it spins a flimsy -silken cocoon among the leaves, or in some suitable cranny on the tree or -bush. The moth is shown on Plate 43, Fig. 6, and the caterpillar and -chrysalis on Plate 44, Fig. 2, 2a. - -The moth emerges in July or August, and may be found resting on or under -the leaves, and on stems and branches of the trees upon which the -caterpillar fed, or on palings, etc., adjacent thereto. - -Distribution, Northern and Central Europe, Iberia, Corsica, Italy, Balkan -Peninsula, South-east Russia, North-east Asia Minor, and Armenia. In the -Far East, including China, Corea, and Japan, it is represented by the var. -_candida_, Staud. - -THE GIPSY (_Lymantria dispar_). - -Up to some sixty-five years ago, this species (Plate 46, Figs. 1 [male], 2 -[female]) seems to have flourished in a wild state in the fens of Norfolk -and Cambridgeshire, and also in Huntingdonshire. Just how long it had been -common in those localities history does not inform us, but about 1792 -Donovan was unable to obtain a native specimen to figure. Stephens, -however, writing in 1828 states that at that time it abounded in the -Huntingdonshire fens. "It is said," he remarks "to have been introduced -into Britain by eggs imported by Mr. Collinson, but the abundance with -which it occurs near {104} Whittlesea, and the dissimilarity of the -indigenous specimens (which are invariably paler, with stronger markings) -to the foreigner, sufficiently refute that opinion." There appears to be no -doubt that some time near 1840 the Gipsy moth began to decrease in numbers, -and that about 1850 it had almost or quite ceased to exist, as a wildling, -in England. At the present time, and probably since the date last -mentioned, the species has been semi-domesticated, and so reared year by -year, at first possibly direct from the original wild stock, but afterwards -from fresh stock derived from eggs of foreign origin. Futile attempts have -been made to re-establish the species in various parts of England, and also -in Ireland. Such failure is curious, seeing that in America the accidental -introduction of a few moths has resulted in the species becoming so -numerous that at least one state has been expending thousands of dollars in -endeavouring to destroy it. The eggs are laid in batches and covered with -the down-like scales from the anal tuft of the female. - -The caterpillar hatches in April, and in warm weather feeds up pretty -quickly. It is grey, covered with black dots and fine marks; the hairs -arising in spreading tufts from the raised warts, are longer on the sides -than on the back; these warts on the back on each side of the pale central -line are bluish on rings one to five, and reddish thence to eleven. Head, -pale brown marked with black. Feeds on the foliage of most fruit trees, -also on oak, elm, sallow, hawthorn, and sloe. - -Chrysalis rather hairy, brownish in colour, in a fairly strong silken -cocoon, which is spun up in any suitable angle. - -The moths appear in August, and there is a striking difference in the size -and coloration of the sexes. The male is pale or greyish brown, lined and -clouded with darker brown on the fore wings, and the female is whitish with -brownish cross lines, and a black central V-mark on the fore wings. - -Distributed over the whole of the Palaearctic Region, except {105} the most -northern, and, as adverted to, it has now become a pest in parts of North -America. - -THE BLACK ARCHES (_Lymantria monacha_). - -Two examples of each sex of this moth are figured on Plate 46, and these -show the normal form of the species; the central markings of the fore wings -vary in width and intensity, and in some specimens the whole of the central -area is more or less filled up with black or sooty black. Sometimes the -wings are partially suffused with blackish, and the normal markings are -consequently somewhat obscured. Examples wholly suffused with black are -referable to var. _eremita_, a form not uncommon on the continent, and -modifications of it are found in a wild state in this country. By selecting -parents showing a tendency to vary in the direction of this dark form, it -has been found possible to obtain a good percentage of darkened specimens, -some of them closely approximating to var. _eremita_. - -The early stages are figured on Plate 47. - -The eggs of this species are laid in August in the chinks of bark on tree -trunks, and do not hatch until the spring. - -Caterpillar, whitish varying to greyish, a deep brown stripe along the -middle of the back with an irregular black line on each side of it; the -stripe is interrupted by a whitish or greyish patch on rings seven to nine; -on ring two there is a black mark, and occasionally red dots appear on -eight and nine; black dots on the back and sides are furnished with hairs. -Head, brownish marked with a paler tint. It feeds from April to July on the -leaves of oak and various other trees, including apple and pine. - -The chrysalis, which is enclosed in a somewhat transparent silken cocoon -spun up in a fissure of the bark, is brownish, hairy, and has a very glossy -metallic appearance. - -The moth emerges at the end of July and in August. It flies {106} at night, -and may be seen resting by day on the trunks of trees. Although it occurs -in most of the counties of England from Yorkshire southwards, and in some -parts of Wales, it is nowhere so often met with as in the New Forest, -Hants. - -Distribution, Central Europe extending to parts of Northern Europe, and -southwards to North Italy and Greece, and eastwards to Ussuri and Japan. - -LACKEYS AND EGGARS (_Lasiocampidae_). - -Staudinger in his catalogue of Palaearctic Lepidoptera refers twenty genera -comprising sixty-three species to this family. Of these, eleven species -belonging to ten genera occur in the British Isles. According to some -authorities a twelfth species, _Dendrolimus pini_, Linn., should be -included. This is the _Eutricha pini_ of Stephens (1828) and the "Wild Pine -tree Lappet moth" and "Pine tree Lappet" of the more ancient authors. The -claim of this species to a place in the British list rests chiefly on a -specimen captured in the Norwich Hospital, in July, 1809, by Mr. Sparshall. -Wilkes (1773) states that he once found a caterpillar near Richmond Park, -but the moth was not reared. For generations the species now classified as -Lasiocampidae have been referred to Bombycidae, but the silkworm (_Bombyx -mori_) is typical of that family, which has but few genera in it, and none -of them occur in Europe. Although some of the moths are of considerable -size, most of them are not large. The general colour is some shade of -brown. Both sexes have the antennae bipectinated, but more strongly in the -male than the female. - -In his treatment of the species here included under Lasiocampidae, Tutt. -("A Natural History of the British Lepidoptera," vols. i., ii.) separates -them into two families, Lachneidae and Eutrichidae. The first family is -divided into five sub-families and the same number of tribes. The latter -family has three sub-families and three tribes. The whole are embraced in a -super-family styled Lachneides. Lasiocampidae disappears as a family name, -but the genus _Lasiocampa_ is retained for _quercus_, L., whilst -_trifolii_, Schiff., is referred to the genus _Pachygastria_, Hb., and -these with _Aurivillia_, Tutt, not represented in Britain, constitute the -Pachygastriidi tribe of the Pachygastriinae, a sub-family of Lachneidae. -All this will no doubt appear very complicated to the beginner, but he need -not worry himself very greatly about the matter at present. When he feels -that he has a fair knowledge of the species in the group he will be in a -position to grapple with the niceties of classification. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 46. - 1. GIPSY MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3, 4. BLACK ARCHES, _males_; 5, 6 _females_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 47. - BLACK ARCHES MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and chrysalids._ - -{107} THE LACKEY (_Malacosoma neustria_). - -The colour of the male ranges from pale yellow ochre, through pale brown to -reddish or dark brown; and in the female from pale brown to reddish brown; -two cross lines are generally present on the fore wings; the space between -the lines is usually darker in the female, and sometimes in the male also, -forming a dark central band. All these colour forms were reared from some -caterpillars taken by myself at Byfleet, Surrey, in 1901. Another year a -few caterpillars taken at Esher produced ochreous coloured males and pale -brown females only; the bands of the latter were narrower than usual and -much contracted below the middle. As the females last mentioned are -somewhat under the normal size I am inclined to think that the caterpillars -from which they were reared had been on short commons during their last -stage. Two males and a female are shown on Plate 48. - -The greyish brown eggs are laid during July and August in a ring cluster -around a twig as shown on Plate 49, and so they remain exposed to all -weathers during the winter. In April the caterpillars hatch out, and as -they live in company throughout the greater part of their larval existence, -the first business is to {108} construct a silken tent-like web (Fig. 22). -The exterior of the tent affords a suitable surface upon which they can lie -when they take a sun bath, which they seem fond of doing whenever the -opportunity offers. It is also used, as well as the interior, for the -process of skin-changing. - -[Illustration: FIG. 22. WEB OF LACKEY CATERPILLARS. (Photo by W. J. -Lucas.)] - -The full-grown caterpillar is slaty blue above; along the middle of the -back is a bluish white line, bordered on each side by a -reddish-orange-lined black stripe; towards the lower limit of the slaty -blue colour is a black edged reddish-orange line, and below this again the -ground colour is flecked with orange, sometimes forming a line in the -region of the spiracles; there are two velvety black spots on the back of -the ring nearest the head, and a smaller black spot on each side of the -next two rings; the hairs are brownish, rather more numerous on the sides -than on the back. Head slaty-blue with two black eye-like spots. It feeds -from April to June on hawthorn, sloe, and various fruit trees in orchards -and gardens; also on birch, elm, oak, sallow, willow, etc. - -Chrysalis blackish, rather downy enclosed in a double {109} oval-shaped -cocoon; the inner compartment is of rather closer woven silk, and is -thickly covered with a yellowish substance, which is ejected by the -caterpillar as a fluid, and afterwards drying forms a sulphur-like powder -on the cocoon, and in a lesser degree on the chrysalis also. The moth is on -the wing in July and August, but it is rarely seen in the daytime, and not -often at night, except when attracted by light into the house, or to the -gas or electric lamps. It is exceedingly easy to rear, either from eggs or -from collected caterpillars; the latter are often abundant. - -Generally distributed throughout England, but becoming scarcer from the -Midlands to Lancashire and Yorkshire, and not often occurring further north -than the last named county. In Ireland it is unknown in the north, but -occurs in many parts of the south and south-west. - -THE GROUND LACKEY (_Malacosoma castrensis_). - -This also is a variable species. Most frequently the fore wings of the male -are pale buff, cross lined, and more or less clouded with brown; hind wings -brown. The female has all the wings reddish brown, the front pair being -crossed by two pale buff lines. The fringes are pale buff, chequered with -brown in both sexes. Colour and marking are, however, subject to -considerable variation. Sometimes all the wings are pale buff (male), or -reddish brown (both sexes), and the fore wings without marking. The cross -lines on fore wings of the female may be either very slender or very broad; -occasionally almost the whole of the basal area up to, and including, the -first cross line is buff. Two examples of each sex are shown on Plate 48. - -The eggs are laid in a similar manner to those of the last species, around -stems of wild carrot, sea wormwood, and other {110} plants that flourish in -the insects' favourite haunts, which, in this country, are the salt marshes -along the estuaries of the Thames and Medway. - -The caterpillar is black, inclining to bluish between the rings; along the -back are four much broken reddish orange lines and a central bluish line; a -bluish stripe followed by a reddish one along the sides, and below this the -colour is bluish, speckled with black; the hairs are golden brown. Head -blackish grey, without black spots (Plate 49, Fig. 3). - -The chrysalis and its cocoon are similar to those of the Lackey, and spun -up among herbage. - -The moth emerges in July and August and, although it may be occasionally -attracted by light, is rarely seen in the open. The caterpillars are to be -found, most years, in plenty from May to July. They feed on almost every -kind of plant growing on the salterns, and as they are fond of sunning -themselves on sea wormwood, sea plantain, etc., are easily seen at such -times. In dull weather they retire to their webs, which are generally -rather low down in the herbage. In confinement they will do very well if -supplied with fresh sprays or leaves of almost any fruit tree, or of birch, -whitethorn, etc. The receptacle containing them should be constructed and -placed so that the caterpillars get plenty of air and sunshine. It is -considered desirable to sprinkle both food and caterpillars with water now -and then; some rearers deem it necessary to put a tiny pinch of salt in the -water used for sprinkling; and in my own experience I have found that -better results were obtained when the food was thus treated than when the -salt was omitted. - -On the continent this species occurs in woods, and on heaths, etc., but in -Britain it is seemingly confined to salt marshes. Although it has been -recorded from the Suffolk coast, and other places, the best localities for -it are probably the salterns, from Gravesend to the Isle of Sheppey, and at -Southend and Shoeburyness. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 48. - 1, 2, 3. LACKEY MOTH. - 4, 5, 6, 7. GROUND LACKEY. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 49. - 1, 1a, 1b, 1c. LACKEY: _eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 2, 2a. HYBRID BETWEEN LACKEY AND GROUND LACKEY: _eggs and - caterpillar_. - 3. GROUND LACKEY: _caterpillar_. - -{111} - -_Malacosoma_ hybr. _schaufussi_, Standf.--In 1884 Dr. Standfuss made some -experiments in crossing three species of _Malacosoma_, and one of these was -the pairing of _M. neustria_ [male] with _M. castrensis_ [female]; the -offspring he christened as above. Since that time others have succeeded in -crossing the two species with varying results. - -On August 13, 1906, Mr. Percy Richards sent me a small batch of eggs (Plate -49, Fig. 2a) laid by a female, _M. castrensis_, that emerged in a breeding -cage, and had paired with a captured male, _M. neustria_, he introduced. -The larvae hatched out one or two at a time, from April 7 over a period of -more than a fortnight. Few of the caterpillars would commence to feed, and -of those that took to the plum and sallow with which they were supplied, -only four reached maturity. Three of these pupated during late June and -early July, and three moths, all females, have emerged up to date, one on -July 28, another on August 6, and a third on August 13. The second specimen -was very much crippled, probably owing to the cocoon having been -accidentally injured. One caterpillar was still feeding on August 14, but -died about the 26th. - -The mature larva (Plate 49, Fig. 2) has the head and markings thereon like -_neustria_, also the black spots on the first thoracic segment, but they -are rather large and inclined to unite. The bluish line along the sides is -dotted and freckled with black rather more thickly than in _castrensis_; -the dorsal line is very thin, but bluish as in _castrensis_, and the red -lines on each side of it are broad. - -In colour the three moths are deeper brown than any form of either parent -species that I have seen, but the transverse lines, and especially the -outer, are most like those of _neustria_. - -It should be mentioned that much information on Hybridism in the Lackey -moths and other species will be found in Tutt's "British Lepidoptera," vol. -ii. {112} - -THE PALE OAK EGGAR (_Trichiura crataegi_). - -In its typical form the male of this species (Plate 50, Figs. 1, 2) is ashy -grey, with a darker central band on the fore wings; and the female is dusky -greyish-brown, also with a darker band. The colour of the male varies in -shade from almost whitish (var. _pallida_, Tutt), to blackish grey; in the -paler forms the central band of the fore wings is often of a purplish tint, -and in the darkest forms the band is almost black. The female var. -_pallida_, is pale buff. - -The eggs, which are brownish, inclining to reddish on the micropylar area, -are covered with dark grey hairs from the body of the female and laid side -by side in a chain-like arrangement on a twig of hawthorn or sloe (those -figured on Plate 51 were deposited in a box, and not securely attached). -From eight to twelve is said to be the usual number in a batch, and each -female will deposit an average of 160 eggs. - -The caterpillars do not hatch out all at the same time, but by ones and -twos, at intervals spreading over a period of two, or perhaps three, weeks. -Several forms of the caterpillar have been described, but the ground colour -is generally more or less black above and greyish on the sides; the -ornamentation comprises interrupted white or whitish stripes, streaked or -clouded with reddish, and reddish warts; the hairs are reddish brown. The -example figured on Plate 51 was from eggs laid by a female moth in Selkirk, -South Scotland. From the age of three weeks until it became full grown it -was black marked with yellow on the back and orange on the sides; hairs -pale greyish mixed with black ones, especially on the back towards the -black, glossy, and somewhat hairy head. It hatched on April 26, was reared -on plum, pupated early in June, and the moth, a darkish grey female, -emerged on July 31. Another caterpillar that hatched on May 1, and two -others from still later hatchings, were then in chrysalis. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 50. - 1. PALE OAK EGGAR, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. DECEMBER MOTH, _female_; 4 _male_. - 5. SMALL EGGAR, _male_; 6 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 51. - PALE OAK EGGAR. - _Eggs enlarged, and caterpillar._ - -{113} The caterpillar may be found from April to June on hawthorn and sloe, -and it is said also on birch, oak, sallow, apple, bramble, etc. Those that -I have found resting by day on shoots of hawthorn, apparently enjoying the -sunshine, have almost invariably been "ichneumoned"; but others that came -up after sunset to feed on the shoots were generally healthy. Usually the -caterpillar feeds up and pupates the same year, but on the moors in -Aberdeenshire and some other parts of Scotland it is said to hibernate and -to complete its life cycle the following summer and autumn. Furthermore, -the moths from these winter larvae are much darker than normal, and have -been doubtfully referred to var. _ariae_, Hubn., a form found in the Alps, -Scandinavia, and Finland. - -The moth is out in August and September, and occurs in wooded districts -throughout the southern half of England, but northwards from the Midlands -it is uncommon; it is found in several parts of Scotland to Inverness. In -Ireland it is reported (Birchall) to have occurred in Killarney, and Kane -mentions that "a blackish form was taken at Magilligan, near Derry, by W. -Salvage. Its larvae were feeding on blackthorn." The range abroad extends -through Europe to Armenia and Asia Minor. - -THE DECEMBER MOTH (_Poecilocampa populi_). - -This is a rather thinly scaled moth; the general coloration is sooty brown; -the wings are suffused more or less with greyish; there are two pale -ochreous cross lines on the fore wings, the first enclosing a reddish brown -basal patch; hind wings rather paler with a diffuse whitish central band; -fringes brown chequered with pale ochreous. Head brown, collar brownish, -tipped with pale ochreous in the male. The female is rather larger than the -male. The moth is figured on Plate 50, and the eggs and caterpillar on -Plate 53. - -The eggs, which are laid on the bark of trees, are whitish grey, variegated -or mottled with darker grey. {114} - -The caterpillar hatches out in April, and when nearly full grown is -ochreous, but so thickly dotted and freckled with black as to appear of a -dark brown coloration; the back is clothed with dark short hairs, and the -sides with long paler hairs; on the back of the first ring is a reddish -brown mark divided by a white line; a double row of whitish dots along the -back, most distinct on rings two and three, where they are placed on a -velvety black bar; on each side of the white dots is a reddish brown -interrupted line. Head ochreous brown, thickly dotted with black and -clothed with pale hairs. Underparts ochreous, spotted and lined with -blackish. Feeds on the foliage of most trees, and is said to eat lettuce. -April to June. - -Chrysalis glossy red brown, in a cocoon spun up among dead leaves, etc., -under loose bark, or on the ground. - -The moth does not emerge until October, and in that month, but more -frequently in November and December, the males may be seen around gas lamps -quite late at night. - -Although found chiefly in woods it is not essentially a woodland species, -as it occurs in districts where there are no woods but plenty of trees -growing in parks, fields, or even hedgerows. It is fairly common generally -throughout England and Wales, but becoming rather more local northwards to -Cumberland. It occurs through Scotland to Sutherland, but is nowhere -common. In Ireland it is widely distributed, and not uncommon near Dublin, -and at Favour Royal, Tyrone. Abroad it ranges through Northern and Central -Europe. - -THE SMALL EGGAR (_Eriogaster lanestris_). - -Also a brownish insect with somewhat thinly-scaled wings. The fore wings -are light reddish brown with a whitish patch at the base, a white spot -about the centre, and a whitish transverse line beyond; the hind wings are -smoky brown and have a pale central band. The female, which is larger than -the male, has a conspicuous greyish anal tuft, the hairs from which she -uses to cover over her pale oily green eggs when they are deposited in -clusters on twigs of hawthorn or sloe in February or March. Plate 50, Figs. -5, 6; Plate 53, Figs. 2, 2a. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 52. - OAK EGGAR MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 53. - 1, 1a. DECEMBER MOTH: _eggs and caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. SMALL EGGAR: _eggs and caterpillar_. - -{115} The caterpillar is black or greyish black, with reddish brown hairs, -and a series of black-edged yellowish brown, or reddish brown blotches on -each side of the back; these blotches are outlined in pale yellowish and -occasionally connected by a line of the same colour. From the time they are -hatched until nearly mature the caterpillars live in companies on a closely -woven web of silk on a branch of hawthorn or sloe, only leaving their -habitation to feed. These webs may often be seen on hedgerows from May to -July. The brown chrysalis is enclosed in a solid-looking oval cocoon of a -pale ochreous or whitish colour. Not all the moths emerge the following -year: some will remain in the chrysalis over two or three winters, and -occasionally they have been known to emerge seven years after pupation. The -moth is said to be fully formed within the chrysalis all the time, but for -some reason will not emerge, although if extracted from its shell, the moth -has been known to expand its wings in the ordinary way. Barrett states that -in the middle of February, after a moth had emerged, he "put a large number -of cocoons upon a warm mantelpiece and obtained scores of moths within a -few hours." - -Generally distributed over the southern half of England; plentiful in some -years in the Southern and Eastern Counties. Northwards and in Scotland it -is local and less frequent. Kane states that in Ireland it is very locally -abundant. The range abroad is through Central and Northern Europe to -Southern Lapland, and eastward to Siberia and Amurland. - -THE OAK EGGAR (_Lasiocampa quercus_). - -The three moths, one male and two females, shown on Plate 52, were reared -from caterpillars obtained in Kent, and they {116} represent the more or -less ordinary South English forms of the species. Sometimes the ground -colour of the male is more distinctly reddish, or rust tinted, and the -yellowish bands narrower on all the wings. Or the bands may be much broader -than in the male figured, and the widening is effected by extension in the -form of rays towards the outer margins of the wings. A form that has been -referred to, in error, as var. _roboris_, Shrank (= _marginata_, Tutt), has -the outer margins of all the wings broadly yellow. I have not seen an -English example of this form, but I have a reddish specimen in which the -yellow band on the fore wings is broader than usual, and the whole of the -outer third of the hind wings yellow, with a slight brownish shade on the -external margin; this is _semimarginata_, Tutt, and is also identical with -var. _roboris_ of other British authors. The white spot usually present on -the fore wings varies somewhat in size and shape; it is often seen on the -under as well as the upper surface of the wings, except in the lighter -coloured forms. - -Var. _callunae_ (The Northern Eggar), is shown on Plate 54. The chief -features of this form are the generally darker coloration in both sexes, -the yellow patch at the base of the fore wings of the male, and the outward -turn of the lower ends of the yellow bands. All these characters are -subject to modification; the yellow bands may be very narrow at one -extreme, or greatly widened at the other, and the hind wings may -occasionally be bandless; the basal patch is often of large size, but in -some examples it is entirely absent. Sometimes the bands are greenish in -colour (var. _olivaceo-fasciata_, Cockerell), and more rarely, perhaps, the -greenish tinge extends over the whole of the wings (ab. _olivacea_, Tutt). -It should be noted here that the var. _olivaceo-fasciata_ has occurred once -or twice in South England, but this phase of aberration seems to be more -connected with _callunae_ than with _quercus_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 54. - NORTHERN EGGAR. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 55. - OAK EGGAR. - _Egg, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and cocoon._ - -{117} _Callunae_ was not recognized as British until the year 1847, when it -was introduced as a species distinct from _quercus_. The late Richard -Weaver, who gave it the English name of the "Scotch Eggar," took specimens -of the moth at Rannoch in 1845, and he found caterpillars in that year, as -well as in 1844 and 1846. It is now well known to occur not only in -Scotland, including the Hebrides and Orkneys, but also on the moors of -Northern England, and in Ireland and Wales. In North Devonshire it is found -not uncommonly in the Exmoor district, and it has been recorded from -various parts of the New Forest in Hants. - -The egg of _callunae_ is figured on Plate 55. It appears rather polished, -and in colour is pale brown mottled with darker brown. The eggs are stated -to be deposited whilst the female is on the wing, and consequently they -fall to the ground or are arrested in their descent by the herbage over -which they are scattered. - -The full-grown caterpillar of _quercus_, beneath the brownish fur with -which the body is clothed, is dark brown on the back and rather violet -brown on the sides; the ring divisions are velvety black; there is a white -stripe along each side and below the stripe some reddish marks; the ring -nearest the head is edged with reddish, and the next two rings each have -two reddish centred white spots. The dull purplish brown chrysalis is -enclosed in a hard oval-shaped cocoon which is spun up on or near the -ground in a flimsy web among herbage, dead leaves, etc. Sometimes it is -placed among the twigs of the food plant. - -In Southern England the caterpillars hatch from the egg in August and -usually hibernate when quite small. They feed up during the following -spring and early summer, perhaps in June or July, and the moth appears in -July or August. Occasionally, however, a few individuals depart from the -general habit and complete their growth the same year, hibernate in the -pupal stage, and produce moths the next year, possibly earlier than -hibernating caterpillars. On the other hand, perhaps owing to adverse -weather conditions, feeding after hibernation may be continued well on into -the autumn, when the caterpillars pupate, {118} but emergence of the moth -is postponed until the following year, the second after hatching from the -egg. - -In the case of _callunae_, at least as regards its normal habit in Scotland -and southwards to the moorland districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, the -young caterpillar hibernates the first winter, feeds through the following -summer, and passes the second winter as a chrysalis, the moth emerging in -the following May or June. - -Generally speaking, then, it may be stated that _quercus_ has a -twelve-month life cycle, whilst that of _callunae_ extends almost or quite -to twenty-four months, of which at least twelve months are passed as a -caterpillar. However, as has been noted, _quercus_ sometimes passes one -winter as a caterpillar, and another as a chrysalis, thus assuming the -_callunae_ habit; whilst _callunae_ occasionally attains the perfect state -during the summer following that in which the caterpillar left the egg. - -The food plants comprise bramble, dogwood, hawthorn, heather (_Calluna_), -and various low plants; it is even content with ivy. - -Newman, in the _Entomologist_ for 1845, gives a life history of the -Northern Eggar (_callunae_), and from this the following details are -extracted. The male flies rapidly over the heather by day at the latter end -of May or beginning of June; its flight is jerking or zigzag, and its -object is evidently to find the female, who rarely moves until impregnation -has taken place. Subsequently the female flies over the heather, dropping -her eggs at random as she flies, and the eggs, having no glutinous -covering, do not adhere to any object which they may accidentally touch in -falling. On emergence from the egg the young caterpillar is dark -ash-coloured, the divisions between the rings of the body being indicated -by two minute orange streaks, each of which is accompanied by a small black -spot. After the first moult the ground colour becomes more smoky, the -divisions velvety black, and on each ring a triangular orange spot appears; -these markings become more conspicuous later on, and by the end of October, -when it hibernates, they are very distinct. It rests in a straight -position, and, if disturbed, falls off its food plant, and rolls in a ring -with its head slightly on one side. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 56. - GRASS EGGAR MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 57. - GRASS EGGAR. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar._ - -{119} The habits of the Oak Eggar moths (_quercus_) are pretty much the -same as those of the Northern form, except that the moths fly in July and -August, and frequent hedgerows, the borders of woods, heathy commons, and -cliffs and sand dunes at the seaside. - -A bred female of either form will attract numerous males, and even the -receptacle in which a newly emerged female has been placed is almost as -effective as the lady herself. When staying at a cottage on the edge of a -moor near Lynton, North Devon, some years ago, I had some pupae of the Oak -Eggar. One day, late in July, quite a number of males entered the cottage -and made their way to the cage in which the pupae were, and I had no -difficulty in boxing several of them. The next day I put the female moth, -which had emerged the previous day, into a roomy chip box, and carried it -in a satchel to the moor, where it was placed on the ground, the males -began to arrive soon afterwards and some fine examples were secured. -Although the female was taken on the moor only on the one occasion, that -satchel continued to be an object of interest to the male Eggars for -several days afterwards. - -Generally distributed, and often common in some localities, throughout the -British Isles. Abroad, its range extends over Europe into Asia Minor, -Armenia, and Siberia. - -THE GRASS EGGAR (_Lasiocampa trifolii_). - -This moth is usually brown in colour. The fore wings are inclined to dark -reddish brown, and have a pale ochreous brown curved band or ring at the -base, a slightly curved line or band of the same colour beyond the middle -of the wing; central spot {120} white, finely margined in black. Except -that the female is generally larger, and the cross lines usually less -distinct, the sexes are much alike. This brown form occurs most frequently -in Britain, but in parts of the Kentish and Sussex coast, and especially -the Romney Marsh district, a yellowish form is obtained. In such specimens -the cross lines are darker. In both forms one or both cross markings may be -faint or quite absent, and even the white central dot, which varies in size -and shape, may be missing. Sometimes the outer band is distinctly broad and -outwardly diffuse (Plate 56). - -The eggs, which appear to be laid loosely, are pale whitish brown, -roughened with darker brown, and the micropylar area is purplish brown. -Some that I received on March 2, 1907, appeared to be on the point of -hatching on the 5th of that month, but no larva came out, although one of -the eggs was chipped at one end. It has been frequently stated that the -caterpillars hatch out in the autumn and hibernate, but as has been pointed -out by Tutt ("Nat. Hist. Brit. Lep.," ii. 20), the eggs of this species -probably do not hatch until some time during February or March, although -when kept indoors the caterpillar has emerged from the egg in January. - -The full-grown caterpillar is black, velvety between the rings, covered -with golden brown hair on the back and greyer hair on the sides, among -which are some black ones; three interrupted whitish lines on the back; -some of the hairs along the middle of the back stand erect and form a -ridge, looked at from either end. Head lightish brown in colour, lined with -black. Feeds in the spring months and up to June chiefly on various kinds -of grass. Among many of the plants that it has been known to eat are -trefoils, bird's-foot (_Ornithopus_), sea thrift (_Statice_), heather, -sallow, hawthorn, sloe, plum, bramble, etc. With regard to the food, it is -interesting to note that although one rearer will find that sallow is -excellent for the caterpillars, another considers that sallow or hawthorn -are but poor {121} substitutes for kidney-vetch (_Anthyllis vulneraria_) -upon which the caterpillars were feeding when found (Plate 57). - -The brownish chrysalis is enclosed in a hard but somewhat brittle, brown, -oval cocoon, and when spun upon the surface of the ground, protected by an -outside covering of loose silk webbing. In August and early September the -moths appear. Emergence from the chrysalis usually takes place soon after -midday; the males are early on the wing, and when reared in captivity they -should be secured as soon as the wings are dry, or they may spoil -themselves in their efforts to escape. Reared females are apt to be -deformed, but for "assembling" they may probably be as useful as more -perfect examples if the rearer happens to be able to exhibit the attraction -in a locality for the species. Both sexes have been taken at electric -light. - -The best known localities for the species in England are, besides those -already mentioned, the sand hills on the Cheshire and Lancashire coast. It -is, or has been, found also on the coast of Cumberland; Lyndhurst and -Ringwood, in Hampshire; Isle of Purbeck, Poole, Swanage, and Bloxworth, in -Dorsetshire; Devonport, Bolt Head, and Salcombe, in Devonshire; and -Penzance and the Scilly Isles. Its range extends through Central and -Southern Europe to Asia Minor and North Africa. - -THE FOX MOTH (_Macrothylacia rubi_). - -The male is reddish brown, and the female generally greyish brown, but -sometimes is of a reddish grey coloration; the fore wings in both sexes are -crossed by two pale ochreous lines on the central area (Plate 59). - -The ground colour in the male ranges in tone from foxy red to dullish red -brown or to greyish red brown. The cross lines in either sex may be widely -apart, near together, or even united throughout their length, forming a -band (var. _fasciata_, Tutt); sometimes one of the lines (var. _unilinea_, -Tutt), or both lines, are absent from the fore wings, or from one of them. -{122} - -The brown clouded greyish eggs are laid in batches, during June, on stems -and stalks of plants, or on heather; sometimes they have been found on a -fence, a rock, or a stone. The caterpillars hatch out at the end of June -and through July. At first they are black, including the glossy head, and -covered with long hairs which are black with some white ones amongst them; -the ring divisions are pale yellow; later on they are more chocolate brown -with yellow bands which, however, do not encircle the body entirely. - -When full grown, in the autumn, the caterpillar is velvety black, and above -this colour is most in evidence between the rings; the back is clothed with -dense, short, bright reddish brown or tawny hair, and the whole body is -covered with brownish hairs, varying in length, but always much longer than -the tawny ones; along each side are some whitish hairs. Head blackish -covered with brownish hairs. It feeds in August and onwards to October, -when it seeks winter quarters, reappearing in the following spring, but not -feeding again. After enjoying the sunshine whenever the opportunity offers -through the early months of the year, it finally pupates in March or April. -The cocoon is a long, more or less tubular, brownish construction of silk -and larval hairs. It is spun up, usually somewhat upright, low down among -the food plant, or at the roots of grass, etc.; sometimes among moss, when -the rounded head end can just be seen above the moss (Plate 58). - -In certain localities and seasons the caterpillars have been seen in -enormous numbers, but such profusion only happens now and then. In some -districts they may be abundant one year, and then scarce or quite absent -for several years. - -When handling the larvae it will often be noted that the tips of one's -fingers are thickly felted with the tawny hairs from the creature's back; -if these hairs get transferred to the face or neck considerable irritation -may be the result. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 58. - FOX MOTH: _caterpillars_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 59. - 1, 2. FOX MOTH, _males_; 3 _female_. - -{123} The late Mr. Robson used to collect the caterpillars on fine days in -early spring, put each caterpillar into a separate paper box about two -inches square, and keep them on a shelf over the kitchen fire, where they -would duly pupate. Various methods for keeping these caterpillars through -the winter have been described, and all appear to have been fairly -successful. The most simple would seem to be the following: Bore a number -of holes in the bottom of a roomy box, and fasten wire gauze on a close -fitting frame to serve as a top. Cut a tuft or two of heather to cover the -floor space of the box. Caterpillars collected in the autumn may be put -into this receptacle and supplied with food, such as bramble or sallow, as -long as they seem inclined to feed. Do not crowd too many into the box, and -let it stand out in the garden, preferably on the soil. - -The moths emerge in May or June. The males are very active on the wing in -the afternoon sunshine, and later on, and may often be seen in numbers -dashing hither and thither in an apparently erratic flight over heaths and -open spaces, in search of the females. The latter do not fly till night, -and occasionally they are attracted to a bright light. - -Except that it has not been noted in the Shetlands, the species occurs -throughout the British Isles. Abroad its range extends over Europe, and it -is found in Amurland. - -THE DRINKER (_Cosmotriche potatoria_). - -The male is reddish brown, more or less clouded on the forewings with -ochreous; and the female is yellow, or whitish ochreous. Sometimes this -colour distinction of the sexes is reversed, and the males are pale whilst -the females are dark. In the fens of Cambridgeshire notably, pale or -yellowish males are not altogether uncommon. Such specimens would seem to -accord better with the Linnean type than the more usual form indicated -above. Barrett mentions, among other aberrations, male specimens from South -Wales with the whole of the fore and hind wings deep rich glossy purplish -chocolate. {124} - -There is variation in the two whitish or silvery marks on the fore wings, -the upper one is often very small, sometimes quite absent, and the lower -one reduced to a crescent. The chocolate brown cross lines, of which there -are usually two on the fore wings, are sometimes faint or entirely missing. -Tutt has recently named nine forms, chiefly colour aberrations, and two -others were previously named. (The moth is figured on Plate 61, and the -early stages on Plate 60.) - -The eggs, which are white with bluish grey markings, are laid in clusters -on grass stems, etc. - -The caterpillar is slaty grey inclining to blackish; the lines on the back -are formed of yellowish dots and dashes; two rows of tufts of short black -hairs on the back, with longer brown hairs between; low down on the sides -are shaggy tufts of white and yellowish hairs and longer brown hairs; an -erect pointed tuft of brown hair on second ring, and a similar one on ring -eleven but the latter inclines backward. Head greyish, striped and lined -with brown and yellowish brown, and clothed with brown hair. It feeds on -coarse grasses, including the ribbon grass grown in gardens, in August to -September or October. - -In the latter month it goes into hibernation, being then but little over an -inch in length. About April it resumes feeding and becomes full grown in -June or thereabouts. The long yellowish or whitish brown cocoon in which it -changes to a brown chrysalis is more or less pointed at the lower end, and -generally attached to a culm of grass or a reed. A showery season seems to -suit these caterpillars better than a hot, dry one. The partiality of the -caterpillar for a drop of dew, mountain or otherwise, has frequently been -noted. The old English name of The Drinker Caterpillar (1682) is therefore -not only an appropriate one but shows that this larval habit was observed -even at that early date. The specific name _potatoria_ given to the moth by -Linne is of similar significance. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 60. - DRINKER MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and cocoon._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 61. - DRINKER MOTH. - -{125} The moth emerges in July. It seems most addicted to damp grassy -lanes, ditch-sides, fens, marshes, moorlands, and sandhills; and is not -really uncommon in very many suitable districts throughout the United -Kingdom. Abroad, it is common over the greater part of Europe and its range -extends to Amurland and Japan. - -THE SMALL LAPPET (_Epicnaptera ilicifolia_). - -This exceedingly local and rare British moth has the fore wings pale -reddish-brown, suffused on the outer marginal area with grey; about the -centre of the wings there is a short black line preceded by a whitish mark; -beyond is a blackish, indistinct, wavy line; the greyish outer area is -limited by a brown line, and this is inwardly edged with whitish: hind -wings purplish brown with the central area whitish and crossed by a -blackish line. Fringes whitish, marked with brown at the ends of the veins -(Plate 63). - -Kirby states that the caterpillar is rust coloured, with a black stripe on -the back, on which stand white dots; and with reddish-yellow transverse -spots on the second and third rings. Another form is grey, and the back -white, with a broad black central stripe interrupted by rust-coloured spots -dotted with black. - -The following brief description is taken from an inflated skin of an -immature caterpillar received from Dresden: brownish inclining to reddish, -paler between the rings; clothed with short greyish hair, and longer hairs -from and above the fleshy tubercles low down along the sides; there is a -hair-clothed eminence on ring eleven. The only conspicuous markings are on -rings two and three; each of these has two orange spots separated and -narrowly edged externally with velvety black; there are two small black -spots on the back of each of the other rings, and indications of reddish -circles around some of these. Head blackish, covered with greyish hairs -(Plate 62). {126} - -In this country the caterpillar feeds on bilberry (_Vaccinium myrtillus_), -but on the Continent it is said to eat the foliage of sallows and willows, -also of birch. - -The cocoon is spun up among the leaves of the food plant. That figured on -Plate 62, of foreign origin, was on a shoot of bilberry; a moth emerged -from it on April 5, 1907. The first detailed account of this species in -Britain is that in the _Zoologist_ for 1852, in which Mr. Atkinson records -that he took a specimen in May, 1851, at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. A -year earlier two larvae were found by Mr. Green on a moor near Sheffield, -and one of these attained the moth state in April, 1851. After this moths -and caterpillars seem to have been taken in varying numbers down to 1896, -when a specimen was captured by Dr. R. Freer of Rugby. Tutt, quoting from a -letter received from Dr. Freer, states that two moths were reared from -three caterpillars found at Cannock in 1898. The only other known British -locality is in the neighbourhood of Lynton, North Devon, where a -caterpillar, which, from the description, must have been this species, was -found in 1864. It was taken on August 3 in a wood abounding with bilberry. - -The species ranges over Central Europe, but seems to be generally rare; it -also occurs in Amurland and Japan. - -THE LAPPET (_Gastropacha quercifolia_). - -Warm reddish brown is the prevailing colour of this fine moth. The wings -are more or less suffused with purplish grey, and crossed by blackish -lines--three on the fore wings and two on the hind wings. Except in the -reddish tinge, which may be bright or dull approaching chocolate, this -species is pretty constant in its coloration. Barrett mentions a specimen -of a light brown colour, and another of a pale buff. The first of these -forms seems to approach the var. _meridionalis_, Staudinger (Tutt), and the -other to var. _ulmifolia_, Heuacker, which are well known on the Continent. -In certain favourable seasons a second generation of the moth has been -obtained, chiefly perhaps, in confinement, and on the Continent; although -in Britain a caterpillar or two will sometimes feed up and attain the -perfect state the same year they hatch from the egg. These examples, which -are much smaller, but do not otherwise differ from normal specimens, are -referable to var. _hoegei_, Heuacker. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 62. - 1, 1a. LAPPET MOTH: _eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. SMALL LAPPET: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 63. - 1. SMALL LAPPET MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. LAPPET MOTH, _male_; 4 _female_. - -{127} The moth is figured on Plate 63, and the eggs and caterpillar on -Plate 62. - -The eggs, which are whitish in colour with greyish markings, are laid, in -July or early August, in twos, threes, or more, on twigs or the undersides -of leaves of sloe, apple, sallow, hawthorn, etc. A single female moth has -been known to lay over a thousand eggs, but this is perhaps exceptional, -and somewhere about half that number is possibly near the average. Even the -latter would take the moth some time to distribute here and there in small -batches. - -The caterpillars hatch out in about a fortnight, feed for a few weeks, and -in the autumn, when about three-quarters to one inch in length, take up -their winter quarters low down on the stems of the food plant, but, in -confinement, often on a withered leaf. - -Caterpillar dark grey, so thickly sprinkled with minute black dots as to -appear almost black; the whole body is clothed with fine and rather short -blackish hair; low down on the side there is a fringe of brownish hair, and -this covers the fleshy lappets (the older writers named this larva the -"Caterpillar with the Lappets"); two white marks edged in front with black -on the third ring, and a hairy prominence on the eleventh, are the most -conspicuous features of this caterpillar. When the front rings are -extended, the divisions between them are seen to be deep blue. Head grey, -with darker stripe and paler lines. Occasionally several white marks appear -on the back, and this is stated by Professor Poulton to occur more -especially in the caterpillars when the twigs and stems of the food plant -upon {128} which they have grown up are covered with grey lichen. Sometimes -the caterpillar has been reported as destructive in orchards; two or three -large ones feeding on a small apple tree would certainly afford evidence of -their presence in the shape of denuded twigs, but it is doubtful if they -ever occur in sufficient numbers to cause any very serious damage to fruit -trees. - -The chrysalis is dark brown, inclining to blackish, and covered with a -whitish powder, which does not shake off. It is enclosed in a long, -grey-brown, tight-fitting cocoon of silk and hairs of the caterpillar, -which is generally spun up among the lower twigs, or to the stem of the -food plant. - -The moth emerges in June or July, and is on the wing at night, when it may -be sometimes netted as it flies along or over hedgerows. When caught in -this way it dashes about so wildly in the net that it is rarely of much -value for the collection. The same may be said of examples taken by light, -which at times attracts the moths freely. When resting in the daytime, it -very closely resembles a withered bramble-leaf or bunch of leaves. The fore -wings are folded down, roof-like, over the hind wings, which are flattened -out and their edges project beyond the margins of the fore wings. It is, -however, very rarely seen in the open at such times. - -The species does not seem to have been recorded from Ireland or from -Scotland, but it has a wide distribution in England, although much less -frequently met with in the north than in the south. In the Cambridge fens -it is perhaps more plentiful than elsewhere, but it is not uncommon in some -parts of Berkshire, Huntingdonshire, and Kent. The range abroad extends -through Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, to Armenia, Tartary, -Siberia, and Amurland; it is also represented in China, Corea, and Japan. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 64. - KENTISH GLORY MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 65. - KENTISH GLORY. - 1 _male_; 2 _female_. - -{129} - -ENDROMIDIDAE. - -THE KENTISH GLORY (_Endromis versicolor_). - -This species has the fore wings of the male brownish clouded and suffused -with ochreous; there is a white patch at the base, and some white marks -including three spots towards the apex, on the outer marginal area; two -black cross lines, the first inwardly and the second outwardly, edged with -white; the space between the lines is sometimes clouded with whitish, and -there is an almost central black [sideways vee]-shaped mark. Hind wings -tawny with a black central line, some brownish marks beyond, and sometimes -two white spots at the upper angle. The female is much larger in size, -without ochreous suffusion on the fore wings, and the hind wings have the -ground colour whitish. It varies in the tone of the brown colour, and, in -the male, in the amount of ochreous suffusion (Plate 65). - -The eggs are laid in rows, generally two deep, on a birch twig. At first -they are greenish, but soon change to brownish olive or shining purplish -brown. - -When young the caterpillars cluster together on the twigs, as shown on -Plate 64. They are at first black with glossy dots, and later, greenish, -but still dotted with black. After the third skin change, they are without -the black dots, and the colour is then pretty much that of the mature -caterpillar, which is green, rather whitish on the back, and with a dark -green central line; a series of seven creamy oblique stripes along the -sides, and on the sides of the first three rings there is a whitish stripe -broken at the divisions; these markings are often edged with dark green; on -the eleventh ring there is a somewhat horn-like prominence, striped with -creamy white, and below it a yellow stripe; the spiracles are white, ringed -with black. Head small, paler green, with whitish marks. Feeds on birch, -from late May to {130} July. Alder, sallow, and lime have also been -mentioned as food plants. - -The rough, blackish, or sooty-brown chrysalis is enclosed in a coarse -netted cocoon, dark brown in colour, and more or less covered with moss, -leaves, or other material, among which it is spun up, generally on the -ground, but sometimes just under the surface. Assisted by the points on the -rings of the body, the chrysalis is able to work itself partly out of the -cocoon, and this it does some days before the moth emerges. - -The moths usually emerge in late March and in April, earlier or later in -some seasons. They do not always come up the year after pupation, but often -remain two or more winters in the chrysalis. - -The males fly in the sunshine, and are very strong on the wing; the females -are not active until dark. This sex has been found resting on the twigs of -birch, also on heather, and occasionally on a tree trunk. The males -"assemble" freely to a freshly emerged female. The species inhabits the -more open parts of woods and forests, moors and hillsides where birches -flourish. It is probably more plentiful in its Scottish localities, such as -Rannoch and Forres, than elsewhere, but it occurs also in Aberdeenshire, -Kincardineshire, and Argyllshire. In England it seems to be not uncommon in -Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, and the Reading district in Berkshire. It used -to be so plentiful in Tilgate Forest, Sussex, that over a hundred males -were brought to the net in one day by a bred female put down to allure -them. This happened some fifty years ago, and compares curiously with a -record of one male attracted by a female in Tilgate Forest, April 13, 1869. -Other localities in Sussex that have been mentioned are St. Leonard's -Forest and near Petersfield; it has also been found in Herefordshire and in -some parts of Suffolk. Distributed over Central and Northern Europe, the -range extending to North Italy. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 66. - 1, 2. EMPEROR MOTH, _males_; 3 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 67. - EMPEROR MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged._ - _Caterpillars and cocoon._ (_Photos. by W. J. Lucas._) - -{131} - -SATURNIIDAE. - -THE EMPEROR MOTH (_Saturnia pavonia_). - -In a general way the fore wings of the male may be described as purplish -grey, suffused with rosy or with tawny shades; a reddish cloud, black -marked above, at the tips of the wings; the outer margins are more or less -whitish, and there is a whitish patch about the middle of each wing, in -which is an eyed spot; the hind wings are tawny, with a central eye spot -and a blackish band towards the outer margin. The female has all the wings -pale purplish grey, with whitish bordered outer margins; markings much as -in the male, but the central area of the hindwings is more or less whitish. -There is some variation in the ornamentation; occasionally the white -markings are of large size, or, on the other hand, may be almost or quite -obscured. Very rarely the eye-spots are absent from all the wings (ab. -_obsoleta_, Tutt), and sometimes they are of abnormal shape. Now and then -specimens of the female sex are dark in colour, with red bands, and Barrett -mentions an example of this sex smoky black in colour, with still blacker -markings (Plate 66). - -The olive brown, clouded greyish eggs are laid in neatly arranged batches -around the stems or twigs of plants; I once found a batch in North Devon on -a loose piece of rock. The caterpillar when full grown is bright green, -with black markings; the warts from which blackish bristles arise are -yellow, sometimes pink or blackish. In an early stage it is black, with an -orange line low down along the sides; later on it is still black, but -ringed with orange. It feeds in June, July, and August on many kinds of -plants, among which may be mentioned heather, bramble, sallow, sloe; also -meadow-sweet (_Spiraea ulmaria_) and purple loose-strife (_Lythrum -salicaria_). - -The curious cocoon formed by the caterpillar (Plate 67) is {132} so -constructed at the narrow end that the moth on emergence can easily pass -through; after the insect's escape, the converging fibres forming the -"door" spring to again, and the point of exit looks pretty much as before -the moth had pushed through. This kind of opening can only be worked from -the inside, therefore enemies from without are unable to effect an -entrance. - -The moths are out in April and May, and the males may be seen on sunny days -flying at a great pace over heaths, moorlands, and mosses, also about the -borders of woods. The female flies at night, but it may occasionally be met -with resting on heather or other herbage in the daytime. A freshly emerged -female moth will, as a rule, attract as many specimens of the opposite sex -as one would care to take; all that one has to do is to take her in a box -to some likely spot, and there await the coming of the males. - -The species seems to be generally distributed throughout the British Isles, -but is commoner in some parts than in others, and apparently rare in -portions of the Midlands. - -The distribution abroad extends through Europe to North Asia Minor and -Armenia, and to Siberia, Amurland, and Ussuri. - -DREPANIDAE. - -The British species belonging to this family, with one exception, have the -tips of the fore wings pointed and curved downwards, forming a sort of -hook, hence the English name Hook-tips. The exception is _Cilix spinula_, a -round winged moth, not at all like other members of the family, but its -caterpillar is very like others of the group. - -The bristle and catch arrangement for locking the wings is present in all -the species, but the tongue or proboscis is absent, or practically so. The -caterpillars are not furnished with anal {133} claspers, therefore have -only fourteen legs, that is, six true legs and eight false legs (pro-legs). -The last ring of the body is more or less tapered, sometimes terminating in -a point; the back is roughened with raised spots and warts, or humped. They -feed on the leaves of trees and bushes, usually exposed, and they pupate in -a silken cocoon, spun up between leaves, or in a folded leaf, of the food -plant. - -Of the eleven species occurring in the Palaearctic Region, seven are -European, and six of these are found in the British Isles. - -THE PEBBLE HOOK-TIP (_Drepana falcataria_). - -The fore wings are brown, whity brown, or whitish; the central area is -crossed by three blackish wavy lines, a blackish blotch in the third line -and two blackish dots between it and the second line; beyond there is a -dark brown, or reddish-brown curved line from the tip of the wing to the -inner margin. Hind wings similar in colour to the fore wings, but paler on -the front area; crossed by five wavy dusky lines, sometimes not well marked -except on the inner margin; generally, there is a black central dot. The -paler forms have a dusky shading on each side of the curved line on the -fore wings. - -The egg is yellow freckled with orange, chiefly at one end. Caterpillar -green, the back reddish-brown, except towards the black-marked yellowish -head; two conspicuous warts on rings two to five, and less noticeable -raised spots on the other rings, all bearing hairs. In a younger stage it -is blackish, with white marks on the fourth and seventh rings; later it -becomes greenish below, and the markings on the back of rings four, seven, -eight, and ten are whitish or creamy. Until nearly full grown it usually -lives on the underside of a leaf, the edges of which are turned over and -held down by silken threads; sometimes it may be seen on the upper side of -a leaf under a slight web. It feeds {134} chiefly on birch, but is -occasionally found on alder, in June and July, and in September and -October, and may be obtained by searching or by beating, but the former, -although perhaps slower, is much the better method. The moth is shown on -Plate 68, and the early stages on Plate 69. - -The species is widely distributed, and seems to occur, sometimes commonly, -wherever there are birches, especially of bush-like growth, in most English -counties and also in Scotland. In Ireland it appears to be somewhat local -and scarce. - -THE SCARCE HOOK-TIP (_Drepana harpagula_). - -The general colour of this species is brownish; the fore wings are slightly -tinged with ochreous and speckled with minute violet-tinged silvery scales; -between the first and second brown lines there is an irregular ochreous -brown mark enclosing yellowish spots; the violet-tinted glistening scales -are most in evidence on both sides of the black mark before the outer -margin. Hind wings similar in colour to the fore wings; crossed by two -brown lines, the second with an ochreous brown blotch above it (Plate 68). - -Caterpillar, yellow freckled with brown; clouded with brown on first three -rings; a reddish brown irregular stripe runs along the sides and upwards -towards middle of the back on rings five, six, eight, and nine; a -double-pointed hump on the back of ring three, the points tipped with -yellow. Head notched on the crown, dotted and clouded with brown. It feeds -on the small-leaved lime (_Tilia parvifolia_), and may be found from July -to September and even later. I have not seen a living caterpillar of this -species; the above short description has been drawn from an inflated skin -(Plate 69). - -The only British locality for this species is the Leigh Woods near Bristol, -where it was first met with in 1837. It is, however, very rare and -difficult to obtain. Abroad it ranges through Central Europe to Livonia, -Southern Sweden, and to Northern Italy. On the Continent the caterpillar -feeds on the foliage of other trees than lime, and there are two broods in -the year. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 68. - 1. SCARCE HOOK-TIP, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3, 5, 6. PEBBLE HOOK-TIP, _males_; 4, 7 _females_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 69. - 1, 1a, 1b. SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP: _eggs, caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a, 2b. PEBBLE HOOK-TIP: _caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 3. SCARCE HOOK-TIP: _caterpillar_. - -{135} - -THE OAK HOOK-TIP (_Drepana binaria_). - -The male is of an ochreous-tinged brown coloration; all the wings are -crossed by two slender deep ochreous lines, and have two obliquely set, -almost central, black dots; outer margin of fore wings often blackish, -marked towards the tip; the hind wings are deep ochreous on the front -marginal area. Fore wings of the female paler, and the hind wings ochreous -yellow; the cross lines on the latter often lost in the ground colour -(Plate 71). - -In freshly emerged male specimens the brown is sometimes purplish tinged, -and in some examples of the same sex the hind wings may be described as -ochreous, with brown bands. The female occasionally has the fore wings -tinged with greyish, and the hind wings are sometimes banded with brown, -especially on the inner marginal area. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown with a double-pointed hump on ring three, -a yellowish diamond on the back of rings five to ten; the front and hind -rings are brown, more or less tinged with purple; yellowish lines, shaded -below with purplish brown, on the sides meet on the back and form an edging -to the diamond mark. The figure on Plate 70 shows the caterpillar in its -usual resting attitude. It feeds on oak. - -A widely distributed species in the southern half of England, but not -especially abundant in any locality, and not known to occur north of -Lincoln. - -THE BARRED HOOK-TIP (_Drepana cultraria_). - -Fore wings pale fulvous or ochreous brown, with two paler cross-lines on -all the wings, space enclosed by the lines darker brown; a black or -blackish central dot, and before the brownish {136} outer margin there is a -pale line ending on the tip of the wing. The hind wings have an obscure -dusky central dot placed in the upper edge of the band, and usually there -are two brownish bands on the outer marginal area, but these do not extend -to the front margin. Except that the female is generally larger, and the -antennae are simple, the sexes are much alike (Plate 71). - -This species is best distinguished from _binaria_ by the dark bands, and -the straighter second line. The central dots are less trustworthy -characters, because summer specimens of the present species often have two -of these spots on the fore wings (var. _aestiva_, Spr.), and in occasional -examples of _binaria_ the lower central spot of the hind wings is absent. -As a rule, however, the central dots are more conspicuous in _binaria_ than -in _cultraria_. The egg is yellowish, tinged with reddish at the ends and -along the sides. The caterpillar is somewhat similar to that of the last -species, but the hump on ring three is smaller, and the side lines and -diamond mark are whiter. It may be found in June and July, and again in -September, and even in October in some years. It feeds on beech (Plate 70). - -This species is found where beech trees occur, preferably on a chalky soil, -in the counties of England from Norfolk southwards. The male may often be -seen in May, flying around the beech trees or neighbouring bushes, in the -sunshine; or both sexes may be caused to leave their resting places among -the foliage by tapping the boughs. - -Its range extends through Central Europe to Asia Minor. - -THE SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP (_Drepana lacertinaria_). - -The name Scallop Hook-tip given to this species by Moses Harris in 1775, -doubtless referred to the ragged outlines of the fore wings. These wings -are pale brown in colour, freckled and clouded with darker tints, and -crossed by two dark-brown lines; the central dot is black, but often -minute; fringes {137} white, chequered with brown. Sometimes the freckling -is heavy and the clouding very dark, becoming almost black on the outer -margin; such specimens seem to be referable to var. _scincula_, Hubn. In -another form the fore wings are ochreous brown, with very tiny freckling -and only light clouds on the upper part of the outer margin. The hind wings -in all the forms are pale whitish brown, with a black central dot, and -brown marginal line; in the darker specimens these wings are clouded or -suffused with dark brown (Plate 71). - -The egg is pale yellowish when laid, but changes afterwards to reddish. The -full-grown caterpillar is pale brownish, marked with darker or reddish -brown on the back and sides, and raised spots; there are double-pointed -humps on rings two and three, and a similar but smaller elevation on ring -eleven. In the younger state the caterpillar is blackish, with whitish -marks on the fourth, seventh, and eighth rings, and some white dots on the -end rings. It feeds on the upper surface of the leaves of birch in June and -July, and again in August and September. - -Chrysalis, reddish brown, the ring divisions blackish grey; powdered with -whitish, and appearing as though dusted with flour. Attached by the anal -spike to the interior of the silken web-like cocoon. In the Figure (Plate -69) the pupa is shown hanging from the ruptured cocoon, upon the covering -leaf of which a half-grown caterpillar is depicted. - -The moth is out in May and June, and a second generation appears in August. -It is not uncommon in most birch woods, and on heaths and commons, where -birch flourishes; but the perfect insect, which rests on leaves and twigs -of trees and bushes, and the herbage under them, is not so frequently or so -easily obtained as the caterpillars. The latter may be searched for in the -daytime, or they may be dislodged by beating. - -Widely distributed throughout England, but local or scarce in Lancashire -and Yorkshire and northwards; also, according to {138} Barrett, in -Devonshire and in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridge. It occurs in the -Clydesdale district, Ross, Argyllshire, and Sutherland in Scotland; and in -Ireland it seems to be widely spread and common in some localities. - -THE CHINESE CHARACTER (_Cilix glaucata_). - -Probably in reference to the grey-brown oval blotch on the middle of the -white fore wings, this moth was known to the older entomologists by the -English name of "Goose-egg." On the blotch, however, there are silvery -marks on the veins, and below it (often attached) there is a blackish -blotch with some bluish silvery scales upon it. These markings probably -suggested to Haworth the name Chinese Character by which it is commonly -known (Plate 71). - -The caterpillar is reddish brown, with a darker line along the back, and a -paler patch on rings three to five, extending as a narrow stripe to the -dark-brown spiked tail; two raised warts on rings two and three, with a -white dot between the hinder pair. Head darker brown, paler in front. It -feeds in June and early July, and in September and October, chiefly on -hawthorn and sloe, but it will also eat apple and pear. The chrysalis, -which is enclosed in a brown, rather tough, silken cocoon, spun up among -leaves or under loose bark, is greyish on the wing covers, and reddish on -the body. - -The moth is out in May and early June, and again from late July well into -August. Sometimes it may be seen resting on a leaf in a hedgerow. When -disturbed in the daytime, which may happen where one is beating the bushes, -it falls, rather than flies, to the ground. At night it may be netted as it -flies along the hedgeside or wood borders in almost every county of England -and Wales. In Scotland its range seems not to extend north of Clydesdale. -Kane states that it is "widely spread, but not generally at all numerous" -in Ireland. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 70. - 1. OAK HOOK-TIP: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a, 2b, 2c. BARRED HOOK-TIP: _egg, enlarged; caterpillar, chrysalis - and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 71. - 1. OAK HOOK-TIP, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. BARRED HOOK-TIP, _male_; 4 _female_. - 5, 7. SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP, _males_; 6, 8 _females_. - 9. CHINESE CHARACTER, _male_; 10 _female_. - -{139} - -NOLIDAE. - -Some thirteen or fourteen species occurring in Europe are referred by -Staudinger to this family. Only five of these occur in the British Isles. -The moths are of rather small size, less, in fact, than some of the -so-called "Micros," among which they have been placed. Probably they may, -for this reason, be overlooked. They mostly sit head downwards on the -trunks, branches, or leaves of trees, sometimes on palings, but the rarer -ones hide themselves among the thick, low herbage. The time of flight is -after dark, and the moths occasionally visit the sugar patch. The -caterpillar has only eight false legs (prolegs), the first pair being the -absent ones; the body is clothed with tufts of hair, the hairs of the front -and rear tufts longer than the others. When full grown it spins a more or -less spindle-shaped, toughish cocoon of silk mixed with the larval hairs, -which is usually coated with particles scraped from the surface of twig or -stem upon which it is spun up. - -THE SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH (_Nola cucullatella_). - -The fore wings are whitish or greyish, with a dark, almost black, patch at -the base; this patch is marked with whitish, and is limited by the first -cross line, which is black and curved; the second line, also black, is wavy -and curved inwards towards the front margin; between these lines is a dusky -central shade, commencing in a blackish spot on the front margin, and -sometimes forming an inward border to the second line; a raised tuft of -white, grey-capped scales on the basal patch, and two other tufts beyond it -and in a line with the front margin; hind wings dark grey, paler towards -the base (Plate 73). - -The caterpillar is reddish brown, clothed with short greyish hairs; the -spots and central line on the back are whitish. It {140} hatches from the -egg early in August, and after feeding for a while, retires to winter -quarters, selecting some sheltered cranny, such as a chink in the tree -bark, where it spins over itself a few strands of silk. Feeding is resumed -in May and June, after hibernation, usually on the upperside of leaves of -sloe and whitethorn, and also of fruit trees, such as apple and plum, and -sometimes pear (Plate 72). - -The moth is out in June and July. It flies at dusk. - -Widely distributed and generally common in the south of England; somewhat -rare in Scotland--perhaps overlooked. It has been reported from Ireland, -but is not mentioned by Kane in his catalogue of Irish Lepidoptera. - -THE SMALL BLACK ARCHES (_Nola strigula_). - -Fore wings greyish white, freckled and dusted with grey brown at the base -and on the front and outer margins; two black wavy and toothed cross lines; -between the base of the wing and the second line are three raised tufts of -grey brown tipped whitish scales: hind wings dark grey, paler towards the -base (Plate 73). - -The caterpillar feeds, probably after hibernation, from April to June, on -the undersides of oak leaves. It is pale ochreous in colour, with pale -reddish brown warts and star-like tufts of hair; a blackish bar on the back -of ring six; head blackish. - -The moth emerges from the chrysalis in July. It occurs in oak woods in -Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Somerset and Gloucestershire; also in Berks, -Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, but it is very local and seems to be -restricted to a more or less limited area in all its known haunts, among -which the most favoured are perhaps the New Forest in Hampshire and Abbots -Wood in Sussex. In some years it may be fairly common, or even plentiful, -and then becomes quite scarce during several seasons in the same place. -{141} - -THE LEAST BLACK ARCHES (_Nola confusalis_). - -Very similar to the last species, but whiter; the first line is curved -towards the second tuft of raised scales, thence gently curved to the inner -margin, above which there is a slight inward angle or elbow; the second -line is less wavy; hind wings whitish grey with a black central dot, and in -the male whiter along the inner area. The head and palpi of this species -are white, but _strigula_ has a greyish white head and dark palpi. Again, -the antennae in the male of the present species are ciliated, but in male -_strigula_ they are bipectinated (Plate 73). - -The caterpillar, which feeds in July and August on the leaves of oak, -beech, sloe, and apple, etc., is reddish, inclining to yellow on the back, -which is traversed by black lines, the central double and interrupted on -rings seven to nine by rusty V-shaped marks. - -The moth flies in May and June. - -This species appears to have a wider distribution than either of the -others. It is the only one known with certainty to occur in Ireland, and it -is widely spread in that country. In Scotland it is found in Perthshire and -Ayrshire, and probably is present in other parts. In England it is obtained -in most counties, except perhaps the northern, although it has been -recorded from various parts of Yorkshire. - -KENT BLACK ARCHES (_Nola albula_). - -Fore wings white, largely light brown between the obscure cross lines; -outer marginal area clouded, and front margin dotted with light brown; -three tufts of raised scales placed as in previous species; hind wings of -the male, greyish white, browner on the outer margin; of female, brownish -grey. Varies in the amount of light brown, and sometimes this is much -reduced; more rarely it disappears entirely (Plate 73). {142} - -The caterpillar varies in colour from ochreous with pink tinge to bone -white; the warts are set with pale hairs and those along the back and at -each extremity are longest; a double greyish line along the middle of the -back, and a series of black marks on each side; these marks unite across -the back on rings six and ten. After hibernation, it feeds in Spring until -June, on the young growth of bramble, raspberry, strawberry, and cinquefoil -(_Potentilla reptans_), and is stated to also eat hemp agrimony -(_Eupatorium cannabinum_). The brownish cocoon is constructed on a stem of -grass and in appearance looks not unlike a swelling of the stem. - -This species was first observed in England in the year 1859, when four -specimens were taken in July at Chattenden Roughs, a large hilly wood in -North-east Kent. It still occurs, no doubt, in the Kentish locality -referred to, but is now very scarce there compared with what it must have -been some twenty-five years ago. Barrett notes a specimen from the Isle of -Wight. Mr. G. T. Porritt states that he has seen one of two examples -captured in South Devon in 1901; and another, a male, has been recorded as -taken at light in a house near Weymouth, Dorset, in August, 1904, and from -Lewes in 1906. - -At the time the first specimens were met with in England the species seems -to have been rare, or little known on the Continent. Since then knowledge -of its distribution has vastly increased, and it has now been found not -only in many parts of Central Europe, but also in Finland, Italy, Dalmatia; -Asia Minor, Persia, and extending into Amurland and Japan. - -THE SCARCE BLACK ARCHES (_Nola centonalis_). - -The general colour of this moth is white; the fore wings more or less -sprinkled and clouded with brownish grey or dark grey, and crossed by two -black lines, the first curved and the second slightly waved, indented and -edged inwardly with ochreous brown; the three raised tufts are white, -capped with grey (Plate 73). - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 72. - 1, 1a. SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - 2, 2a, 2b. GREEN SILVER-LINES: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - 3, 3a, 3b. SCARCE SILVER-LINES: _caterpillar before hibernation, - chrysalis and cocoon_. - 4, 4a. LARGE MARBLED TORTRIX: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 73. - 1. CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA. - 4, 7. GREEN SILVER LINES. - 10. SCARCE SILVER LINES. - 2, 3. SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH. - 5. SMALL BLACK ARCHES. - 6. LEAST BLACK ARCHES. - 13. KENT BLACK ARCHES. - 8, 9, 11, 12. SCARCE BLACK ARCHES. - -{143} This is the only really variable species among the five occurring in -this country. In some specimens the space between the cross lines is -largely filled in with dark grey, and in other specimens the wings are -almost entirely white, traces of the cross lines being the only markings. - -Mr. Robert Adkin, who has reared this species from the egg, kindly allowed -me to select specimens from his fine series to illustrate the range of -aberration; these are figured on Plate 73. - -Caterpillar brownish inclining to purplish, with an ochreous line along the -middle of the back and some brown V-shaped black marks. Head blackish -brown. It feeds in May, after hibernation, on various clovers, preferring -the blossoms, and bird's-foot trefoil (_Lotus corniculatus_). - -The moth appears some time between mid-July and mid-August. The late Mr. -Tugwell, by keeping some larvae, reared from the egg, in a warm room -induced them to feed up instead of hibernating, and they attained the moth -state in December. - -This is another exceedingly local species in England. It was first taken at -Bembridge in the Isle of Wight in 1858, and one or two specimens have since -been obtained in that island. Examples have also occurred on the cliffs -near Hastings, and at Folkestone; and one has been recorded as taken in a -light trap at Woodbridge in Suffolk, July 21, 1904. The headquarters for -the species in this country are the Deal sand-hills, on the Kentish coast, -where it was discovered over a quarter of a century ago, and probably -occurs still. - -CHLOEPHORIDAE. - -Authors are not at all agreed as to the systematic position of this family, -and there seems to be some difference of opinion as to the species that -properly belong to it. Sir George Hampson {144} has transferred the group -to the Noctuidae and separated _S. revayana_ from the others, placing it in -his sub-family Sarrothripinae, to which also belong certain Indian species. - -Only four species occur in our islands. Three of these have green fore -wings and pale grey or whitish hind wings. The other species, _Sarrothripa -revayana_, has the fore wings of various shades of grey, brown, or -blackish; its boat-shaped cocoon is very like a small edition of that of -_Hylophila bicolorana_, and, although the caterpillar is in some respects -not very dissimilar to those of the green-winged species, the moth does not -seem quite to be one of their set. - -THE CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA (_Earias chlorana_). - -In size, colour of the fore wings, and general appearance this moth might -be mistaken for the much more common Green Tortrix (_Tortrix viridana_). On -examination however, it will be seen to have white hind wings, whilst those -of the _Tortrix_ are grey. Again, the head, front of thorax, and front edge -of the fore wings are white in the present species (Plate 73). - -The caterpillar is green, inclining to whitish on the back, the latter -lined with brownish, and bearing warts on rings six and eleven. It feeds in -July and August on the terminal leaves of osier and willow; these leaves -are drawn together with silk, and the solid appearance of the foliage at -the end of the twig will afford a clue to the probable whereabouts of the -caterpillar when one is searching for it. Chrysalis, brown, darker on the -back, paler on the under parts, and on the wing covers; enclosed in a tough -boat-shaped cocoon which is often constructed on the bark of a twig or stem -of the food plant. As a rule the moth does not emerge until the following -year, but in some years a few will appear in the autumn, and others remain -in the chrysalis until the following May or June. - -This species inhabits damp places where there are osiers, {145} and it is -especially common in the fens. It occurs in most of the southern and -eastern counties of England, but does not seem to be recorded from other -parts of the British Isles. - -GREEN SILVER LINES (_Hylophila prasinana_). - -The bright green fore wings are crossed by two shaded silvery lines, and a -narrow silvery band, the latter running from the tip of the wing to the -inner margin, and usually there is a whitish shade between the two lines; -the fringes are reddish, or pinkish, and the front and inner margins are -tinged with the same colour, sometimes strongly so on the inner margin. The -hind wings of the male are whitish, tinged with yellowish green; fringes -white, more or less tinted with reddish; in the female the hind wings are -entirely silky white. Antennae reddish (Plate 73). - -Caterpillar, green, with yellowish dots, lines on the back, and edging to -first ring of the body; the anal claspers are marked above with red. It -feeds in August and September on the leaves of oak, birch, beech and nut -(Plate 72). - -The chrysalis is purplish above merging into pale brown beneath; wing-cases -ochreous brown; the dorsal surface, especially the ring divisions, are -dusted with whitish dots. It is enclosed in a papery cocoon of a pale pinky -brown colour; frequently spun up on the back of a leaf, but also in a -curled leaf, bark chink, or among herbage and litter on the ground. - -The moth flies in June and July, and is not uncommon in woods throughout -the greater part of England, it may be beaten from trees, and is often to -be seen sitting on bracken and other undergrowth. It is also found in -Scotland up to Moray, and seems to be pretty generally distributed in -Ireland. The range of this species abroad extends through Northern and -Central Europe, South Russia, Siberia, to Japan. {146} - -SCARCE SILVER LINES (_Hylophila bicolorana_). - -The green colour of the fore wings of this moth is rather paler than of -those of the last species; they are crossed by two almost parallel -yellowish lines; hind wings white and silky. Antennae whitish towards the -tip and reddish towards the base (Plate 73). - -Caterpillar green, sometimes tinged with yellow, a dark line along the -middle of the back is edged on each side with whitish. - -The chrysalis is pale greenish, with a narrow black stripe from the head -along the thorax extending to the fourth abdominal ring; the wing cases -reach the sixth ring, which together with the back of the fifth are -roughened with fine blackish points. - -Cocoon boat-shaped with the keel raised at the head end. When the moth -emerges from this end the cocoon closes up tightly again, so that no -opening is to be seen; slight pressure on the back will cause the exit slit -to open. - -This rather local species is perhaps commoner in the eastern counties of -England than elsewhere, but it occurs in the oak woods of Berkshire, and -southward to Kent and Hampshire. Much scarcer in the west and midlands, and -apparently unknown in the north. Barrett gives Galway and Queen's County in -Ireland, but adds that it is rare. - -Distributed over Central and Southern Europe, and its range extends to -South Sweden, and Asia Minor. - -SARROTHRIPINAE. - -THE LARGE MARBLED TORTRIX (_Sarrothripa revayana_). - -This is a most variable species, ranging from greyish white through various -shades of brown to blackish; the grey and the {147} brown forms are -sometimes tinged with green. In the illustration some of the more usual -forms of marking are shown. 1 (more or less typical) and 2 are the most -common; 5 (_ramosana_) is less frequently met with; 4 (_ilicanus_) has ashy -brown fore wings with a black bar at the base, three black dots on the -disc, and a series of black dots before the outer margin, the triangular -marking on the front margin is reddish; 3 is a modification of the typical -form approaching var. _dilutana_; 6 is of the _afzelianus_ form, with shiny -brownish fore wings and black markings. - -[Illustration: FIG. 23. - -LARGE MARBLED TORTRIX.] - -The caterpillar is green with whiter ring divisions; a few long whitish -hairs on each segment; a faintly darker line along the back, and a paler -interrupted line along the sides. Head yellowish green marked with brownish -and sparsely clothed with whitish hairs. It feeds in June and July on the -leaves of oak and sometimes on sallow. It spins a whitish boat-shaped -cocoon on the under side of an oak leaf or twig, and therein turns to a -pale green chrysalis with a broad purple brown stripe along the back from -the head; the blunt last ring is tinged with purplish brown and the edge of -the ring immediately before it is fringed with minute hooks (Plate 72, -Figs. 4, 4a). - -The moth seems to be out from August to April. It may be {148} beaten from -trees and bushes throughout the autumn, and during the later months of the -year it seems to hide in yews and hollies. Just before dusk it becomes -active and may then be netted as it flies; later on it may be seen regaling -itself on overripe blackberries, or on the ivy blossom, and it is not an -infrequent visitor to the sugar patch. - -The species has been found in almost every part of England and Wales -wherever there are oak woods. In Scotland it occurs up to Argyllshire and -Moray. For Ireland, Kane gives Tyrone, Westmeath, Galway, Kerry, and -Limerick. - -Distribution abroad: Central and Southern Europe, extending northwards to -Scandinavia, and eastwards to Amurland and Japan. - -ARCTIIDAE. - -In this family Staudinger includes 161 species known to occur in the -Palaearctic Region. About forty of these are found in Europe, and -thirty-one of the latter rank as British species. - -The family is usually divided into two sub-families--Arctiinae and -Lithosiinae, fifteen of our species being referred to the former and -sixteen to the latter. In both groups the caterpillars are hairy, but the -hairs are usually longer in those of the "Tigers" than in those of the -"Footmen"; the latter, too, are lichen feeders, whilst the others prefer -the foliage of plants. - -TIGER MOTHS (_Arctiinae_). - -The moths in this sub-family have short, or, rather, stout bodies, and -ample wings; and as the tongue is imperfectly developed in most of the -species, flowers have not the same attraction for them as for the -long-winged and slender-bodied Lithosiinae, most members of which have this -organ well developed. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 74. - WHITE ERMINE MOTH. - _Caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 75. - 1, 2, 3. WHITE ERMINE MOTH. - 4, 5. MUSLIN MOTH, _females_; 6 _male_. - 7. WATER ERMINE, _male_; 8 _female_. - -{149} - -THE WHITE ERMINE (_Spilosoma menthastri_). - -Older English names for this generally distributed and often common species -are The Great Ermine Moth of Wilkes (1773), Harris (1778), and The Large -Ermine of Haworth. - -On Plate 75 will be found three colour-forms of the moth. Fig. 1 has the -typical whitish colour, Fig. 2 is creamy on the fore wings, and Fig. 3 has -the fore wings buff. The last represents a specimen from Scotland, where, -especially in the western parts of the country, and also in the north of -Ireland, and the north-west of England, buff forms, both paler and much -darker than the one figured, are not uncommon. Sometimes the Scottish -specimens have smoky hind wings. As regards the black spots on the wings, -the species is subject to considerable variation. In some examples almost -all the markings are entirely absent; in others they are very small and -numerous, or large in size and number; the central spots on the fore wings -are often united, forming irregular designs. Again, there may be an unusual -amount of black spotting on the outer margins, and all other parts of the -wings free of spots. All these aberrations in marking, except, perhaps, the -central cluster, seem to occur in the various colour forms. An uncommon -form, known as var. _walkeri_, Curtis (Plate 78, Fig. 5), has the black -scales gathered together into streaks along the nervures of the fore wings; -modifications of this variety have also been found, or reared. Possibly by -the careful selection of parent moths showing tendency to the streaked -aberration it might happen in a generation or two that var. _walkeri_ would -turn up in the breeding cage to reward the rearer for trouble taken in the -experiment. - -The caterpillar, which is often not uncommon in gardens in August and -September, or even later, is brown, with long hairs, and a reddish stripe -along the middle of the back. It feeds on {150} the foliage of low-growing -plants, and does not appear to be specially attached to any particular -kind. The chrysalis is dark brown, in a close-fitting cocoon of silk and -hair from the caterpillar, spun up in odd corners on the ground or at the -base of a wall or fence, sometimes between the pales (Plate 74). - -The moth emerges in June, and may be seen sitting on walls, fences, trees, -or on the herbage growing on hedge banks; or even on the bare ground. It -often flies into houses when lighted up, and is a frequent attendant at the -public gas lamps and electric lights. The geographical range of this -species extends through Northern and Central Europe southward to North-West -Africa, and eastward to Amurland. - -THE WATER ERMINE (_Spilosoma urticae_). - -The specimens of this white moth, depicted on Plate 75, are of the form -usually met with in Britain. To Haworth, Stephens, and other early -entomologists this was known by the English name of the "Water Ermine" (_S. -papyrata_, Marsham), whilst a rarer form--with a minute dot on the disc of -the fore wings, and three dusky spots on the hind wings, as in the White -Ermine--was the "Dingy White" of Haworth. Occasionally specimens are -obtained with extra black spots on the basal and front areas of the fore -wings. - -Caterpillar, dark brown with a purplish tinge, the hairs, arising in -spreading tufts from black warts, are dark brownish; spiracles white; head -black and glossy. Feeds in July and August on a variety of marsh plants, -among which are yellow loosestrife (_Lysimachia vulgaris_), mint (_Mentha -aquatica_), lousewort (_Pedicularis_), water dock (_Rumex hydrolapathum_), -and iris. It seems to affect plants growing under bushes, rather than those -more exposed. It is, presumably, not difficult to rear in confinement, as -there is a record of eight broods belonging to three generations, and all -descendants of a captured female, having been reared by Mr. Bacot. -Chrysalis dark reddish brown, in a cocoon similar to that of the last -species. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 76. - BUFF ERMINE MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 77. - BUFF ERMINE MOTH _and varieties_. - -{151} The moth, which emerges in June, is rarely seen away from its -favourite haunts, which are marshes and fens; its English name is therefore -a very appropriate one. It is not often observed in the daytime, but is on -the wing early in the evening, and later on is pretty sure to be attracted -to any strong light that may be set up in its neighbourhood. The best -localities for the species seem to be the fens of Norfolk and Cambridge, -but it used to be fairly plentiful in many suitable parts of East Kent, and -no doubt still occurs in some of the marshes between Dartford and -Gravesend: it is found in Sussex in the Lewes and Brighton districts, and -has been recorded from Kimmeridge in Dorsetshire, from the Isle of Wight, -from near Burton-on-Trent, from the Lancaster district, and from -Pembrokeshire, South Wales. In Scotland it is rare, and, with the exception -of one example reported as taken in an illuminated moth trap at Clonbrock, -May, 1896, not known to occur in Ireland. - -The distribution abroad extends over Central and Northern Europe, through -South Russia to Amurland. - -THE BUFF ERMINE (_Spilosoma lubricipeda_). - -This species is now known by the English name of the Buff Ermine, but the -names bestowed upon it by some ancient writers were perhaps hardly more -suitable. Thus Wilkes in 1773 called it the "Spotted Buff Moth," and Harris -five years later dubbed it the "Cream-dot Stripe." The ground colour is -generally some shade of buff, in the paler specimens merging into cream, -and in the darker to yellowish ochre. In the matter of black marking the -range of variation is extensive. The specimens figured on Plate 77 -illustrate something of this variation, both as regards colouring and -marking. The females are, as a rule, paler than the males, but occasionally -examples {152} of the latter sex are quite as pale as any female. Figures 7 -and 8 represent var. _zatima_, Cramer. Originally this form was only known -to occur in Heligoland. The same form, or a modification of it, was -described by Haworth as _radiata_, from a Yorkshire specimen. Then, in -1837, specimens of the variety were reared with the normal form of the -species from caterpillars obtained at Saltfleet in Lincolnshire; and -subsequently a few more examples were reported from the last named county, -and elsewhere. In 1891 a specimen of var. _zatima_ emerged from an -assortment of chrysalids sent to Mr. Harrison of Barnsley from a London -correspondent. This particular specimen was of the female sex, and it -paired with a male which was also an aberration, but not of the _zatima_ -form. Some of the offspring resulting from this union were of the female -parent form, others favoured the male parent, and others again were -intermediate. In the course of a few generations almost entire broods of -the _zatima_ variety were obtained. Allowing the sexes of _zatima_ to mate -with those of more or less ordinary _lubricipeda_, the late Mr. W. H. -Tugwell obtained many very interesting aberrations, one of which he named -var. _eboraci_, and another _fasciata_. The _zatima_ form and its various -modifications have now been reared by entomologists all over the country, -and presumably directly or indirectly from the original Barnsley stock. In -Yorkshire especially the race has been improved; the specimens are larger -and darker, and there is a tendency towards the almost entirely black form -known as var. _deschangei_. - -The pale whitish green eggs are laid in batches on leaves, sometimes high -up on birch trees, or virginia creeper, but more usually on the foliage of -low growing plants; it is often common in gardens. At first the caterpillar -is tinged with yellowish, but it afterwards becomes greyish, and finally -brownish. When full grown the hairs, with which the body is clothed, are -brown; there is a yellowish or whitish grey stripe along each side, and an -obscure somewhat reddish {153} tinted line down the middle of the back. -Head glossy brown. - -The glossy reddish-brown chrysalis is enclosed in a dingy coloured web-like -cocoon, which is spun up among leaves or litter on the ground. Mr. R. Adkin -found some of these cocoons spun up between the folds of an old brown -blanket used as a covering for a rabbit hutch in winter. The moth emerges -in June. Occasionally, in confinement, specimens will leave the chrysalis -in the autumn instead of passing the winter therein, as they more usually -do (Plate 76). - -A common and often abundant species over the greater part of the British -Isles. Its range abroad extends through Central and Northern Europe, South -Russia, and Tartary to Amurland, Corea, and West China. - -THE MUSLIN (_Diaphora mendica_). - -The early British authors knew this moth as the "Spotted Muslin" or "Seven -Spot Ermine" (Harris, 1778). The male is dark brown or blackish, with a few -usually obscure black dots on each wing. The female is silky white, with -more clearly defined, and often more numerous, black dots (Plate 75, Figs. -4-6). On Plate 78 will be found figures of the rarer and more extreme -aberrations of the female. Those represented by Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, were -reared some years ago by Mr. G. T. Porritt, of Huddersfield, who at the -same time obtained a number of other interesting intermediate examples -("Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.," 1889, p. 441, Pl. 14). Variation in the other -direction is towards the complete suppression of the black dots; and I have -seen specimens with only one such dot on each wing. - -In the var. _rustica_, shown on the same plate, it will be noted that the -males assimilate somewhat to the female coloration; the specimens (Figs. 1, -2), were bred by Mr. Robert Adkin in 1887. This form was not known to occur -in the British {154} Isles until 1885, when Mr. de V. Kane detected -specimens in a collection of insects made in Co. Cork, Ireland. It was next -heard of from Belfast, and then, in 1886, again, in Co. Cork, an example of -each sex was taken. The female specimen laid eggs, and some of these were -sent to Mr. Adkin, who not only was successful in rearing the moths, but in -1889 obtained a pairing between an almost white male _rustica_ and an -ordinary English female. Only four eggs were laid, and from these two male -moths resulted in May, 1890, both intermediate in colour between the two -forms. In all its early stages _rustica_ is identical with ordinary -_mendica_. - -Male specimens with pale yellowish grey coloured wings have been reared -from eggs laid by a female captured at Eltham, Kent, exhibiting a tendency -to the _rustica_ form. In the Barnsley district, Yorkshire, the males are -paler than usual, but in the Sheffield area of the same county the males -are black. From North Durham chrysalids, I have a smoky greyish form of the -male. - -The caterpillar is brownish grey covered with yellowish brown hairs arising -from greyish-ringed pale brown warts; a paler line along the middle of the -back, and some white dots forming a broken line below the black outlined -spiracles. Head pale chestnut brown, glossy. When newly hatched it is -whitish, tinged with yellow and semi-transparent; the dots and hairs are -dark grey. After the first moult the colour is greyish with black dots and -blackish hairs. Head yellowish, brown tinged. It feeds in July, sometimes -earlier, and August, and seems to thrive on the foliage of many kinds of -low-growing plants, such as dandelion, dock, plantain, chickweed, etc., and -also eats the leaves of birch and rose. Chrysalis, very dark brown, almost -black, glossy, but minutely pitted, giving a roughened appearance; enclosed -in a close fitting cocoon composed of silk and the caterpillar's hairs, -with particles of earth on the outside (Plate 79). The moth flies at night, -and except that a female may occasionally be seen on the wing, this species -is rarely observed in the daytime. May and June are the usual months for -this moth, but in 1906 a specimen was attracted to light on November 3. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 78. - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. MUSLIN MOTH _varieties_. - 5. WHITE ERMINE, _var. walkeri_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 79. - MUSLIN MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -{155} Widely distributed, and often common in most English counties, in -parts of Wales, and in Scotland as far north at least as Ross. In Ireland -one male specimen of the typical form has been obtained in Co. Galway, and -one in Co. Clare; var. _rustica_ occurs in Co. Dublin, and Kings Co., -Waterford, Cork, Kerry, and Galway. - -THE RUBY TIGER (_Phragmatobia fuliginosa_). - -The English name given to this moth only suitably applies to the southern -reddish form of the species (Plate 80, Fig. 1 [male]). In the north of -England the fore wings are darkened with brownish and the hind wings with -blackish tints, until in Scotland the only trace of red colour is found on -the inner edge of the hind wings (var. _borealis_, Staudinger, Fig. 2 -[female]). In these dark specimens the body is also blackish. Very -occasionally, specimens approaching the northern form are obtained in South -England. A female moth captured by Mr. G. E. J. Crallan in May, 1901, at -Bournemouth, laid forty-eight eggs; thirty imagines were bred the same -year, two of which were _borealis_. On the south and south-west coasts the -black band of the hind wings exhibit a tendency to break up into spots; not -infrequently this is completely effected, and the specimens then approach -the larger South European form var. _fervida_, Staud. In a fine series of -this species from Cornwall, lately seen in Mr. A. Harrison's collection, -are a few specimens that come very close to the last-named form. A yellow -aberration has been recorded. The eggs are whitish and deposited in batches -on leaves. Up to the last moult the caterpillar is greyish or brownish, -with dark greyish or blackish {156} warts from which arise star-like tufts -of brown hairs; a reddish line along the middle of the back, and some -reddish spots on the sides. When full grown it is black, and the reddish -line on the back is almost hidden by closer and more compact tufts of black -hairs. Head black and glossy. - -The leaves of various low-growing plants afford it nourishment, but it is -very partial to dock, dandelion, golden-rod (_Solidago_), and plantain; it -is also fond of groundsel and lettuce in confinement, but these plants have -been found unsuitable if given too frequently. In the open it seems to feed -through the summer, hibernate when full grown, reappear in the early -spring, and in due course spin its brownish cocoon among herbage generally -low down near the ground; on moors it often makes the cocoon among the -twigs of heather as shown on Plate 81. The chrysalis is black, marked with -yellowish on the hind edge of each ring. The vitality of the caterpillar is -extraordinary. One known to have been embedded in ice for fourteen days at -least, became active in less than half an hour after the ice around it -melted. It pupated shortly afterwards. - -When eggs are obtained early, it is possible to have three generations of -the moth during the same year. Thus eggs deposited on May 8 produced -caterpillars which fed up quickly and attained the moth state in July. From -July eggs some of the caterpillars will outstrip their companions, pupate -in September, and appear as moths about a month later. The moth is to be -found in May and June, sometimes in July or August, in wood clearings, on -moors and rough hillsides, and also in water meadows, etc. It flies at -night, is attracted by light, and although it occasionally flies in the -sunshine, it is, as a rule, not often seen in the daytime. Occurs -throughout the British Isles to the Orkneys. Distribution: Europe, Western -and Central Asia, Amurland, Japan, North-west Africa, North America. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 80. - 1, 2. RUBY TIGER MOTH. - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. WOOD TIGER MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 81. - 1, 1a. WOOD TIGER: _eggs and caterpillars_. - 2, 2a. RUBY TIGER: _caterpillar and cocoon_. - -{157} - -THE WOOD TIGER (_Parasemia plantaginis_). - -On Plate 80 are shown some of the forms of this attractive and somewhat -variable species. Figs. 3, 4, are male and female of the typical form found -in England. The most usual phase of variation is in the narrowing or -widening of the pale yellowish markings of the fore wings, and the black -markings on the hind wings; occasionally the yellow or the black increases -to such an extent that the fore wings appear to be almost entirely of the -one colour or the other. The hind wings range in colour from the normal -yellow through orange to red, and through pale shades of yellow to white; -on the other hand they are sometimes almost entirely black. The var. -_hospita_, Schiff. (Fig. 7), has all the wings white, and although it has -been reported from Shropshire, West Durham, the Lake District, etc., it has -been chiefly obtained in the Hebrides and in the highlands of Scotland. -Only males of this form are known; the females found with them have heavy -black markings on the hind wings, almost crowding out the reddish ground -colour. The creamy markings of the fore wings are narrow, and the central -spot small. - -The full-grown caterpillar is blackish above with greyish-black warts from -which arise tufts of blackish hairs, except on rings four to six, where the -hairs and the warts at the base of each tuft are reddish; the black hairs -of the hinder tufts are the longest (Plate 81). - -Twelve eggs laid by a female in Aberdeenshire were received on June 29, -1906. They were shining yellowish in colour, and were on a leaf of -plantain. The caterpillars resulting from these eggs were reared on a mixed -diet of forget-me-not (_Myosotis_), plantain, and groundsel, but evinced a -decided preference for the former. Some died young in moulting, but at the -beginning of August five were full grown, and four duly pupated in a slight -but roomy cocoon of silk, mixed with the caterpillar's hairs, {158} in -which the blackish brown chrysalis with the cast-off skin attached to the -tail was plainly visible. Four moths, all female, emerged at the end of -August, when the other caterpillar was still feeding, and seemingly about -mature. That caterpillar did not, however, pupate, or survive the winter. -As a rule the caterpillars hibernate when about half grown, and feed up in -April and May of the following year. The somewhat unusual rate at which -those just mentioned completed their growth was no doubt due to the heat of -the summer of 1906. - -The moth is to be found on heaths, moors, the slopes of chalk, and -limestone hills; also in woods that are not too thickly timbered and have a -good undergrowth of heather, etc. The males may sometimes be seen flying in -the sunshine, and they will then be noted to wing their way to some -particular spot where most likely a freshly emerged female will be the -attraction. The male is often started up from the heather or other herbage -as one walks along; or it may even rise from the bare ground upon which it -sometimes has a fancy to sit. The female seems to be more sluggish during -the daytime. - -The species is widely distributed over the British Isles, and its range -extends through Central and Northern Europe, and Northern Asia to Japan. - -THE CLOUDED BUFF (_Diacrisia sanio_). - -Fore wings of the male yellow, with a reddish and greyish central mark; -hind wings whitish, with blackish central spot and outer band; the inner -margin, fringes, and front edge light crimson. The female has orange fore -wings with reddish margins, veins, and central mark; hind wings orange, -with black basal area, central spot, and outer band (Plate 82). - -The female of this species is so different in appearance from the male that -it was described by Linnaeus as distinct, under the name _russula_. In the -tenth edition of "Systema Naturae" it is {159} No. 510, whereas _sanio_, -the male, is No. 506. We must, therefore, in accordance with the law of -priority, adopt the earliest name for the species, however much we regret -having to discard the old familiar name of _russula_. - -Although the central spot of the fore wings is subject to minor -modification in size, shape, and colour, it is in the hind wings that -variation chiefly occurs. In the male the blackish grey band on the outer -area of the hind wing may be broad and complete, or it may be broken up by -the veins into a series of bars; then, again, the bars tend to become -smaller and smaller until only tiny portions remain. Usually, the basal -third of the hind wings is more or less greyish, but sometimes the whole -surface almost, or quite up to the outer band, is clouded with dark grey. -The black markings of the female hind wings are apt to vary in a very -similar way. - -The caterpillar is reddish brown, covered with brown hairs; a yellow-marked -whitish stripe along the back, and two darkish stripes on the sides; a -white spot below each black margined spiracle. It hatches from the egg in -July, and as a rule hibernates when still small, completing growth in April -and May. It feeds on the leaves of many low plants, among which are -dandelion, dock, chickweed, and plantain. The chrysalis is brown, streaked -with greyish, and is enclosed in a flimsy cocoon among herbage, generally -on the ground. - -The moth, which inhabits heaths and mosses, is on the wing in June and -early July; the male may be put up on sunny days, but the female is not -often seen until early evening. After dark both sexes may be found on the -heather. - -It should be noted here that there are usually two broods of this species -abroad, and that in confinement it will develop a more or less complete -second brood in September with us. An instance is recorded of sixty-three -out of sixty-six caterpillars from eggs laid in early July, feeding up and -producing moths in the last week of September. The caterpillar is not an -easy one {160} to deal with during hibernation, so that it would always be -to the advantage of the rearer to get it through to the perfect state the -same year, whenever possible. - -The species is widely distributed over the south and east of England, and -South Wales. It occurs in Cheshire in all suitable places; in Lancashire it -is common on the moorlands, as at Witherslack and Methop, and it is not -uncommon near Quernmore, Clougha, and other places, in July. Local and -somewhat scarce as a rule in Yorkshire, but recorded as not uncommon in the -Scarborough district. In Scotland it is found in Roxburghshire, and -northwards to Aberdeen; and, according to Kane, it is widely spread, -although local, in Ireland. - -THE GARDEN TIGER (_Arctia caia_). - -How frequently the collector has had introduced to his notice, by some -non-entomological friend, or worthy cottage dame, a "fine butterfly," only -to find that the supposed prize, usually imprisoned under an inverted -tumbler, was just an ordinary specimen of the gaudy, but common, Garden -Tiger. Few persons living in the country, and at all interested in the -natural objects around them, will fail to recognize the portraits on Plate -82; other figures, however, on Plate 84 will appear strange, and yet they -only portray some of the many forms which the moths assume. Possibly it -would be true to say that no two specimens could be found that were exactly -identical in tint and marking. Even the markings of any one example are -frequently not precisely alike on corresponding wings. Normally the fore -wings are white or creamy-white with dark brown markings, and the hind -wings are red with deep blue centred black spots, often ringed with yellow. -The dark markings of the fore wings are most inconstant in size and in -form; in some cases they are so greatly enlarged that these wings might be -described as dark brown with narrow, irregular whitish markings (Plate 84, -Fig. 1). On the other hand, but less frequently perhaps, the dark markings -are narrowed, shortened, and reduced in number, until only spots remain on -a white or creamy ground (Plate 84, Fig. 2). The red colour of the hind -wings is sometimes crimson in tone, or it assumes an orange tint, and less -often it gives place to yellow; the central spots often unite and form a -band, or some, occasionally all, disappear; the marginal spots sometimes -run into a band. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 82. - CLOUDED BUFF MOTH, 1 _male_; 2 _female_. - GARDEN TIGER MOTH, 3 _male_; 4 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 83. - CLOUDED BUFF MOTH. - _Eggs natural size and enlarged; caterpillar._ - -{161} Besides aberration, such as that referred to above, curious abnormal -specimens occur in the breeding cage from time to time, but these are often -more or less deformed. It is, perhaps, remarkable, that so few "good -things" in the way of varieties are obtained from collected caterpillars, -even when these are reared by hundreds. Possibly, if the breeder started -operations with a stock of eggs from unusually pale or unusually dark -females, and then reserving only the lightest or the darkest, as required, -of each generation to continue the experiment, some interesting light or -dark "strains" might result in course of time. The objection to this is -that before the desired result was obtained the stock might be weakened by -"inbreeding," and the moths consequently deformed. If, however, the same -line of experiment were conducted by several people, each living in a -different part of the country, and with stock selected from the products of -his own locality, eggs, caterpillars, or chrysalids might be exchanged, -say, after the second year, and in this way the effect of "inbreeding" -would be minimized. - -The caterpillar, generally known as the "Woolly Bear," is not at all an -uncommon object throughout the country, and is, perhaps, even more often -noticed in gardens, including those of suburban London. The figures of the -early stages of this moth, on Plate 85, are all from material obtained in -my own small garden. {162} - -The foliage of pretty well all low plants, and tall ones, such as the -hollyhock and sunflower, too, seem to be equally acceptable to this larva. -It is not often seen before hibernation, but in the early days of spring it -will be noticed sunning itself on walls and fences that have a good crop of -nettles, dock, or other weeds at their base or around them; or it may be -searched for on the undersides of dock, etc. Mr. Frohawk records these -caterpillars as swarming from mid-May to mid-June, 1904, in the Scilly -Isles. He states that they occurred in such myriads that no vegetation -escaped them, and that they devoured anything from stonecrop to the foliage -of shrubs of various kinds. Every path and roadway was dotted all over with -their crushed bodies. - -In the open the moth is on the wing in July and sometimes in August. When -kept indoors the caterpillars, or at least some of them, will feed up -quickly and attain the moth state in September or October. - -The species is distributed over the whole of Europe, except Andalusia, -Sicily, and the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, and its range -extends through Asia to Amurland, Corea, and Japan. - -THE CREAM-SPOT TIGER (_Arctia villica_). - -Although this moth does not vary to the same extent as its cousin the -Garden Tiger, it is still subject to considerable aberration in the size, -number, and position of the yellowish-white, or cream-coloured spots on the -fore wings and of the black spots and hind marginal markings of the hind -wings. The former are often much reduced in size, rarely perhaps so greatly -as to leave the fore wings almost entirely black; but they are sometimes so -greatly enlarged and united that these wings appear to be cream coloured -with black markings. On the hind wings the black spots nearest the base are -sometimes widened and lengthened so as to meet and form a transverse band; -in other specimens the black markings on the outer area are run together -into a patch. Occasionally both forms of hind wing aberration occur in the -same specimen. I am not aware of any case in which the hind wings are -spotless, but I have seen specimens in which this condition was very -closely approached. Very rarely the hind wings are suffused with black, and -at least two specimens with all the wings suffused with black have been -recorded. (Plate 87, Figs. 1-3.) - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 84. - GARDEN TIGER _varieties_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 85. - GARDEN TIGER MOTH. - _Eggs, natural size and enlarged; caterpillars and chrysalis._ - -{163} - -The pearly white eggs are laid in neatly arranged batches on leaves. The -caterpillars hatch out in July, feed for a few weeks, and go into -hibernation while still small. They resume feeding in a favourable season -as early as mid-March. Some that I obtained at the end of March, then about -three parts grown, began to spin up on April 15. The full-grown caterpillar -is black with several star-like clusters of brown hairs on each ring, the -hairs on the back of the hinder rings rather longer and slightly curved -backwards; the head, legs, and claspers are red, approaching crimson. A -diet of dandelion suits it very well, but it will also eat chickweed, dock, -nettle, groundsel, and in fact almost any low-growing plant. The outer -leaves of lettuce are useful on occasion but should not be given -exclusively, and it also likes the tender shoots of gorse (_Ulex -europaeus_). Chrysalis and cocoon somewhat similar to those of the last -species (Plate 86). - -The moth emerges in May and June. Occasionally a few larvae will feed up -and the moths appear the same year, but this only happens in captivity and -not in the open. When reposing in the daytime, on a hedgebank for example, -with the fore wings closed down over and hiding the yellow hind wings this -moth is not so conspicuous as one might suppose it would be. At night it is -active on the wing and often flies into houses, attracted by the light. I -have put up specimens now and then {164} in hay fields, and once found half -a dozen along a short stretch of the Upper cliff at Ventnor, Isle of Wight. - -It is perhaps most frequent in the south-west, but the species seems to be -widely distributed and fairly common from Kent to Cornwall, and westward -from Hampshire to Gloucestershire. It also occurs in the eastern counties -to Cambridge and Norfolk. From Cheshire it has been twice reported, and two -specimens are said to have been taken, a few years ago, in the Lancaster -district. - -THE JERSEY TIGER (_Callimorpha quadripunctaria_). - -This handsome species long known as _C. hera_, Linn., but for which Poda's -earlier name _quadripunctaria_ must be adopted, has its English home in -South Devonshire. The species had been recorded as British as far back as -1855, when one moth was taken at Newhaven in Sussex; in 1859 a specimen was -obtained in North Wales, two were taken in Sussex, 1868, and one was -captured in the Isle of Wight in 1877. The last-mentioned example was -kindly presented to me by the captor, Mr. Rowland Brown. For the county of -Devon, the earliest record is that of a specimen netted in a garden at -Alphington, near Exeter, in 1871, followed soon after by a report of others -at a place near Lodderwell. Ten or eleven years later the moth was found at -Dawlish, and in that neighbourhood and in other parts of a wide area -stretching from Exeter to Teignmouth, and perhaps further west, it has been -taken almost every year up to the present time (1907). Large numbers of -eggs have been obtained and distributed among entomologists, many of whom -have successfully wintered the caterpillars and eventually reared the -moths. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 86. - CREAM-SPOT TIGER MOTH. - _Caterpillars, chrysalis and cocoon._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 87. - 1, 2. CREAM-SPOT TIGER MOTH, _males_; 3 _female_. - -{165} The principal variation is in the colour of the hind wings and the -body, which usually are red, but in var. _lutescens_, Staud., are yellow; -between the red and the yellow forms there are all kinds of orange and -other intergrades. There is also variation in the black markings at the -inner angle of the fore wings, some or all of which are sometimes absent. A -specimen with the inner margin of the fore wings black instead of -creamy-white has been recorded, and a specimen with whitish hind wings is -stated to have been seen but not secured. The moth is shown on Plate 89, -and the early stages on Plate 88. - -The eggs, which are laid in batches, are pale yellowish when deposited, but -assume a deep violet tint before hatching. Mr. W. Hewett (_Entom._ xxviii.) -states that in the case of seventeen female moths that he captured in -August, 1895, the average number of eggs laid by each was 133, and as -regards fourteen batches of eggs, the caterpillars hatched out in fifteen -or sixteen days. - -When nearly full grown the caterpillar is blackish with an orange stripe -along the back and a series of creamy white spots on the sides; the hairs, -arising from shining light brown warts, are pale brown mixed with greyish -ones; spiracles black ringed with white, under surface greyish. Head black -and glossy. It hatches from the egg in the autumn and goes into hibernation -while still very small; reappearing in the spring and feeding on until -July, when it spins a flimsy silken web-like cocoon well down among moss -and litter. The food plants are dandelion, white deadnettle (_Lamium -album_), ground ivy (_Nepeta glechoma_), groundsel, plantain, nettle, -borage (_Borago officinalis_), and lettuce. - -The moth emerges in July and August in a state of nature, but often as -early as June in confinement. It sits by day among the herbage, and in the -bushes of hedgerows, but readily quits its retreat when disturbed. The -normal time of flight is at night; and that light has an attraction for the -moths is evident from the fact that they have been known to fly into -cottages at the rate of three or four in an evening. - -The species is distributed throughout Southern Europe, its {166} range -extending to Holland, Belgium, and Livonia. It was known as an inhabitant -of the Channel Islands long before it became established in England. - -THE SCARLET TIGER (_Callimorpha dominula_). - -Except in minor details this tropical-looking moth (Plate 89) seems little -given to variation in England. In parts of Central and Southern Europe, and -Asia Minor, striking forms occur, and some of these are very occasionally -found with us. Among such rare aberrations in this country are var. -_rossica_, Kol., with yellow hind wings; and var. _bithynica_, Staud., with -the spots on the fore wings yellow, and the hind wings of the normal -crimson colour. A South European form, var. _persona_, Hubn., has the hind -wings and body black, with some yellow marks on the basal area; spots on -the fore wings smaller than in the type. Specimens approaching this form -have been reported from Kent, which county is also noted for "black -_dominula_." In the latter variety the hind wings, body, and spots on fore -wings are blackish; it is exceedingly rare. A specimen taken at St. -Margaret's Bay, Kent, some years back has the spots on the fore wings -blurred, due to a cloudy suffusion filling up the space between them; the -spots on the hind wings are pale. - -Caterpillar, black, hairy, with bands of more or less connected spots, -yellow or yellowish in colour, down the middle of the back, and along the -sides; the hairs, arising from shining black warts, are grey with some -black ones intermixed. Head, glossy black. It hatches from the egg in July -or August, feeds for awhile, then hibernates, and completes its growth in -April or May. A number of plants have been mentioned as suitable food for -these caterpillars, but the favourites are, perhaps, nettle, groundsel, -hound's-tongue (_Cynoglossum officinale_), bramble, sloe, and sallow (Plate -88). - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 88. - 1, 1a. JERSEY TIGER: _caterpillars and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a, 2b. SCARLET TIGER: _eggs, caterpillar, chrysallis and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 89. - 1, 2. SCARLET TIGER MOTH. - 3, 4. JERSEY TIGER MOTH. - -{167} - -The chrysalis is dark reddish, rather blacker above; enclosed in a silken -cocoon spun up among leaves, etc., on the ground. - -The moth emerges in June, and seems partial to marshy ground. It is found -in the district between Dover and Deal commonly, and in other parts of Kent -more rarely. Also in Hampshire, Devon, Dorset, South Wales, -Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Berkshire (water meadows by the Kennet), and -Hertfordshire (rare). Some years ago I found a few specimens in the Brandon -district, but it is not plentiful in Suffolk, and is rare in or absent from -Norfolk. It is found in Cambridgeshire, chiefly in Wicken fen. - -NOTE.--Although _Callimorpha_ is here left in its old position among -Arctiidae, the genus has been referred by Hampson to Hypsidae, a family of -moths belonging to the African, Oriental, and Australian regions. Our two -species are the sole representatives of the family in Europe. - -THE FEATHERED FOOTMAN (_Coscinia striata_). - -Altogether there do not appear to have been more than six or seven -specimens of this species (Plate 90) recorded as British. Stephens mentions -three of these, two males taken in the autumn of 1815, near Windsor; and -one specimen, without date, in the Isle of Anglesea. Of the others one -appears to have been taken in Yorkshire (1832), one in Essex, and another -in North Wales (1859). Barrett also refers to a specimen, which was -captured but afterwards escaped, near Bettws-y-Coed, North Wales, June, -1859, and gives some circumstantial details of the event. It appears, -therefore, that of the very limited number of British _striata_ North Wales -has furnished almost half. The species is widely distributed in Europe, -except the most northern part; the range extending into Asia Minor, Syria, -Armenia, and Amurland. Abroad, it occurs on heaths, and in warm dry places. -The caterpillar is blackish-brown, {168} marked with orange on the back, -and white on the sides; the warts are yellowish, and the hairs arising -therefrom are reddish brown; the head is black. It feeds in spring, after -hibernation, on grasses, heather, and low herbage, and becomes full grown -in May. - -THE SPECKLED FOOTMAN (_Coscinia cribrum_). - -The fore wings are whitish, crossed by three rows of blackish grey dots, -more or less connected, forming lines; and two streaks of the same colour -through the length of the wings, but not always extending to the outer -margin; a cross series of wedge-shaped marks or dots on the outer area; -hind wings grey. Sometimes the fore wings are wholly suffused with the -darker colour, and between such specimens and less frequent examples in -which the wings are almost devoid of marking, there are many gradations -(Plate 90, Figs. 1 [male], 2 [female]; 4, 5, 6 vars.). - -Eggs received from the New Forest, June 25, 1907, were laid around a -slender, bare, twig of heather, the batch measuring about three-quarters of -an inch in length. At first they were golden yellow, but afterwards became -pale purplish brown and very glossy (Plate 91). - -Although the eggs appear to be more frequently laid on heather than on -anything else, the caterpillars do not seem to be very partial to the plant -as an article of food if others are available. At the present time (October -13) I have about a score or so of young larvae feeding, and apparently -thriving, on dandelion, lettuce, and grass, but they certainly seem to -prefer the first named. They are now rather over half an inch in length, -and yellowish brown in colour; there is a whitish grey stripe along the -back; the warts are shining black, and the hairs arising from them are -black, mixed with a few longer white ones; head blackish. - -Caterpillars after hibernation have been found on the grass, {169} _Aira -caespitosa_, during March from about the 10th onwards; they are then about -a quarter of an inch long, and according to the late Mr. Fowler, always -found on the sunny side of the clumps of _Aira_ stretched out, and -evidently enjoying the warmth of the sun. Some collected in that month were -reared on groundsel, and produced moths from July 12 to August 20. The -chrysalis is at first reddish, afterwards shining jet black; in a slight -egg-shaped white silken cocoon, spun up in tufts of grass. - -In exceptional seasons the moth has emerged in late May, but June and July -are the usual months, and it may occur as late as August. It rests among -the heather, is easily disturbed on sunny days, and is very active on the -wing, although it does not fly far before settling again. The species is -very local in England, and only found on a heath near Bournemouth, in a -heathy district between Ringwood and Verwood in Dorset, and in a not -generally known part of the New Forest. - -THE CRIMSON SPECKLED (_Deiopeia pulchella_). - -This white moth, prettily speckled with black and red dots, is a native of -warmer countries than ours. However, it not only visits us now and then in -the course of its wanderings, but if the migrants arrive in England at a -suitable time of the year, the females most probably deposit eggs from -which caterpillars may hatch, and some of them feed up and produce moths -later in the same year. Stephens, writing in 1829, mentions a specimen -taken many years previously in Yorkshire. This was no doubt the earliest -known British example of Haworth's Crimson Speckled. A second specimen -captured in a field near Christchurch, Hants, in October, 1818, was figured -by Samouelle in 1819. Between the year last mentioned and 1827, two other -specimens occurred, both at Hove, Sussex. Stainton (1857) adds Epping, -Manchester, Stowmarket, and Worthing. In 1869 {170} three specimens were -taken in the autumn; and a specimen was found at Scarborough in June, 1870, -and one in Sussex. In 1871 a record was established, when at least thirty -specimens were obtained at various places on the east, south, and -south-west coasts, and in the Isle of Wight; one specimen being also -recorded from Manchester. Two specimens were taken in Cornwall, May, 1874, -and in the autumn of that year three occurred on the south coast, and one -in Derbyshire. The moth seems not to have been noticed in the springs of -1875 or 1876, but twenty-four specimens were recorded later in the former -year, and twenty-three in the latter. Between 1876 and 1892 less than -twenty specimens were reported altogether, and the species was either -entirely absent or overlooked in 1877, 1882, 1883, and from 1887 to 1891, -inclusive. In 1892 several moths were captured in May and June on the -coast; one at Brighton in July, two in the Hastings' district, and one at -Folkestone in August. Since 1892 and up to 1907, a period of fifteen years, -the species seems to have been rarely noted in England; the records showing -in 1894 (2), 1895 (1), 1906 (1). In 1901 three specimens were reported as -captured, and one seen at Earlsfield, Surrey, July 1 to 15. (Plate 92, -Figs. 3, 4.) - -The caterpillar is greyish with black warts from which arise tufts of -hairs, blackish on the back and pale greyish on the sides; a white line on -the back, and one on the sides. Each ring is often barred with orange. Head -reddish-ochreous marked with black. Feeds on forget-me-not (_Myosotis_), -borage (_Borago_), etc. The chrysalis is reddish brown, enclosed in a white -silken cocoon spun up among the food plant, or on the surface of the -ground; in the latter case particles of earth adhere to the outside. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 90. - 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. SPECKLED FOOTMAN MOTH. - 3. FEATHERED FOOTMAN MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 91. - SPECKLED FOOTMAN: _eggs and caterpillar_. - -{171} The caterpillar is said to feed only in the sunshine, so that in our -islands the weather conditions would often be most unfavourable to the -species in the larval state. On the other hand its sun-loving habit would -expose it to the attacks of parasitical flies and other enemies. Anyway, -the Crimson Speckled seems quite unable to increase and multiply to any -extent even for a season in any part of England. Along the African and -European borders of the Mediterranean there are evidently several -generations of the moth in each year; the life cycle of the summer broods -being short, but more protracted in the later brood. Brownlow states that -eggs laid on October 20, hatched on the 22nd of the same month, and the -caterpillar stage lasted until February of the following year. -Distribution: Southern Europe, Africa, Canaries, Madeira; Asia Minor, -Armenia, Central Asia; India, and Australia. - -Meyrick and others refer this species to _Utetheisa_, Hubn. - -THE CINNABAR (_Hipocrita jacobaeae_). - -This species was named the Cinnabar by Wilkes in 1773, such name of course -referring to the more or less vermillion colour of the hind wings and the -markings on the greyish black fore wings. The hind wings are often pinkish -in tint, and probably it was to such specimens that Moses Harris gave the -name "Pink Underwing." Very rarely the stripe on the front edge of the fore -wings unites with the upper hind marginal spot; still less frequently there -are some crimson scales in addition connecting the two hind marginal spots. -Occasionally specimens have been recorded in which the usual red colour is -replaced by bright yellow. The moth is shown on Plate 92, Figs. 1, 2, and -the early stages on Plate 93, Fig. 1. - -The caterpillar is orange yellow and each ring is banded with purplish -black; the scanty hairs are short and blackish in colour. Head black. Feeds -in July and August on ragwort (_Senecio jacobaea_) and sometimes occurs in -such numbers as to completely clear large patches of the plant of every -particle of green, leaving nothing but the tougher portions of the bare -stems. {172} - -The chrysalis is dark-brown tinged with reddish; in a slight silken cocoon -just under the surface of the ground, or among any loose material on the -ground. - -[Illustration: FIG. 24. - -CINNABAR CATERPILLARS FEEDING. - -(Photo by W. J. Lucas.)] - -The moth is on the wing at the end of May and in June; odd specimens have -occasionally been seen in April. It occurs on waste ground, sandy heaths, -railway banks, downs, and hill-sides. Although fairly common generally, in -some years it is not at all plentiful even when caterpillars may have -abounded the previous season. When disturbed from among its food plant or -herbage around, it is not very active on the wing, and is easily captured. -Its usual time of flight is in the evening. Light seems to have an -attraction for it, as it has been taken at gas lamps in towns, some -distance from any place where the caterpillar could have fed. - -Occurs in all suitable places throughout the greater part of England and in -Scotland up to Moray. Common in Ireland. Its range abroad includes all -Europe, except the extreme north and extends into Asia. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 92. - 1. CINNABAR MOTH, _male_; 2 _female_. - 3. CRIMSON SPECKLED FOOTMAN, _male_; 4 _female_. - 5. RED-NECKED FOOTMAN, _male_; 6 _female_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 93. - 1, 1a. CINNABAR: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a. REDNECKED FOOTMAN: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{173} - -FOOTMAN MOTHS (_Lithosiinae_). - -The members of this sub-family of Arctiidae occurring in the British Isles -are not numerous; we can only muster some fifteen species, and although a -few are not uncommon, several are exceedingly local. - -The moths of the genus _Lithosia_, when resting, fold their drab or -buff-coloured wings down closely along the body, and they then have a very -elongate and stiff appearance which probably gave rise to their English -name "Footmen." Most of them are very inactive, or even torpid during the -daytime. They repose on the branches and leaves of trees and bushes, or -among heather and other low herbage, and often fall to the ground when -disturbed. At dusk they become active and then fly pretty briskly. - -The caterpillars are very hairy, the hairs arising in tufts from warts -(tubercles) are usually short, but in some species are of moderate length. -The majority hatch from the egg in the late summer, and do not complete -their growth until the following year, about May or June. Some of them are -known to be more or less active through the winter. In a state of nature -most of the caterpillars feed on lichens growing on trees, bushes, rocks, -or on the ground, but many kinds in confinement will thrive on a diet of -lettuce or even withered leaves. - -In all cases the chrysalids are enclosed in silken cocoons, and these are -spun up among the lichens, in crevices of bark, or other suitable crannies. - -THE RED-NECKED FOOTMAN (_Atolmis rubricollis_). - -When newly emerged from the chrysalis this moth is black on all the wings, -but it soon loses its early velvety sheen and {174} becomes sooty in -appearance; the last rings are orange, but all the rest of the body is -black; the thorax also is black, but the part nearest the head, termed the -collar, is red, hence the common English name Red-neck moth given to it by -Harris (1778). Haworth called it the "Black Footman." - -The caterpillar is greyish, more or less freckled with ochreous; three -lines along the back, the central one whitish, the others black and -interrupted; the hairs arising from reddish warts are brown or greyish -brown. Head black. It feeds from July to October on lichens, chiefly those -growing on fir and oak, but also on beech, and on old palings. Chrysalis, -glossy dark red-brown in a tight-fitting cocoon of silk mixed with the -hairs of the caterpillar; spun up among the lichen. The moth is shown on -Plate 92, Figs. 5, 6, and the caterpillar and chrysalis on Plate 93. - -The moth is on the wing in June and July; in forward seasons as early as -the end of May. On a sunny afternoon it may be seen careering around trees, -generally pretty high up. When resting the moths sit about on the trees or -on the herbage under them. In some years it occurs in large numbers, but it -is not usually very abundant, and sometimes even in its best localities -only a few specimens will be seen during the season. It frequents woods, -especially the larger ones, throughout the southern half of England up to -Norfolk on the east, and Hereford on the west. In the northern counties it -is rare, and is not common in Scotland or Ireland. - -Abroad, its range is through Central and Northern Europe, except the -extreme north, to Dalmatia, Altai, and Amurland. - -THE MUSLIN (_Nudaria mundana_). - -This delicate little moth has the semi-transparent fore wings pale greyish, -faintly tinged with brown; crossed by irregular brownish lines; the hind -wings are paler, shaded with a darker tint on the outer margins. -Occasionally all the wings have a smoky tinge. The moth is shown on Plate -95, Figs. 3, 6, and the caterpillar and chrysalis on Plate 94, Fig. 2. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 94. - 1. CRIMSON SPECKLED FOOTMAN: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. MUSLIN MOTH: _caterpillar and chrysalis in cocoon_. - 3, 3a. FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 95. - 1. ROUND-WINGED MUSLIN MOTH, _male_; 4 _female_. - 2, 5. ROSY FOOTMAN. - 3. MUSLIN FOOTMAN, _male_; 6 _female_. - 7. DEW MOTH, _male_; 9 _female_. - 8. FOUR-DOTTED FOOTMAN, _male_; 10 _female_. - 11. FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN, _male_; 12 _female_. - -{175} The caterpillar is greyish, with a broad whitish or yellowish stripe -along the back, divided down the centre and edged by blackish lines; a -velvety black mark on ring seven; raised warts and hairs dark greyish. Head -black, shining; face yellowish. It may be found in April and May, after -hibernation, on rocks, stone walls, especially those formed of loose -cobbles or shale, trees, bushes, and even gate posts. I have beaten them -from an old hawthorn hedge bordering a damp meadow in Middlesex, and -collected them in numbers from the hollows of field boundary walls in North -Devon. They feed on the tiny lichen that grows in such places as those -indicated. The green, or yellowish-green chrysalis, is enclosed in a rather -loose muslin-like silken cocoon, and is not difficult to obtain, especially -from walls. It appears to be pretty generally distributed throughout -England and Wales, except perhaps the midland and eastern counties; it -occurs in the east and west of Scotland. In Ireland it is common, and often -abundant, locally. - -Distribution: Northern and Central Europe. - -THE ROUND-WINGED MUSLIN (_Comacla senex_). - -As indicated by the English name given to it by Haworth, the wings of this -moth are rounder in outline than those of the Muslin, also named by -Haworth. In general colour it agrees with that species, but it differs in -having a larger central dot, and the cross lines are represented by -blackish dots which, however, are not always well defined (Plate 95, Figs. -1, 4). - -The caterpillar, as described by Buckler, is deep reddish-grey, thickly -covered with hairs which are of two kinds; the majority are pale brown with -black points and slightly feathered, others are longer, black, and densely -feathered with soft pale-brown {176} plumage. Head black and shining. It -feeds in August and, after hibernation, in May on lichens and mosses -growing on the ground in marshes and fens. It is known to eat _Peltigera -canina_, and the mosses _Hypnum sericeum_, and _Weissia serrata_. Although -occurring, in July and August, in marshy places in several parts of -Southern England and Wales, it is especially common in fen land. In such -localities as Wicken, for example, it flies at early dusk in hundreds all -over the fen on favourable nights, but if there happens to be a breeze the -moths will not leave their retreat among the herbage. Later on in the -night, if on the wing, they readily assemble around a brightly burning -lamp, and are satisfied to sit on the herbage illuminated by its rays. In -Northern England it is known to be not uncommon in some districts of -Yorkshire, and it probably occurs in other counties also. There appears to -be only a single record each from Ireland and Scotland. - -THE ROSY FOOTMAN (_Miltochrista miniata_). - -The fore wings of this pretty little moth are ochreous yellow tinged with -pink; the front and hind margins are bright pink, in some cases approaching -vermillion; the markings are bluish black; hind wings rather paler. It -varies in the amount of black markings, which are sometimes almost absent, -and in colour ranges from yellow to orange. (Plate 95, Figs. 2, 5.) - -The caterpillar is dark drab covered above with blackish, mouse-coloured -plumed hairs; on rings one and eleven the plumose hairs are replaced by -short simple ones; the hairs of the side tufts are plain. Head brown, the -cheeks outlined in black (adapted from Hellins). Lichens growing upon the -stems and branches of trees supply this caterpillar with food, and it seems -to nibble on all favourable opportunities throughout the winter. It hatches -from the egg in August, and is full grown in May. Boden, writing in -September, 1896 (_The Entomologist_) noted that some caterpillars had then -attained the perfect state, while others were still feeding, and he adds -that the caterpillars actually attacked and ate up the moths. Although -there seems to be few records from the Midlands, this species appears to be -widely distributed over England as far north as Yorkshire. In Ireland it -has been recorded from Claring Bridge and East Galway. The moth is out in -July. It is a wood-loving insect, but is also found on heaths, and even in -lanes and the borders of fields when plenty of trees occur in such places. -It may occasionally be beaten out of trees and bushes in the day time but -it is on the wing at dusk, and although it is a high flier, specimens come -within reach now and then. Light and sugar both attract it. The species -ranges through Central and Northern Europe, and in Asia to Japan. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 96. - 1, 1a, 1b. BUFF FOOTMAN: _caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 2. COMMON FOOTMAN: _caterpillar_. - 3. SCARCE FOOTMAN: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 97. - 1. BUFF FOOTMAN, _male_; 2, 3 _females_. - 4. DINGY FOOTMAN. - 5. PALE FOOTMAN. - 6. COMMON FOOTMAN. - 7. SCARCE FOOTMAN. - 8. NORTHERN FOOTMAN. - -{177} - -THE DEW MOTH (_Endrosa irrorella_). - -Varies in colour from yellowish buff to creamy white, the colour on the -margins always deeper; the rows of black spots on the fore wings are -usually well defined, but sometimes those of the two central series are -very faint, or quite absent, whilst an unusual number appear in the outer -marginal series, Occasionally black scales appear on the veins, connecting -the spots, and forming the figures [sideways vee between horizontal bars] -more or less distinctly; such forms are known as var. _signata_, Borkh. The -moth appears in June and July. (Plate 95, Figs. 7, 9.) - -When resting, the moth hangs from a blade of grass, or leaf of some plant; -it then has a very transparent appearance. Barrett suggests that this gave -rise to the English name it now bears, and by which it was known to Haworth -and entomologists of his time. - -Buckler and Hellins describe the caterpillar as blackish-brown above, and -dark-reddish grey or purplish grey on the sides; a series of yellow spots -along the middle of the back, then a white {178} and yellow interrupted -line, followed by a light yellow stripe under the spiracles; raised spots -blackish, some white; hairs blackish brown. Head black. - -It feeds, in the sunshine, on the black and yellow lichens growing in the -haunts of the species, which are edges of cliffs and rough stony places -near the sea, and also on hillsides. The species occurs, perhaps, more -abundantly on the Kentish and Sussex coast than inland, but it is certainly -not confined to the cliffs at Dover and Folkestone in Kent, or at Ventnor, -Isle of Wight. Among inland localities for it are Box Hill, Ranmore, -Reigate, and other places on the Surrey hills. It has also been recorded -from the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire; the Isle of Man; St. Davids, South -Wales; Aberdeenshire, Sutherlandshire, and the Tweed, Tay, Clyde, and -Argyll districts in Scotland. For Ireland, Kane gives Mayo; "Ardrahan, -County Galway, and west through the Burren of Clare, widely spread." - -THE FOUR-DOTTED FOOTMAN (_Cybosia mesomella_). - -Fore wings pale creamy white, the margins yellowish: a black dot near the -costa, and another below near the inner margin; hind wings suffused with -blackish grey. Rarely the fore wings are yellow with a whitish central -shade, and the hind wings are yellowish. (Plate 95, Figs. 8, 10.) - -The caterpillar is velvety blackish grey; warts thickly set with densely -feathered blackish hairs. Feeds in April and May, after hibernation, on -lichens growing among heather. In confinement it will, according to -Buckler, eat heather and fresh or withered leaves of sallow. - -Fairly well distributed over England. It appears to be absent from Ireland, -but in Scotland it is known to occur in the Clyde, Solway, and Moray -districts, and has been recorded from Aberdeenshire. In the South of -England it affects heaths and the more open woods; sometimes not uncommon -in {179} such places. The moth, in June, may be disturbed from bushes, or -put up from the heather as one walks through. As the sun goes down it may -often be seen on the wing, but later in the evening is its chief time of -activity. In Lancashire and Cheshire it is found on the mosses, and Cannock -Chase in Staffordshire is a noted locality for it. Still obtained in -Chippenham fen, but Barrett states that it is now supposed to be extinct in -the fens of Wicken, Yaxley, and Burwell, in all of which it used to abound. - -THE FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN (_Oeonestis quadra_). - -The sexes of this species are very different in appearance. The fore wings -of the male are grey tinged with yellowish, except on the outer fourth; the -basal fourth is yellow. The female is larger and yellow in colour; each -fore wing has two black spots, sometimes unusually large, sometimes mere -dots, and more rarely absent altogether. (Plate 95, Figs. 11, 12.) - -Caterpillar blackish with four wavy yellow lines along the back, the spaces -between the lines powdered and freckled with yellow giving a grey -appearance; raised spots on the back red, those on the sides greyish; a -black cross on rings three, seven, and eleven; hairs grey mixed with black. -Head black and glossy. It feeds, after hibernation, in May and June, on -lichens, preferring those upon oak trees. In the breeding cage it is apt to -eat its companions, especially when many are crowded into a small -receptacle. (Plate 94, Fig. 3.) - -The moth emerges in July, and during that month, and sometimes in August, -it may be seen on tree trunks; but it more often reposes on the branches, -from which it may be dislodged by jarring the boughs with a stick, when it -drops rather than flies towards the ground, but generally manages to arrest -its downward course by catching hold of a spray of bracken or some other -plant and there awaits capture. Night is the usual {180} time of flight, -but it is on the wing at dusk. It is partial to "sugar" and has been known -to visit flowers. - -This species has been recorded from a large number of localities in England -extending from the Scilly Isles to the Scottish border. From the -circumstances connected with many of such captures one is led to suspect -that the insect has migratory habits. In England the most favoured locality -is the New Forest in Hampshire, where it abounds in some seasons, but is -quite scarce in others. It occurs, more or less regularly, in the larger -woods in Dorset, extending into Devon; also in Sussex ranging into Kent, -but is only occasionally common in either of these counties. Generally -considered to be uncommon in the eastern counties, but has been reported to -occur in large numbers at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. The localities given in -Kane's catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Ireland are Killarney, Timoleague, -Co. Cork, Curraghmore (abundant), Lismore, Borris, Co. Carlow, and -Clonbrock. To these may be added Dublin, and Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. - -Distribution: Central Europe, Southern Sweden, Livonia, Dalmatia, Armenia, -Amurland, Corea, and Japan. - -THE BUFF FOOTMAN (_Lithosia deplana_). - -Fore wings, ochreous grey, tinged with yellow on the basal half of the -front margins; hind wings paler, becoming greyer on the outer area; fringes -of all the wings yellow. The male is fairly constant in colour, but the -female sometimes has a distinct yellow stripe on the front margin of the -fore wings extending to the fringes (var. _ochreola_, Hubn.); more rarely -in the New Forest (?), and in the Isle of Purbeck a form occurs with the -fore wings orange buff, and the hind wings only slightly tinged with grey -(var. _unicolor_, Bankes). (Plate 97, Figs. 1-3.) - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 98. - 1, 1a. HOARY FOOTMAN: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2. DINGY FOOTMAN: _caterpillar_. - 3. DOTTED FOOTMAN: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 99. - 1, 2. HOARY FOOTMAN. - 3, 4. PIGMY FOOTMAN. - 5. DOTTED FOOTMAN. - 6, 7. ORANGE FOOTMAN. - -{181} Caterpillar, greyish, or greenish grey, freckled with darker, hairs -grey inclining to brownish; a broad creamy or yellowish stripe, edged with -black and traversed by a dark central line along the back. Head blackish -and glossy. From August to June on lichens growing on stems and branches of -yew, oak, and beech. - -A local species, and although recorded now and then from several other -parts of the country, and once from Killarney in Ireland, seems to be -pretty much confined to the counties of Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Dorset, and -Devon. The moth, which is out in July, rests during the day upon the boughs -and among the foliage of oak, beech, and yew, the latter especially in the -Dorking district of Surrey. - -Distribution: Central Europe, Southern Scandinavia, Livonia, Northern -Italy, Roumelia, and Russia. - -THE DINGY FOOTMAN (_Lithosia griseola_). - -Haworth's English name for this moth was the "Dun Footman." In its typical -form the fore wings are pale greyish with a yellowish front edging; the -latter most distinct towards the base; the hind wings are whitish ochreous -more or less suffused with grey. The pale form, var. _flava_, Haw. = -_stramineola_, Doubl. at one time considered a distinct species (the -Straw-coloured Footman of Haworth), has pale straw-coloured fore wings and -white ochreous hind wings. (Plate 97, Figs. 4, 5.) - -Caterpillar, sooty brown, with a darker line down the middle of the back -and an interrupted yellow or orange line or stripe on each side of it; dark -brown hairs arising from dark warts; head glossy black (described from a -skin). It may be looked for in the spring months on the lichens affecting -alders and sallows growing in fens and marshy places. (Plate 98, Fig. 2.) - -The moth is abundant in the Cambridge and Norfolk fens, and is common in -boggy places in the New Forest, but it probably occurs in all suitable -places throughout England and Wales. It does not seem to have been observed -in Ireland, {182} but has been recorded from Moray in Scotland. The yellow -variety, which by the way is not known to occur abroad, is found, with the -ordinary form, chiefly in the Norfolk fens and in the New Forest; but it is -also to be obtained, though less frequently, in Surrey (Weybridge -district), Berkshire (Reading district), and still more rarely elsewhere. -It is out in July. - -Distribution: Central Europe, South Russia, Ural, Altai, Amurland, Corea, -Japan, and West Africa. - -THE COMMON FOOTMAN (_Lithosia lurideola_). - -Fore wings, leaden grey with a yellow stripe terminating in a point at the -tip of the wing; the hind wings are pale ochreous yellow. It appears in -July, sometimes at the end of June. - -Caterpillar, dark greyish covered with blackish hairs arising from black -warts on the back, and yellowish hairs from similar coloured warts on the -sides; three black or blackish lines on the back, and an orange stripe -along the sides from the fourth to eleventh rings; head black. August to -June. Generally supposed to feed, in a state of nature, on lichen growing -on trees and bushes. It has been reared on the foliage of sallow, apple, -and oak; also known to eat buckthorn, clematis, dogwood, etc. I have -occasionally beaten it from old hedgerows, and have frequently seen it on -trunks of poplar and ash upon which not much in the way of lichen could be -seen. Such caterpillars, when taken, have almost invariably spun up soon -afterwards. The moth is shown on Plate 97, Fig. 6, and the early stages on -Plate 96, Fig. 2. - -This species is perhaps the commonest and most generally distributed member -of the genus in England. It becomes much less frequent in northern pasts of -Lancashire, and in Yorkshire it is local, but recorded as common in the -south-east of that county. It occurs in Scotland, whence it has been -recorded from Clydesdale, Aberdeenshire, and Moray. Kane {183} states that -it is common near Galway, and also gives Castle Bellingham, Clogher Head -(not rare), and Athlone as Irish localities. - -Distributed over Europe, except the extreme north, Andalusia and Southern -Italy; the range extending to Asia Minor and Armenia. In Amurland, Corea, -and Japan, it is represented by _coreana_, Leech. - -THE SCARCE FOOTMAN (_Lithosia complana_). - -Very similar in appearance to the last species, the yellow stripe along the -front edge of the fore wings, however, does not terminate in a point, but -is continued through to the fringes; the hind wings are sometimes -distinctly yellow, and with but little, if any, greyish shading on the -front area. (Plate 97, Fig. 7.) - -Caterpillar, brown or brownish grey above, and paler beneath; a white-edged -black line along the middle of the back, and a row of orange spots, -alternating with whitish ones, on each side of the line; the orange spots -faint or absent on rings one to three; an interrupted yellow or orange -stripe along the sides; the brownish warts are thickly studded with short -greyish brown hairs. Head black and glossy (described from a skin). From -August to June. The most usual food is probably lichens on trees, but it is -said to eat moss, knot-grass, clover, and the flowers of bird's-foot -trefoil, etc. (Plate 96, Fig. 3.) - -The moth is out in July and part of August, and may be disturbed in the -daytime from its resting-place among heather and low herbage. It is on the -wing in the dusk of the evening, and when the weather is favourable, flies -freely. As it has a weakness for sweets, it should be looked for at night, -by the aid of a lantern, on the flowers of knapweed and thistle. It chiefly -affects heaths, but it is also found in woods, and on sandhills by the sea, -as in Norfolk. A local species, but usually to be more or less frequently -met with in all the eastern {184} and southern counties, and in some of the -midland. Rare in Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire, and York. Only doubtfully -recorded from Scotland. In Ireland it is widely distributed, and, according -to Kane, not uncommon where it occurs. - -THE NORTHERN FOOTMAN (_Lithosia sericea_). - -Gregson named and described this insect in 1860, and in the following year -Guenee described it as _L. molybdeola_. It seems to be peculiar to England; -and only occurs on the mosses of Lancashire and Cheshire. The fore wings -are somewhat narrower and darker in colour than those of the Scarce -Footman; and the hind wings are suffused, to a greater or lesser extent, -with dark grey. Some entomologists maintain that this is probably only a -small form of _L. complana_. According to Mr. Pierce it cannot be -specifically separated from that species or from _L. pygmaeola_ by the -genitalia, the usual test in such matters. Prout, however, has stated that -Speyer, in 1867, pointed out structural differences, not only in the shape -of the wings, but also in the size of the costal tuft of scales on the -underside of the fore wings. It should be added that there does not seem to -be any material difference between the caterpillar of _complana_ and that -of _sericea_. Anyway, the question of form or species may here be left -open. The fact of the Northern, or Gregson's, Footman being an exclusive -British production invests the insect with an importance greatly above that -attaching to the majority of our moths. The moth is depicted on Plate 97, -Fig. 8. - -THE PIGMY FOOTMAN (_Lithosia lutarella_). - -Ochreous white, sometimes tinged with greyish, or with yellowish; hind -wings clouded with greyish on the front area. Female almost always smaller -than the male. The fore wings {185} vary a good deal in the matter of -colour, the extremes being yellow and dark grey. (Plate 99, Figs. 3, 4.) - -Buckler describes the caterpillar as brown on the back, with a central -thick black line, and two dark brown lines; sides paler brown, with a dusty -white line along the spiracles; the warts (tubercles) with short brown -hairs, and the head black. August to June. - -This extremely local little moth was unknown as an inhabitant of Britain -until 1847, when it was described as _L. pygmaeola_, by Doubleday in the -_Zoologist_ for that year, and noted as having been found among rushes on -the coast of Kent. Two years later the insect was again referred to, and it -was then stated to be confined to a "space of about four hundred yards in -extent, on the coast of Deal." It then became known as the "Deal Footman." -During the past seventy years or so large numbers have no doubt been -removed from this locality, which is the only British one it was known to -occur in. It is still to be found there, although said to be less common -than formerly. In the _Entomologist_ for September, 1912, this species was -recorded as not uncommon on marram grass growing on the Norfolk coast. - -Some present-day entomologists still incline to the opinion that the moth -is a distinct species, and not a local race of _lutarella_, which is found -throughout Central and Eastern Europe; ranging to South Scandinavia, -Finland, and eastward to Siberia and Amurland. The var. _pygmaeola_ has -been obtained in Holland. - -THE HOARY FOOTMAN (_Lithosia caniola_). - -Fore wings silky whitish grey with a yellowish streak along the front edge; -the hind wings are whitish with a faint yellowish tinge. Some of the -specimens are entirely whitish (var. _lacteola_, Boisd.). July and August, -sometimes earlier. (Plate 99, Figs. 1, 2.) {186} - -Caterpillar greyish brown, with a black line along the back, and a series -of irregular orange marks, representing stripes, on each side of it; these -orange marks are outwardly edged with black; an orange line low down along -the sides; warts greyish or brownish, each bearing a tuft of short pale -hairs. Head blackish, shining, notched on the crown, and studded with pale -bristles in front. Fed on lettuce from April 30, the date they were -received from Mr. Walker of Torquay. They were then quite small, the -largest not more than half an inch in length. They pupated in June, and the -moths emerged in July, all fine specimens. (Plate 98, Fig. 1.) - -In the open the caterpillar feeds upon the black lichens growing on rocks, -etc., by the sea; also upon Dutch clover (_Trifolium repens_), kidney vetch -(_Anthyllis vulneraria_), and bird's-foot trefoil (_Lotus corniculatus_). - -This species was not known to occur in any part of the British Isles until -August, 1861, when the late Mr. C. G. Barrett took four specimens on the -Hill of Howth in Ireland (_vide Ent. Annual_, 1862, p. 106). A large number -were subsequently captured or reared from caterpillars obtained in the same -locality by others. Kane ("Cat. Lep. Ireland") remarks that the colony -flourished at Howth for many years, but that the species seemingly perished -in the severe winters of 1878 or 1879, and unless a specimen taken in 1890 -was this species, has not since been seen there. The only other Irish -locality from which it has been recorded (August, 1866) is on the coast -near Waterford. Torquay, where the species was first observed in 1864 is -now a noted locality, and it is said to occur in certain spots along the -coast to Babbicombe. Other localities in Devon are Dartmouth, Torcross, and -Bolt Head. Barrett found the species rarely in two places by the sea in -South Pembrokeshire, and mentions Rye in Sussex, and Romney Marsh in Kent, -as localities where specimens have occurred. - -Mr. J. Walker informs me that the moths fly at dusk, and {187} that they -all seem to get active at almost the same moment, and settle again in the -same way at the end of their first flight, which lasts about half an hour. -After dark the rays of an acetylene lamp directed downwards into the bushes -will attract them from their retreat. Occasionally they visit "sugar." - -Abroad this is a southern species, but its range extends to Western -Germany, the Tyrol, Switzerland, and South Hungary, as well as to England; -also to Asia Minor. - -THE ORANGE FOOTMAN (_Lithosia sororcula_). - -This moth is orange yellow on the fore wings, and a paler shade of the same -colour on the hind wings. Except that the tint is brighter in some -specimens and darker in others, there is nothing to mention in the way of -aberration. (Plate 99, Figs. 6, 7.) - -The caterpillar is white on the back with five black stripes, the outer -ones broader than the others; all these stripes are broken up by brownish -patches, and they fail to show at all on the eighth ring, which, therefore, -is conspicuously white; the sides are smoky grey marked with white on the -second and third rings; the warts are reddish, bearing smoky grey hairs. It -may be found from July to September on the lichens growing on the trunks of -oak trees. The moth does not appear until the following May or June, when -it may be beaten from branches. Not uncommon in the woods, chiefly oak, of -Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, and Dorset; it also -occurs in Cambridgeshire and Sussex. In Berkshire and Bucks it is fairly -common, but seems to affect the beech woods in those counties. Recorded -from Ireland by Birchall, who stated that it was abundant at Killarney. - -THE DOTTED FOOTMAN (_Pelosia muscerda_). - -The fore wings are pale grey suffused with pale reddish-brown except on the -costal area: there are six black dots, two {188} before the middle of the -wing and placed above the inner margin, and four beyond the middle in an -oblique series from the costa; the hind wings are pale brownish-grey, -becoming somewhat darker towards the apex. (Plate 99, Fig. 5.) - -Caterpillar velvety blackish-brown, marbled with reddish-grey; stripe along -middle of the back, and a line on each side of it deep black; warts and -hairs brown, the latter short but numerous; a pair of red spots on ring -one, and another pair on ring twelve; beneath the spiracles is a fine -reddish-grey line; under surface pinkish grey; head small and blackish -(Buckler). So far it has escaped detection in its fenny home, but it has -been reared from eggs laid by a captured female. Caterpillars obtained in -this way seem to have thrived on a mixed diet of lichens, mosses, and -withered leaves of bramble and sallow. August to May. Buckler states that -the dark chestnut-brown pupa is enclosed in a double cocoon, the inner a -webby one of greyish silk, and the outer one thinner and composed of white -silk. The whole affair was formed in a curled-up bramble leaf. The -caterpillar is figured on Plate 98, Fig. 5. - -The moth is out in late July and through August. It has been obtained in a -certain marshy locality in the New Forest, Hants, and also in some marshes -at Sandwich, Kent. Its chief haunts are, however, in the fens of Norfolk, -such as those on the river Bure, and Brundall fen on the Yare, but Horning -and Ranworth are, perhaps, the headquarters of the species. It may be -mentioned that when Stephens wrote about this insect in 1829 only two -specimens had then occurred in Britain, and these had been found in a marsh -at Horning floating upon the water in a ditch. - -Distribution: Central Europe, Denmark, Sweden, Livonia, Dalmatia, Corsica -and Sardinia, Amurland and Japan. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 100. - 1. SCARCE MERVEILLE DU JOUR. - 2. NUT-TREE TUSSOCK. - 3, 4. MILLER MOTH. - 5. SYCAMORE MOTH. - 6. POPLAR GREY. - 7. MARSH DAGGER. - 8, 9. ALDER MOTH. - 10. DARK DAGGER. - 11. GRAY DAGGER. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 101. - 1. POPLAR GREY: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. SCARCE MERVEILLE DU JOUR: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 3, 3a, 3b. NUT-TREE TUSSOCK: _caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - 4. DARK DAGGER: _caterpillar_. - 5, 5a. GREY DAGGER: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{189} - -NOCTUIDAE. - -This extensive assemblage of moths, commonly known as noctuas, and locally -as "millers," "owlets," and "buzzards," has been divided by Staudinger into -five sub-families--Acronyctinae, Trifinae, Gonopterinae, Quadrifinae, and -Hypeninae. These divisions are here adopted, and the arrangement of species -is adhered to pretty closely, except in the Trifinae, where it has been -considered necessary to make sundry alterations so as to fall more in line -with later classification, at least so far as concerns genera. - -The eggs of species in this family are round and somewhat flattened in -shape, and the shell is fluted or netted. Some few examples of these have -been figured. - -Most of the larvae conceal themselves during the day, in the ground, among -low herbage, or in spun-together leaves, and only leave their retreat at -night to feed. Most kinds change to the chrysalis state underground, but -some pupate among leaves or in chinks of tree bark, etc. - -With some few exceptions the moths fly only at night, by far the larger -number will visit the sugar patch, and others come readily to flowers or to -light. - -Distribution abroad will only be referred to where this is restricted in -Europe, or extends far beyond European limits. - -ACRONYCTINAE. - -THE SCARCE MERVEILLE DU JOUR (_Diphtera orion_). - -This pretty moth has the fore wings green variegated with white stripes and -black cross lines; the hind wings are greyish, marked with white at the -anal angle. The spaces between the interrupted cross lines of the fore -wings are often marked with {190} black, and this is the typical form of -the species; the plainer specimens--those less spotted with black--being -referable to var. _runica_, Stephens. Stephens in 1829 notes that the -species was then little known in England. It is still very local, -inhabiting oak woods in Sussex (Hailsham), Hampshire (New Forest, sometimes -common), Devonshire (Plymouth district), Cornwall (East Looe), Essex -(Colchester), and Suffolk (Ipswich). The moth is out in June; on September -5, 1906, Mr. L. W. Newman bred a small specimen that had only been in the -chrysalis seventeen days. Usually it rests by day on boughs, and sometimes -on the trunks of trees (see Fig. 8, p. 9); it flies at night and then -patronizes the sugar patch, but often is a late visitor. The caterpillar, -which feeds upon oak in July and August, is black on the back with a yellow -or whitish blotch on rings four, six, and nine; the reddish warts are -crowned with tufts of brown or whitish hairs. Head black marked with yellow -except on the top. It is also said to eat leaves of beech and birch. -Staudinger gives _alpium_, Osbeck (1778), as an earlier name than _orion_, -Esp. Hampson refers alpinum to _Daseochaeta_, Warren. - -Distribution: Central and Northern Europe, and represented by var. -_murrhina_, Graes., in Amurland, China, and Japan. - -The moth is depicted on Plate 100, Fig. 1, and the caterpillar and -chrysalis on Plate 101, Figs. 2, 2a. - -THE NUT-TREE TUSSOCK (_Demas coryli_). - -Usually the fore wings of this moth appear to be brownish, or reddish brown -on the basal half, and whitish, more or less suffused with greyish, or -sometimes reddish brown, on the outer half; the hind wings are pale -brownish, or greyish, lighter towards the base. Not infrequently the fore -wings are greyish white with some brownish clouding between the two -blackish cross lines. The caterpillar is variable in colour, but generally -of some shade of brown, ranging from dark chocolate brown to {191} pale -ochreous, covered with soft hair; the pencils of long hairs on the first -ring, and the tufts of hairs on rings four, five, and eleven, may be red, -greyish, or blackish; the broken stripe along the back is greyish, and the -stripe low down on each side may be red, brown, or greyish. It feeds in -June and July, and as a second generation in September, on the foliage of -beech, birch, hazel, hornbeam, etc.: bushes growing in exposed positions -such as a hedge bank or hill side are chiefly fancied. The moth flies in -May and June, and again in August and September. It probably occurs in most -of the English counties, but is most frequent in Berkshire, Bucks, and -Devon. Not uncommon in Clydesdale, but more plentiful in Aberdeenshire, and -is also obtained in Perthshire, and in other parts of Scotland. Widely -distributed in Ireland. - -The moth is shown on Plate 100, Fig. 2, and the early stages on Plate 101, -Figs. 3, 3a, 3b. - -THE MILLER (_Acronycta leporina_). - -In its typical form the wings are quite white with but little in the way of -marking. Most, if not all, the specimens occurring in Britain are the more -or less greyish suffused and more marked, variety known as _bradyporina_, -Treits. (Plate 100, Figs. 3 [male], 4 [female].) Sometimes the outer -margins of the fore wings, beyond the second cross line, are shaded or -dusted with blackish (var. _semivirga_, Tutt). In the Liverpool district a -form is occasionally obtained in which the fore wings are darkly suffused, -and the thorax is black (var. _melanocephala_, Mansbridge). A specimen with -black fore wings and white fringes has been bred from a caterpillar found -in Essex (_Entomologist_, xxxviii., 289, and xxxix., 97). - -The caterpillar is pale green clothed with long white, and a few black -hairs; these fall downwards, and on the one side curve forwards, and on the -other side backwards. Sometimes in the {192} south of England, more -frequently in the north, the ground colour and hairs are yellow, and there -are more or less distinct reddish brown bands on the back and sides. It may -be found from July to September, or even later, on birch or alder, rarely -on oak and poplar. The moth occurs in May and June, as a rule. In 1904 I -took a freshly emerged specimen on July 23, at Byfleet in Surrey, and some -half-grown caterpillars were obtained on the same day, and very near the -same spot. The species is found in woods, and on heaths and mosses, where -birch or alder flourishes, from Devonshire in England to Sutherlandshire in -Scotland. It is not common anywhere in our islands, but is perhaps most -frequently met with in the south and east of England. In Ireland it appears -to have been found only in the southern counties. - -THE SYCAMORE (_Acronycta aceris_). - -The dark mottled grey moth on Plate 100, Fig. 5, is not much given to -variation, but occasionally brownish suffused forms occur (var. -_candelisequa_, Esp. = _infuscata_, Haworth). - -The caterpillar (Plate 102, Fig. 3) feeds in August and September upon -sycamore, maple, and sometimes plum and chestnut. It has some black-edged -white marks along the middle of the back; the pointed tufts of long hairs -are yellow or reddish. When it is at rest on the underside of a leaf, or -coils in a ring on being disturbed, the hair tufts gave the creature a -somewhat prickly appearance. The moth is out in June and July. - -The species is more or less common pretty well through the southern and -eastern counties, and fairly so in and around London. Its range extends to -Warwickshire and Herefordshire; but it is scarce in both counties. The -Irish localities for it are Claring Bridge and Ahascragh, Co. Galway; -Glandore and Timologue, Co. Cork; Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 102. - 1. KNOT GRASS: _caterpillar_. - 2. SCARCE DAGGER: _caterpillars_. - 3, 3a, 3b. SYCAMORE: _caterpillar, chrysalis and cocoon_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 103. - 1, 2. LIGHT KNOT-GRASS. - 3. SCARCE DAGGER. - 4. SWEET GALE MOTH. - 5. CORONET MOTH. - 6, 7. KNOT-GRASS MOTH. - 8. MARBLED GREEN, _male_; 11 _female_. - 9. MARBLED BEAUTY, _male_; 12 _female_. - 10. POWDERED WAINSCOT. - -{193} - -THE POPLAR GREY (_Acronycta megacephala_). - -This moth is somewhat like that last noticed, but the fore wings are darker -grey; the whitish orbicular mark is margined with black, and has a dark -central dot. Sometimes the fore wings are clouded with blackish, and -occasionally entirely suffused with black. In several species of -_Acronycta_ newly disclosed specimens have a faint pinky tinge, but this is -especially noticeable in the present species. (Plate 100, Fig. 6.) - -The caterpillar is ochreous or grey brown, marked with blackish; a -conspicuous character is a black-edged whitish or ochreous patch on ring -ten; the hairs are whitish, those on the sides rather long. It feeds from -July to September on the foliage of poplars. (Plate 101, Fig. 1). - -This well-known cockney species is on the wing from late May to mid-August. -Has been bred in September from a caterpillar taken in July, also in -October from August larvae. It is often abundant on poplars (especially the -caterpillars) in London and suburbs. Common all over the southern parts of -England, except perhaps in Devon and Cornwall; its range extends through -Northern England to Ross in Scotland; and it is found in the south of -Ireland. - -THE ALDER (_Acronycta alni_). - -[Illustration: Fig. 26. - -CATERPILLAR OF THE ALDER-MOTH. - -(Photo by W. J. Lucas.)] - -The sexes of this black-clouded grey moth are shown on Plate 100, Figs. 8 -and 9[female]. Except that the black clouding sometimes spreads over a -greater area of the fore wings, there is little to note in aberration, at -least in a general way. In 1906 a melanic specimen was bred from a -chrysalis taken from alder in Delamere Forest, Cheshire; this is probably -referable to var. _steinerti_, Caspari. - -The caterpillar (Fig. 26) is black, marked with yellow; the {194} curious -clubbed hairs are its distinguishing feature. Although named after the -alder, it feeds on the leaves of most trees and bushes in July and August, -sometimes earlier or later. The moth is out in May and June, but although -an occasional specimen has been taken at sugar or light, once resting on -nettles, it is rarely met with. Caterpillars also are not by any means -common, and any one who may obtain even a single example in a season may -congratulate himself on a good find. They are perhaps most frequent in the -Hampshire (New Forest) district and some of the Sussex woodlands, but have -occurred now and then in almost every county of England up to Yorkshire; -also in Glamorganshire, Carmarthenshire, and at Trefriw in Wales. The only -Irish locality is Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow. The range abroad extends to -Armenia, Amurland, and Japan. - -THE MARSH DAGGER (_Acronycta strigosa_). - -This little moth, known also as the "Grisette," seems confined, as a -British species, to the country around Cambridge; but it has been twice -recorded from Norfolk, two specimens have been reported from -Worcestershire, and one from Gloucestershire; the latter at sugar in June, -1897. The latest records that I have seen refer to a moth taken at sugar -near Chatteris {195} in 1904, two caterpillars beaten out of hawthorn in -August, 1905, and a moth on an ash tree, Wicken, July 31, 1907. (Plate 100, -Fig. 7). - -The caterpillar is yellowish green, with a red brown stripe along the back; -two small elevations on ring four, and one on ring eleven; the hairs are -blackish on the back, one of each tuft longer than the others. It feeds on -hawthorn in August and early September. The moth is out in July. This -species is found abroad in Central Europe and Southern France; also in -Amurland, Corea, and Japan. - -THE DARK DAGGER (_Acronycta tridens_). - -The English name of this moth is not very suitable, as in general colour it -is often really paler than many examples of the next species. Specimens -with a blackish cloud at the base, and a dark band-like suffusion on the -outer margin of the fore wings are referable to var. _virga_, Tutt. It is -widely distributed in England and Wales, but apparently not common; rare in -Scotland and in Ireland. I am unable to indicate any character that will -serve to distinguish this moth from the Grey Dagger. The moth flies in -June; a second brood sometimes occurs in confinement in October. The -caterpillars of the two species are very distinct. That of the present -species is black, with a broad reddish stripe along the back, and one on -each side; the first is interrupted with white, and the others with black; -there is a black hump on the fourth ring, and a broader one on the eleventh -ring. It feeds from August to October on hawthorn, sloe, plum, pear, and -apple; also on birch and sallow. - -The moth is shown on Plate 100, Fig. 10; and the caterpillar on Plate 101, -Fig. 4. - -THE GREY DAGGER (_Acronycta psi_). - -The ground colour varies from whitish to blackish grey, Var. _bivirgae_, -Tutt, is similar to var. _virga_ of the last species. {196} In var. -_bidens_, Chapman, the first cross line is double, enclosing a pale stripe; -the upper part of second cross line is more angled, and the dagger mark at -the anal angle is much shortened. - -The caterpillar has a taller and more slender hump on ring four, and the -stripe along the back is clear yellow, with black edged red spots on each -side of it. Generally distributed, and often common. - -The moth is shown on Plate 100, Fig. 11; and the caterpillar and chrysalis -on Plate 101, Figs. 5 and 5a. - -THE LIGHT KNOT GRASS (_Acronycta menyanthidis_). - -Portraits of this moth will be found on Plate 103, Figs. 1[male], -2[female]. Several modifications have been named, the most important of -these are var. _scotica_, Tutt, which is larger and brighter than the type, -with the markings clear and distinct; var. _suffusa_, Tutt, is much -suffused with black. The former is chiefly found in Scotland, and the -latter in Yorkshire. - -The caterpillar is black or sooty-brown, with a red stripe, or blotches, -low down along the sides; hairs black or red-brown. In August and September -feeding by day on sweet-gale or bog myrtle (_Myrica gale_), bilberry, -heather, dwarf sallow, etc. The moth flies in June and July, and may be -found on the mosses and moorlands of North England and Scotland. It rests -by day on rocks, stones, and, where they are handy, on posts and rails. I -found several on Danes Moss, Cheshire, sitting on a derelict tub. Also -occurring in Ireland, but not common. - -THE SCARCE DAGGER (_Acronycta auricoma_). - -The pale grey, darker-mottled moth depicted on Plate 103, Fig. 3, is very -local, and only occurs in some of the woods of {197} Kent and Sussex; the -districts mentioned being those of Rochester, Canterbury, Hailsham, and -Hastings. - -The caterpillar is figured on Plate 102, Fig. 2. It is slaty grey in colour -with a black plate on the first ring; on the back of each ring is a broad -black band, and four orange warts from which arise golden-yellow silky -hairs; the hairs on the sides are pale drab (adapted from Buckler). It -feeds in June and early July, sometimes in September, on oak, birch, -various kinds of _Rubus_, such as blackberry and raspberry, and also on -bilberry (_Vaccinium_). The moth is out in late April and in May; -occasionally late July and in August. It is rarely seen in the day time, -but has been found resting on tree trunks. The range abroad extends to -Southern Russia and Siberia. - -THE SWEET-GALE MOTH (_Acronycta euphorbiae_ var. _myricae_). - -Our form of this species--var. _myricae_, Guenee (Plate 103, Fig. 4), is -rather larger and much darker than the type; but although it is generally -somewhat smaller than the Alpine var. _montivaga_, Guenee, it is not -otherwise separable from that form. So far as concerns the British Isles, -it is only found in Scotland and, rarely, in Ireland. It was first obtained -in Perthshire, in 1846, by Weaver, and it is now known to occur more or -less commonly through Scotland from Ayr to Sutherlandshire. In Ireland it -occurs in Cork, Kerry, Galway, and Sligo, and Kane considers that specimens -from Markrea, and Lough Gill in the latter county are referable rather to -var. _montivaga_, than to var. _myricae_. The moth is out in April, May, -and June. - -The dark greyish caterpillar has a deep black, broken, stripe along the -middle of the back, and a series of pale yellow marks on each side of it; -along the black-margined white spiracles there is a reddish orange line, or -broken stripe; pale brownish hairs arising from yellowish warts on the -back, and a cross-bar of reddish orange near the head. It feeds on sweet -{198} gale, heather, birch, sallow, etc., and may be found from July to -September. Two figures of it, from coloured drawings by Mr. Alfred Sich, -will be found on Plate 102. - -THE KNOT GRASS (_Acronycta rumicis_). - -The ordinary form of this moth is shown on Plate 103, Figs. 6[male], -7[female]. The species varies greatly in the amount of dark mottling and -clouding on the fore wings; sometimes this is much reduced, and the pale -grey ground colour is then clearly seen; more often these wings are -entirely clouded over with blackish or sooty brown, leaving only the white -bracket-like mark above the inner margin, and the submarginal cross line, -distinctly visible (var. _salicis_, Curtis). The moth flies in June and -July, and sometimes in August and September. - -The hairy caterpillar, which is somewhat humped on rings four and eleven, -is figured in Plate 102, Fig. 1. It is dark brownish grey, marked on the -back with a central series of black patches in which are reddish spots, and -a row of white spots on each side; below the white spiracles is a yellowish -wavy line with reddish warts upon it. Various low-growing plants, such as -plantain, dock, sorrel, and also hawthorn, sallow, and bramble, afford it -nourishment, and it is found in July, August, and September. - -Generally distributed throughout England and Wales, its range extending -into Scotland as far north as Morayshire; also in Ireland. The var. -_salicis_ occurs northwards from Shropshire through northern England into -Scotland, but is perhaps most common in Ireland. - -THE CORONET (_Craniophora ligustri_). - -This is also the Crown Moth of Moses Harris, both English names referring -to a fancied resemblance of the whitish or pale greyish mark, just beyond -the reniform stigma, to a crown or coronet (Plate 103, Fig. 5). The -greenish or brownish-olive fore wings are subject to modification in the -depth of tint; sometimes they are blackish in tone--var. _nigra_, Tutt, or -dark olive-green--var. _olivacea_, Tutt. In both of these named forms the -whitish markings are obscured, and in this respect they seem to be about -identical with var. _sundevalli_, Lampa. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 104. - 1, 3. ARCHER'S DART. - 4, 6. TURNIP MOTH. - 2, 5. SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART. - 7, 8. DARK SWORD GRASS. - 9, 10. PEARLY UNDERWING. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 105. - 1, 2. CRESCENT DART. - 3, 4. HEART AND DART, _males_. - 5, 6. HEART AND DART, _females_. - 7, 8. HEART AND CLUB. - 9, 10. LIGHT FEATHERED RUSTIC. - -{199} The caterpillar is bluish green above, and yellowish green below; a -slender whitish line along the middle of the back, and a yellowish line on -each side; the spiracles are reddish, and the raised spots, from each of -which a single black hair arises, are black. It feeds in August and -September on ash, and less frequently, perhaps, on privet. It is stated to -eat hazel and alder, also. - -The moth flies in June and July, and its occurrence in any locality depends -largely upon the presence of ash. Widely distributed throughout England, -Wales, and Scotland to Ross-shire. In Ireland it has only been noted from a -few localities in Co. Galway. - -POWDERED WAINSCOT (_Simyra_ (_Arsilonche_) _albovenosa_). - -In its typical form (Plate 103, Fig. 10), the fore wings are whitish -ochreous with the veins showing up white more or less clearly. A form with -reddish ochreous fore wings has been named var. _ochracea_, Tutt; and -another with silvery-white wings var. _argentea_ by the same author. These -seem to be identical with forms of this species named _flavida_ and -_albida_ by Aurivillius some eight years earlier. - -The hairy caterpillar is blackish or dark grey brown freckled with black; -two stripes along the back and one on each side are yellow, sometimes -marked with orange; the warts are orange with pale, and a few black, hairs; -head black, marked with yellowish. {200} - -It feeds from July to September on the leaves of reeds, at night; hiding by -day under leaves low down. The moth is out in June, but an autumn brood is -sometimes obtained. It only occurs in fenland, chiefly Norfolk and -Cambridgeshire. - -THE MARBLED BEAUTY (_Bryophila perla_). - -Typically the fore wings of this species are white, marbled with slaty -grey, and with the stigmata dark grey (Plate 103, Figs. 9[male], -12[female]). There is less colour variation than in the last species, but -in some localities greenish, ochreous, and ochreous brown forms have been -obtained. The caterpillar is pale slaty grey, with an irregular yellowish -stripe on the back, with black spots forming a central line; the raised -spots are black and shiny, as also is the head. Feeds on lichens growing on -old walls from August to May. The moth, which occurs throughout England, -Wales, Ireland, and Scotland up to the Clyde, is to be found, commonly as a -rule, on walls by day, and gas lamps at night, in July and August. -Sometimes I have found specimens on tree trunks. - -MARBLED GREEN (_Bryophila muralis_ (_glandifera_)). - -Two forms of this very variable little moth are represented on Plate 103, -Figs. 8[male] (typical), 11[female]. The ground colour of the fore wings -ranges from almost white through pale green to bluish green or to a deep -olive green, or through pale ochreous to orange brown. The markings, too, -vary in intensity, and are sometimes very obscure. Several forms have been -named, but only the Cambridge race, known as var. _impar_, Warren, can here -be referred to. In this form the colour is more often greyish or brownish -white, than green; the markings are cloudy and not clearly defined. - -The caterpillar is obscure greenish, with whitish and rather {201} shining -raised spots; there is a black plate on the first ring, and from this three -broken yellowish lines run along the back. Head black and glossy. It feeds -from October to May on the lichens growing on walls and rocks; during the -day it hides in a chamber formed of silk and lichen, which is not easy to -detect in dry weather. The moth is out in July and August, and at -Eastbourne I have found it in September. It may be found generally on -walls, but sometimes on rocks at various places on the coast of Kent, -Sussex, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall; also in the Scilly Isles. Its range, -according to Barrett, extends to Bath and Wells, Somersetshire, Marlborough -and Chippenham in Wiltshire, and it has also occurred in Gloucestershire. - -THE TREE-LICHEN BEAUTY (_Bryophila algae_). - -The only record of this species in England that I am aware of is that by -Mr. Edleston, in the _Intelligencer_ for 1860, p. 11, as follows: "Two -specimens of this pretty species (_B. algae_) were taken in this district -last July." The district referred to was Manchester, and the note was -written on September 28, 1859. - -TRIFINAE. - -THE TURNIP MOTH (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _segetum_). - -The ordinary form of the male and the female is represented on Plate 104. -The species is an exceedingly variable one, and Haworth (1803), believing -them to be distinct species, gave Latin and English names to several of the -different forms. The ground colour in the male ranges from pale whitish or -brownish ochreous, with strong markings, to blackish brown, with the -markings obscured. The female ranges in colour of {202} fore wings from -greyish to blackish. Caterpillar, greyish brown, tinged with ochreous, or -sometimes pinkish; a glossy plate on first ring, greyish or brownish; spots -glossy, each with a tiny hair; lines rather darker, but often indistinct. -It feeds from July to April on various plants, but only attacks the tender -stems near the surface of the ground. In fields it is destructive to -turnips and swedes, making large cavities in the bulb, which it enters from -just above the tap-root. The moth flies in June, and occasionally as a -second generation in the autumn. Generally distributed over the British -Isles, and often very common. Its range extends throughout nearly the whole -of Europe and the greater part of Asia. - -THE ARCHER'S DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _vestigialis_). - -The specimens shown on Plate 104 are typical of the sexes (Figs. 1[male], -3[female]). The normal pale brown colour is sometimes replaced by greyish, -reddish, or olive brown. A specimen with black fore and hind wings has been -recorded from North Wales by Mr. Jager. The markings vary in intensity, and -occasionally are almost or quite absent. Several of the varieties have been -named. The caterpillar, which feeds on bed-straw and various grasses, etc., -is greenish grey, inclining to brownish above, with a dark-edged pale line -along the middle of the back, and a similar line on each side; the raised -spots are black, and the plate on first ring brownish; head ochreous, -marked with darker. August to May. The moth is out in July and August, and -is chiefly found on sandhills by the sea. It is most plentiful on the -eastern and southern coasts, and in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire: it -is often not uncommon in the Brandon and Tuddenham districts, and others, -in the "Breck Sand" area of Suffolk and Norfolk. The species has been -recorded from Worcestershire, and I understand that a few specimens were -taken in Surrey last August (1907). In Scotland it occurs on the east -coast, and in the Orkney Isles; also in Ayr, on the south-west. In Ireland, -also, it is found on suitable parts of the coast. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 106. - 1, 2. SAND DART. - 3, 4. COAST DART. - 5, 6. GARDEN DART. - 7, 8, 11. WHITE LINE DART. - 9, 10. WHITE-LINE DART, _var. aquilina._ - 12. SQUARE-SPOT DART. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 107. - 1. TRUE-LOVER'S KNOT. - 2, 3. HEATH RUSTIC. - 4. PORTLAND MOTH. - 5, 6. STOUT DART. - 7, 8. DOTTED RUSTIC. - 9, 10. NORTHERN RUSTIC. - -{203} THE HEART AND CLUB (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _corticea_). - -The more usual form of the male and the female are shown on Plate 105 -(Figs. 7[male], 8[female]). The colour varies from pale brown to a whitish -or greyish brown tint in one direction, and to reddish or blackish brown in -another. The cross lines, generally well defined, are sometimes absent, or -nearly so, in some of the pale forms, and much obscured in the dark forms. -The black outlined reniform and orbicular stigmata are sometimes obscured -by a blackish cloud; the pale-centred, club-like mark below them varies in -length, and is occasionally reduced to a small spot. "_Noctua subfusca_," -Haworth, has been determined by Mr. E. R. Bankes, who possesses the type, -to be an obscurely marked fuscous [male] example of this species. The -greyish brown, rather rough-looking caterpillar, is freckled with a darker -tint above, and inclined to greenish below; a fine, pale line along the -middle of the back is edged with brownish, and on each side there is a pale -line, edged above with brown, and below this a double pale line; head -marked with blackish (Plate 109, Fig. 1). It feeds from March to April, -after hibernation, on various low-growing plants, including goose-foot -(_Chenopodium_), persicaria, knotgrass, dock, and clover. The moth is on -the wing in June and July, and very occasionally in September. It is rather -a common insect in eastern and southern counties bordering the sea, but -extends into Surrey, and occasionally into Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and -Berkshire; and is also found more or less frequently in Herefordshire, -Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In -Scotland it occurs in Ayr, and on the eastern side to Moray. It has been -taken in various {204} counties, on the coast, of Ireland from Cork to -Sligo, and from Wicklow to Derry. - -THE LIGHT FEATHERED RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _cinerea_). - -Both sexes are shown in their typical forms on Plate 105. The fore wings of -the male (Fig. 9) are generally pale greyish in colour, with blackish cross -lines and central shade; the claviform mark is absent, and the orbicular -stigma usually so, or represented by a dusky dot; sometimes the ground -colour is brownish, occasionally purplish grey, and very rarely black. The -female (Fig. 10) is smaller, and always much darker. - -The caterpillar is blackish green or dark greyish, with three fine pale -lines, the central one edged on both sides, and the others edged above, -with a darker tint; a pale stripe along the black spiracles; head, and -plate on first ring black. It feeds on wild thyme, and is said to eat dock. -It hatches from the egg in late June or early July, and presumably -hibernates when full grown, as it does not seem to feed again when it -reappears in early spring. - -The moth flies in May and June, and is only to be found on hills and downs -in chalk or limestone districts. It occurs in Surrey, Dorset, Isle of -Wight, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, North Wales, Berkshire, -Oxfordshire, Cambridge, and Suffolk; it seems to have been most frequently -met with in Kent and Sussex. The small form, with narrow and distinctly -marked fore wings, and whitish hind wings, occurring in the south of -England, has been named var. _tephrina_, Staud. - -THE SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _puta_). - -As will be seen by the figures on Plate 104, the sexes of this species also -differ greatly in colour. Usually the cross lines on the fore wings of the -male do not show up so distinctly as in {205} Fig. 2, which closely -approaches a form figured and described as _radiola_ by Stephens in 1829. -Fig. 5 represents the typical blackish-brown female. Gynandrous specimens, -one side [male] the other [female], have been recorded. The caterpillar -feeds on dandelion, lettuce, knotgrass, and other low-growing plants, from -September to April; probably full grown before hibernation. The moth, which -is out in July and August, sometimes in May, is partial to low-lying, -marshy ground and meadows, and is widely distributed over the whole of the -south of England, but it is seemingly rare in the north, and still more so -in Scotland and Ireland. Barrett states that it has been found commonly in -Carmarthenshire, Wales. - -THE CRESCENT DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _lunigera_). - -Although its position in classification is that of a local form of _A. -trux_, Hubn., this moth, which is figured on Plate 105, Figs. 1[male], -2[female], may here retain the name that was given to it by Stephens in -1829. Except that it has been reported to occur in the north of France, it -seems to be peculiar to the British Isles. The earliest known specimens -were captured near Cork in Ireland, June, 1826, and it is now found not -only on the coasts of Cork and Kerry, but also on the Hill of Howth, near -Dublin. In England it occurs in the Isle of Wight, Dorsetshire (Portland), -Devonshire (Torquay), Cornwall, and the Scilly Isles. Reported from Sussex -in 1918. In Wales it is to be found above Barmouth, and in various parts of -South Wales; and in Scotland around Edinburgh and on the Moray coast. The -moth is out in July and August. Mr. A. E. Gibbs, writing of this species in -Cornwall, remarks, "It is generally stated that _A. lunigera_ is only to be -taken on steep and dangerous cliffs, in places where sugaring is by no -means a safe occupation; but its abundance at Polzeath showed that this is -not invariably the case. Here it was found on posts and flower heads in the -valley at some {206} distance from the seashore, and so abundantly did it -occur that one evening's work yielded upwards of fifty specimens." - -The caterpillar is greyish or greenish grey, inclining to brownish above, -and with darker brown marks on the back; lines paler, edged sometimes with -darker grey; raised spots blackish, rather glossy; head brownish, marked -with black, and the plate on first ring is black with a central yellow -line. It feeds from August to May on various low plants growing in rocky -places by the sea. Will eat dandelion, plantain, and knotgrass in -confinement, also sliced carrot. - -THE COAST DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _cursoria_). - -The specimens whose portraits will be found on Plate 106 are more or less -typical of the sexes of this most variable species. The ground colour of -the fore wings ranges from whitish ochreous through all shades of brown up -to dark reddish, and from whitish grey through leaden grey to brown grey. -The markings, too, are exceedingly variable; the cross lines are often -faint, sometimes entirely absent; the stigmata are frequently obscure, and -occasionally the blackish lower part of the reniform is the only indication -of these marks. There is often a white streak along the costa, and in some -specimens this is very conspicuous (Figs. 3[male], 4[female]). - -The caterpillar feeds from September to June on various grasses growing on -sandhills, and is said to eat wormwood and violet. It is ochreous in -colour, more or less tinged with green; the lines are pale grey, edged with -darker grey; spots brown, and head ochreous brown. - -The moth is on the wing from late July to early September, and is to be -found on all the larger tracts of sandhills on the east coast from Suffolk -northwards, and on the coasts of Cheshire and Lancashire. It is not common -on our southern coasts, but occurs in Dorsetshire and Devon. In Scotland it -is obtained {207} on the Firth of Forth, Kincardine, and Aberdeen coasts, -and also in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Isles; and on very many -parts of the coast of Ireland. - -THE GARDEN DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _nigricans_). - -This moth is typically sooty or blackish brown in both sexes (Plates 106, -Figs. 5[male], 6[female]), but varies to pale brown, or through various -shades of red brown. The markings, usually obscure, occasionally are well -defined, and sometimes there are additional black spots and pale streaks. -The caterpillar is pale or dark ochreous brown on the back, inclining to -greenish on the sides; lines greenish grey, edged with black, and a double -whitish one low down on the sides. It feeds from September to June, on -clover, plantain, dock, and various other low plants; and also cow-parsnip -and other umbelliferae. The moth flies in July and August, and is to be -found in most English counties, but perhaps most commonly in the eastern. -In Scotland it ranges to Moray, and seems to be generally distributed in -Ireland. - -THE WHITE-LINE DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _tritici_). - -This is another exceedingly variable species. The ground colour of the fore -wings ranges from pale whitish or ochreous brown, through various tints of -greyish and red brown, up to black or sooty brown; variation in markings is -somewhat similar to that referred to in _A. cursoria_. Three forms are -shown on Plate 106, Figs. 7, 8, and 11; the latter represents a specimen -closely approaching _A. obelisca_. Var. _aquilina_ (Figs. 9 and 10), the -English name of which is the Streaked Dart, is larger than the type, and -the wings, consequently, are broader; by some entomologists it is -considered to be a distinct species. - -The caterpillar is obscure greyish or brownish, with a dark-edged pale line -along the middle of the back, and a dusky line {208} on each side of it; -low down on the sides is another dusky line. It feeds from September to May -on mouse-ear chickweed, bedstraw, plantain, and other low-growing plants -growing on sandy soils. - -The moth is out in July and August, and is widely distributed throughout -the British Isles, including the Orkneys and Shetlands, but especially -common on coast sandhills. - -THE SQUARE-SPOT DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _obelisca_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 106, Fig. 12) are pale greyish brown, -purplish brown, or sometimes slaty brown, with fairly distinct black cross -lines, and a pale streak along the front edge; the first line is straight -and less angled, and the second line less curved towards the front margin -than in _A. tritici_. The caterpillar, which feeds from about October to -July on rock rose, bedstraw, and other low plants growing in rocky places -by the sea or on hillsides, is very similar to that of the last species. -The moth is out in August and September in its special haunts. A well-known -locality for it is Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, but it may be obtained -at Torquay, Devonshire; Padstow, Cornwall; and the Scilly Isles. Also -recorded from Sussex, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, South Wales, -Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In Scotland on the -south-west and east coasts; and in Ireland at Howth, Dublin; Dungarvan, Co. -Waterford; and Mt. Charles, Donegal. - -THE HEART AND DART (_Agrotis_ (_Feltia_) _exclamationis_). - -On Plate 105 are figured two examples of the male (Figs. 3, 4) and two -female specimens (Figs. 5, 6). The colour of the fore wings ranges from -pale whitish brown through various shades of brown and grey to a sooty -brown or black. The cross lines are rarely very distinct, the reniform, -orbicular, and claviform marks are, however, generally much in evidence; -but either of the two last, sometimes both, may occasionally disappear. Not -infrequently the reniform is connected with the orbicular by a black streak -from the former; more rarely the claviform is much widened and lengthened, -and almost united with a dusky cloud above it (var. _plaga_, Steph.). This -species is sometimes mistaken for _A. corticea_, but apart from the shorter -teeth of the male antennae, the present species has a distinct, and often -conspicuous, black mark on the front of the thorax. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 108. - 1, 2, 4, 5. NORTHERN DART. - 3. ROSY MARSH MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 109. - 1. HEART AND CLUB: _caterpillar_. - 2. HEATH RUSTIC: _caterpillar_. - 3. NEGLECTED RUSTIC: _caterpillar_. - 4. TRUE-LOVER'S KNOT: _caterpillar_. - -{209} The caterpillar is brownish with darker pear-shaped marks on the -back; lines dark edged; spiracles black and of large size. Head pale marked -with brown. It feeds from July to May on various low herbage, including -lettuce, chickweed, plantain, and goose-foot; also turnips. - -The moth flies in June and July (sometimes in September), and is generally -common; but in Scotland it does not appear to extend north of Moray and -Argyle. - -THE DARK SWORD GRASS (_Agrotis ypsilon_). - -The sexes of this moth are represented on Plate 104, Figs. 7 [male] and 8 -[female]. In occasional specimens of the male the ground colour of the fore -wings is rather pale brown; otherwise there is little variation to note. -The caterpillar feeds from April to July on roots and leaves of cabbage, -lettuce, goose-foot, and many low plants; also on swedes, mangold wurzel, -etc. It is purplish or bronzy brown above and somewhat greener on the -sides; the usual spots are blackish and the lines greyish edged with -darker. Head black with two white spots. The moth is on the wing from July -to September, and as it is sometimes seen in April and May and earlier, it -is said to have probably hibernated. Possibly, however, such early -specimens, found at least once in February, are immigrants. Sometimes the -species is common and at others rare. It has occurred at one time or other -almost everywhere in the British Isles, but it seems to be most regularly -obtained in England and in Ireland. {210} Abroad its range extends through -Europe, Asia, and North America, and also to Australia, and Honolulu. - -THE SAND DART (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _ripae_). - -This species varies a good deal in the ground colour of the fore wings. -According to Barrett it ranges from pure white through pale reddish, rich -reddish (var. _desillii_, Pierret) reddish drab, yellowish drab, and -various shades of pale brown to brownish grey, and the markings to all -degrees of distinctness or obliteration, especially the latter. The two -specimens on Plate 106 have the markings fairly well defined (Fig. 1 is a -male, and Fig. 2 a female). - -The caterpillar is ochreous grey, whitish tinged with pink, or greenish; -the lines and spots are greyish, and the spiracles large and black; head -and plate on first ring ochreous brown. It feeds on saltwort (_Salsola_), -sea rocket (_Cakile_), seablite (_Suaeda_), sea holly (_Eryngium_), and -various other plants that flourish on sandy shores. It is usually full -grown in late autumn, when it goes down some depth into the sand, but does -not pupate until the spring. If the caterpillars are not full fed when -obtained they must be furnished with plenty of sand to burrow in, and kept -supplied with slices of carrot until it is seen that the last put in -remains untouched. - -The moth flies in June and July, and may be found on the coasts of -Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent (Deal), Isle of Wight, Dorset, -Devon (Dawlish and Torquay), Somersetshire, South Wales, Cheshire, -Lancashire, and the Isle of Man. Rare in Scotland and in Ireland. - -THE TRUE LOVER'S KNOT (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _strigula_). - -The white marked reddish moth (Plate 107, Fig. 1) frequents most of the -moorlands and heath and ling-clad heaths and {211} commons throughout the -British Isles. It varies in the tint of the reddish colour, and in the -greater and lesser prominence of the white markings. Specimens from -Scotland, especially from the Shetland Isles, are generally larger than -English examples, and are often clouded with darker tints. The caterpillar, -which is figured on Plate 109, Fig. 4, is reddish brown with a pale line -along the middle of the back edged with dark brown or blackish marks on -each side; a whitish or pinkish white stripe along the sides with a brown -edging above. Head ochreous brown, marked with darker. It feeds on heath -and heather, and hides by day in the moss or among dead leaves, etc., below -the food plant, August to May. The moth flies, sometimes by day, but -usually at night, in June, July, and in late seasons in August. - -THE PORTLAND MOTH (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _praecox_). - -The pretty greenish moth with black cross lines, white spots, and -reddish-brown clouding on the outer area (Plate 107, Fig. 4), is said to -have been first reared in this country by the Duchess of Portland, early in -the nineteenth century, hence the English name. Although occasionally found -several miles from the sea, it is essentially a coast species, and may be -obtained on the sandhills of Dorsetshire, Devon, Suffolk, Norfolk, -Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Isle of Man. Odd specimens -occasionally occur inland, as for example at Kendal (1899), and in -Worcestershire (1901 and 1903). In Scotland it is found in suitable places -along the west coast, from the Firth of Clyde to Sutherland, and on the -east to Moray; and it is widely spread on the coasts of Ireland. The -caterpillar is slaty grey; central line on the back whitish or pale -greyish, expanding on each ring and so forming a series of connected spots, -edged with darker tint; then a whitish stripe, edged above by a slender -black line; a whitish or bluish grey stripe along the black spiracles. Head -pale {212} brown, obscurely marked with darker. It feeds from September to -June on dwarf sallow, grasses, chickweed, wormwood, etc. The moth flies in -August. - -THE PEARLY UNDERWING (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _saucia_). - -Two specimens, both males, are represented on Plate 104. Fig. 10 is more or -less typical and Fig. 9 is referable to var. _margaritosa_, Haworth; both -occur together wherever the species is found, but the typical form is -generally the most frequent. - -The caterpillar, which tapers slightly towards the head, is reddish grey or -brown above and paler on the sides; a line along the middle of the back is -yellowish and edged with dark brown dashes; the line along the greyish -ringed black spiracles is pale and edged above with black; a yellowish -blotch on the last ring and a black bar on ring eleven; head pale brown or -greyish brown marked with black. It feeds on most low plants; also on -cabbage and rape. It occurs in June and July, and in a second generation in -September, October, and sometimes November. From eggs laid in September the -caterpillar hatched in from five days to a fortnight and moths resulted -from these about six weeks later. - -Although it certainly does occur in May and June sometimes, the moth is -very much more frequently seen in autumn. On the south coast, extending to -Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, the species is possibly a resident. In other -parts of the British Isles its occurrence is more or less casual, and, -although common in some years in other southern, and also eastern and -northern counties, it does not seem to be permanently established therein. -No doubt its more general distribution, and abundance here and there, in -certain years, is due to the arrival of immigrants, either in small numbers -in the spring, or in swarms later on in the year. {213} - -The distribution abroad includes Central, Western, and Southern Europe; -Asia Minor; Northern Africa, Canaries, and Madeira; North America. - -THE NORTHERN RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _lucernea_). - -The specimens of this locally variable species shown on Plate 107 are from -Scotland (Fig. 9 [male]), var. _renigera_, Stephens, and North Wales (Fig. -10 [female]). Barrett (_Brit. Lep._, vol. 3), discussing the variation, -remarks, "On the south coast of England, and especially at Portland, the -general tint is pale smoky grey, much darker towards the hind margin, and -with the markings moderately distinct; inland mountainous districts, -especially in North Wales, produce a still paler form; coast districts in -the west and north a decidedly darker; and in the far west, as in Kerry, -some specimens are actually slate-black, without more than the faintest -trace of markings. The Isle of Wight produces deep slate-coloured -specimens, darker than those from the Isle of Man, which are grey brown. -Shetland specimens are large and dark, even to glossy blue-black." The -caterpillar is dusky olive green, mottled all over with small black streaks -and dapplings; each segment of the body having a faintly indicated pale -olive-green spot on each subdorsal region, below which, on each side, is an -oblique shading of blackish green. Head shining black-brown, rather lighter -brown at the sides (Barrett). It feeds on harebell (_Campanula_), stonecrop -(_Sedum acre_), saxifrage, cowslip, chickweed, and grasses, from August to -May. The moth flies in July and August, and in the north and west in -September. It occurs in rough stony places, on rocky places on the coast, -and on hills inland, in Kent (Folkestone district), Isle of Wight, Dorset, -Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire (rare), Sussex, Shropshire, Wales, -Lancashire (rare), Yorkshire, and Westmoreland. It is widely distributed in -Scotland and Ireland. {214} - -THE DOTTED RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _simulans_). - -The sexes of this local moth are figured on Plate 107. Fig. 7 represents a -male from Aberdeen, and Fig. 8 a female from Dorsetshire. The latter is of -a pale brown colour on the fore wings, and this is somewhat unusual, as the -prevailing colour of specimens from the Dorset coast is greyish brown. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown, dotted with brown, and marked with dark -brown, sometimes greenish tinged, on the back; a white stripe below the -spiracles; head brown and rather glossy. It feeds on grasses and low -plants, such as dock, dandelion, groundsel, etc. September to May. The moth -flies in July, August, and September. It occurs at various places on the -Dorsetshire coast; on the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire; in North Wales, and -the Isle of Man; also from Cheshire to Cumberland. Widely distributed in -Scotland, extending to the Hebrides and the Orkneys. In Ireland only -recorded from Sligo. - -THE HEATH RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Eueretagrotis_) _agathina_). - -The moth, shown on Plate 107, varies in colour and in marking. Fig. 2 -depicts a specimen from Perthshire, and Fig. 3 one from North Devonshire. -In Southern England the general tint is pinkish brown, and in the north and -in Scotland it is dark reddish brown or blackish. A pale greyish form from -Ireland has been named var. _hebridicola_, Staud. Sometimes specimens are -distinctly rosy in tint, and these are referable to var. _rosea_, Tutt. The -caterpillar (Plate 109, Fig. 2) is reddish brown, or green, with whitish -lines on the back, the central one edged on each sides with blackish, and -the others inwardly marked with black; a yellowish stripe low down along -the sides, sometimes marked with reddish; usual dots black; spiracles -white, dark ringed; head greenish yellow marked with darker in the green -form, and yellowish brown marked with darker in the brown form. It feeds -from September to June on heath and heather. The above brief description -was made from apparently full-grown caterpillars received from the New -Forest on May 28, 1907, but not one of them attained the chrysalis stage. -The moth is out in August and September, and occurs on most of the larger -heaths, and on moorlands throughout the British Isles, including the -Hebrides and Orkneys. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 110. - 1. ASHWORTH'S RUSTIC. - 2, 3. NEGLECTED RUSTIC. - 4. AUTUMNAL RUSTIC. - 5. PLAIN CLAY. - 6. DOUBLE DART. - 7. FLAME SHOULDER. - 8. SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER. - 9. TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 111. - 1. FLAME SHOULDER: _caterpillar_. - 2. TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY: _caterpillar_. - 3. DOUBLE DART: _caterpillar_. - -{215} THE STOUT DART (_Agrotis ravida_ (_obscura_)). - -The somewhat dingy brown, or greyish brown moth (Plate 107, Figs. 5 [male], -6 [female]) is sometimes tinged with reddish, and this tint is generally -present on the front or costal area. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown with a paler line along the back, and a -series of dark edged, oblique and more or less curved, yellowish marks on -each side; head greyish freckled with brownish; plate on first ring brown -marked with pale lines. It feeds on low-growing plants such as dock, -dandelion, chickweed, etc.; September to May. The moth flies in July and -August, but its occurrence in Britain is somewhat irregular. It is found, -sometimes commonly, in most of the southern and eastern counties of -England, and also in Durham; and has been occasionally recorded from other -parts of the country, as well as from Scotland. For several years it may -seem to quite disappear and then suddenly become common in various -districts. Its range abroad extends to Amurland, North China, Corea, and -Japan. - -THE NORTHERN DART (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _hyperborea_). - -Of this pretty Scottish species (_alpina_, Westw. and Humph.) four examples -are figured in Plate 108. Figs. 1 and 2 represent specimens from Shetland, -and Figs. 4 and 5 are from Rannoch specimens. These will show something of -the variation in this {216} moth, which was not known to occur in the -British Isles until 1839, when a single specimen was taken on Cairn Gowr in -Perthshire. No other example seems to have been noted up to 1854, when one -was found on a rock in the same part of Perthshire. Up to the year 1876, -only a few specimens had been obtained, but in that year, which was a hot -and dry one in the Highlands, quite a number were secured. A female was -also detected laying her yellowish white eggs on crowberry (_Empetrum -nigrum_) and thus gave a clue which led to the subsequent discovery of -caterpillars and chrysalids; and these have been obtained in some quantity. -The caterpillar is reddish, inclining to pinkish brown, freckled with -darker; three whitish lines on the back, the central one irregularly black -dotted, edged on both sides with black, and the others with black bars -along their inside edge; head pale brown freckled and lined with darker -brown. It feeds from August to June (of the second year following hatching -from the egg, it is said), on crowberry, bilberry (_Vaccinium_), and -bearberry (_Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_). - -The moth is out from late June until about the middle of August. It only -occurs with us on the higher mountains in Perthshire, notably those to the -south of Loch Rannoch; and at lower elevations in Unst, the most northern -isle of the Shetland group. It has also been recorded from the Orkneys. -Kane mentions a specimen bred at the end of February, 1893, at Clonbrock, -Co. Galway, from a caterpillar found at a bog in the vicinity, where -crowberry grows abundantly. Abroad the species in its typical form is found -on mountains in Central and Southern Scandinavia, and in modified form in -Silesia, Hungary, and Switzerland. - -ASHWORTH'S RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _ashworthii_). - -This moth, which is figured in Plate 110, is considered by some -entomologists to be a form of _A. candelarum_ peculiar {217} to the hills -and mountains of North Wales, and found chiefly at Llangollen, Penmaenmawr, -and Snowdon. The colour of the fore wings varies from pale dove colour to -dark slaty grey. The caterpillar is blackish, or dark slate colour, with -two series of velvety black spots, or dashes along the back; head reddish -brown. It feeds on various low-growing plants, among which are rock-rose, -wild thyme, sheep's sorrel, bedstraw, etc. Towards the end of April, in -Flint, they feed freely and crawl about their food plants in the day time -as well as at night (E. W. H. Blagg). The moth has been reared in November -and December from eggs found in July, about the second week; the -caterpillars having been supplied mainly with sallow, with the addition of -dock, groundsel, plantain, and knot grass (R. Tait). On another occasion -moths were bred in October from eggs laid by a female reared from -caterpillars taken in North Wales in the spring (A. Harrison). The moth is -out in July and August and in its rugged haunts, may be disturbed from -among the loose rubble, and from chinks in the rocks; but as they come -freely to sugared herbage, captives in this way would probably be more -numerous. Discovered at Llangollen in 1853, by Mr. Joseph Ashworth after -whom it was named by Doubleday in 1855. - -NOTE.--Barrett mentions the following Agrotids as having occurred in the -British Isles. - -_A. crassa_, Hubn., "one specimen in the cabinet of Mr. S. Stevens." _A. -spinifera_, Hubn., a specimen taken in the Isle of Man, August, 1869. _A. -fennica_, Tauscher, a specimen recorded in the _Zoologist_ for 1850, as -captured in Derbyshire. - -THE ROSY MARSH MOTH (_Noctua_ (_Coenophila_) _subrosea_). - -The last two moths were respectively productions of Scotland and Wales; the -present one is exclusively English, at least it was, because now and for -perhaps the last fifty years it has been extinct in its old fenny haunts at -Whittlesea, in Cambridgeshire, {218} and Yaxley, Huntingdonshire. In the -latter fen it was first noted by Weaver about the year 1837. In 1846 and -onwards it was plentiful, and the caterpillars were common. All was well -with the species until about 1851 when the fens were drained, and the moth -then ceased to appear. (Plate 108, Fig. 3.) In Sweden, Southern Russia, and -in Amurland the species is represented by a bluish form, var. -_subcoerulea_, Staud. - -THE DOUBLE DART (_Noctua_ (_Exarnis_) _augur_). - -The dull brownish moth (Plate 110, Fig. 6), is generally distributed -throughout the British Isles, including the Orkneys. The fore wings of -southern specimens are usually suffused with reddish, but this is less -obvious in northern examples. The markings are sometimes bold and striking -or, on the other hand, only faintly defined, or largely absent. A -pinkish-tinged brown form without markings was formerly confused with the -Continental _A. helvetina_. The moth is on the wing in June and July, -sometimes in August, especially in the north; and the caterpillar is to be -found from July to May. When young it feeds on various low-growing plants, -but later it crawls up at night to devour the leaves of hawthorn, sloe, -sallow, birch, etc. It is brownish, tinged with pink, and marked on the -back with a series of V-shaped dashes, and white points; on ring eleven -there is a yellowish-edged black mark; above the white spiracles is a -black-edged red-brown stripe. Head pale brown, freckled with darker brown. - -THE AUTUMNAL RUSTIC (_Noctua glareosa_). - -In its typical form as depicted on Plate 110, Fig. 4, this species is slaty -grey with black markings. In Devonshire and other parts of the west of -England, and also in Ireland, it assumes a decided pinkish tinge (var. -_rosea_, Tutt). Through Scotland the colour becomes darker grey, and in -Perthshire it merges into blackish grey. In the Shetlands a blackish, or -sooty-brown form (var. _edda_, Staud.), occurs. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 112. - 1. INGRAILED CLAY: _caterpillar_. - 2. PURPLE CLAY: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 113. - 1. DOUBLE SQUARE-SPOT. - 2. SQUARE-SPOTTED CLAY. - 3, 4. PURPLE CLAY. - 5, 6, 7. INGRAILED CLAY. - 8, 9. INGRAILED CLAY, _var. conflua_. - 10, 11. INGRAILED CLAY, _var. thulei_. - -{219} The caterpillar feeds on grasses and various low plants, also on -ling, heath, sallow, and has been found on wild hyacinth. It is -yellowish-brown with dark shaded pale lines on the back, and a dark brown -stripe on the sides; spiracles and dots blackish. October to June. The moth -flies in August and September, and affects heathy places, borders of woods, -etc., throughout the British Isles, including the Hebrides, Orkneys, and -Shetlands. Except in the New Forest, Hampshire, it does not seem to be -common in the southern counties of England; it occurs in Epping Forest, and -in other parts of the eastern counties; northwards it becomes more -generally distributed and more plentiful. - -THE NEGLECTED, OR GREY RUSTIC (_Noctua castanea_). - -The reddish typical form of this species is shown on Plate 110, Fig. 3. -Fig. 2 represents the greyish form, var. _neglecta_, which is most -frequently met with in southern England. Between these extremes -intermediate forms occur connecting one with the other. Specimens of a pale -ochreous colour have been obtained in the vicinity of Market Drayton, -Shropshire. The caterpillar, which feeds on heather and sallow at night, is -pale reddish-brown, finely powdered with greyish; below the pale ochreous -stripe on the sides, the ground colour is greenish; head marked with darker -brown. September to May. The moth flies in August, and occurs on the larger -tracts of heathery ground throughout the British Isles, but it is commoner -in some parts than in others, and appears to be scarce in Ireland. The red -form, and intermediates, occasionally occur in the New Forest, and also in -other parts of Southern England, but in Scotland it is not uncommon. The -distribution abroad is, like that of the last species, pretty much confined -to Western Europe. {220} - -THE DOTTED CLAY (_Noctua baja_). - -This species, a male and female of which are shown on Plate 114, Figs. 7 -[male] and 8 [female] is common in wooded districts throughout the British -Isles, except the Orkneys and the Shetlands. The colour of the fore wings -ranges from pale greyish brown, or reddish grey, to reddish brown or -purplish brown. Sometimes the first and second cross lines are bordered, or -represented, by pale bands. - -The caterpillar is dingy ochreous brown, or reddish brown; three yellowish -lines along the back, the central one edged with blackish; the others have -blackish bordered yellow triangular marks between them, on each ring from -three to eleven; spiracles and dots black; head pale brown, shining. It -feeds in the autumn on various low plants, and in the spring on hawthorn, -sloe, sallow, bramble, etc. September to May. The moth flies in July and -August. Its range abroad extends to Amurland and to North America. - -THE PLAIN CLAY (_Noctua depuncta_). - -This species is represented on Plate 110, Fig. 5, by a female specimen. -Sometimes the fore wings are more reddish brown in colour, and the markings -are occasionally bolder. The caterpillar is pale or dark reddish brown -above, and rather greyish below; the back is marked with dark outlined -diamonds, and the dark edged white spiracles have a dark shade above them, -and an ochreous stripe below; head pale brown marked with darker. Feeds on -primrose, dock, sorrel, nettle, etc. from September to May. The moth flies -in July, August, and the early part of September. It seems to be more -frequently and regularly obtained in Scotland, especially in the woods of -Perthshire, Aberdeen and Moray. In England the species is, or has been, -found in Oxfordshire (rare in beech woods), {221} Berkshire, Wiltshire -(Savernake Forest), Devonshire (Dartmoor), South Wales (near Swansea), -North Wales (Mold), Cheshire (one specimen, Staley-brushes), Yorkshire -(Scarborough), Durham (one at Bishop Auckland), Cumberland (Barrow Wood). -The range abroad includes Central Europe (except Holland and Belgium), -Southern Sweden, Lavonia, and South-east Russia, Armenia, and Northern Asia -Minor. It may be noted that Stephens, writing in 1829, considered this to -be a doubtful British species. - -THE SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER (_Noctua c-nigrum_). - -A male specimen of this often common and generally distributed species is -shown on Plate 110, Fig. 8. The fore wings vary in colour, from pale -reddish grey through bright reddish or pinkish brown to purplish brown; the -costal mark may be whitish, ochreous, or pinkish tinged. The moth is most -frequently obtained in the autumn, but it is sometimes met with from May to -July. - -The caterpillar is pale brownish or greenish grey, with two series of black -streaks, and a dark-edged pale central line, on the back; below the black -outlined white spiracles is a black-edged yellow ochreous, or whitish -stripe; head ochreous brown streaked with darker brown. It feeds on dock, -chickweed, groundsel, and other low plants. It is said to feed from -September to April or May. Possibly, however, in favourable seasons, some -may pupate either in the autumn or in the early months of the year, and so -attain the moth state greatly in advance of the majority. The range of this -species' distribution extends to India, Corea, Japan, and North America. - -THE BLACK COLLAR (_Noctua flammatra_). - -Fore wings pale greyish brown, with dark-edged pale cross lines; a pale -whitish brown pink-tinged streak along the front {222} margin to the second -line; below this is a short black dot; the reniform and orbicular marks are -pale, the centre sometimes darker, and the claviform has a dark edge but is -not distinct; the front of the thorax is broadly marked with black, hence -the English name. - -Only three British examples seem to be known; two of these were captured in -the Isle of Wight, 1859 and 1876, and the third occurred in the lighthouse -at Cromer in 1875. The range abroad is Central and Southern Europe, Western -and Central Asia and India. - -THE TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY (_Noctua ditrapezium_). - -The ground colour of the fore wings of this moth ranges from pinkish brown -through pale reddish brown to a purplish grey brown. The specimen shown on -Plate 110, Fig. 9 [male] is of the pinkish brown form from Tilgate Forest -in Sussex. In a series bred from caterpillars obtained at Hampstead, -North-west London, the bulk of the males are pale reddish brown, and the -females purplish brown; one male, however, is as dark as the females. -Caterpillar, purplish brown, mottled above with dark brown; a thin white -line, interrupted with black, along the middle of the back, and a row of -black marks on each side; on the sides are oblique blackish marks, with the -white spiracles showing distinct at their lower ends. Head pale shining -brown, the cheeks marked with darker brown. Feeds on dandelion, dock, -chickweed, primrose, and other low plants; also on bramble and sallow, and -in the spring on the young leaves of birch. September to May (Plate 111, -Fig. 2). - -The moth flies, in and around woods, in July. It is local and not always -common, but has been found in the north-west and south-west districts of -London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Devon, Wales (Swansea -and Barmouth), and Norfolk (Cromer). It occurs in Scotland (Perthshire), -and {223} two specimens have been recorded from Ireland. Its range extends -to Siberia and Amurland. - -THE DOUBLE SQUARE-SPOT (_Noctua triangulum_). - -This species (Plate 113, Fig. 1) is usually pale brown, more or less tinged -with reddish, but some specimens are of a rather darker hue, and others -inclined to greyish. The conspicuous marks in the discal cell, usually -black or blackish, are sometimes pale or dark reddish brown. The moth flies -in June and July, and occurs in woods or well-timbered districts throughout -England (except in Somerset, Dorset, and westward), Wales, Scotland -(mainland), and Ireland. - -THE SQUARE-SPOTTED CLAY (_Noctua stigmatica_). - -As will be seen from its portrait (Plate 113, Fig. 2), this moth, although -darker in colour, is marked somewhat similarly to the last referred to. It -should be noted, however, that the basal line is less distinct; the -submarginal line is inwardly shaded with blackish, and there is no blackish -spot at its costal extremity. The fore wings are sometimes pale reddish -brown, and sometimes almost blackish. - -The caterpillar, which is ochreous, or brownish, is somewhat similar in -marking to that of _A. ditrapezium_, and feeds on dandelion, dock, -chickweed, plantain, sallow, etc. In confinement it is said to eat sliced -carrot or potato, and, if kept warm, may be induced to feed up and attain -the moth state early in the year. - -The moth flies in July and August and seems to be partial to woods. It is -very local, but occurs not uncommonly in the New Forest, Hampshire, and in -Oxfordshire and Berkshire beech woods; also found in Buckinghamshire, the -Eastern Counties, Kent, Sussex, Dorsetshire, Devon, Lancashire (once), -Yorkshire (very local), and North Wales (once). In Scotland {224} it -appears to be more widely spread, but has not been noted in Ireland. - -THE PURPLE CLAY (_Noctua brunnea_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 113, Figs. 3, 4) range in colour from -purplish brown to reddish brown, or pale reddish brown; some of the darker -forms are suffused with greyish, and the central area is occasionally -ochreous tinged. There is also variation in the markings, especially the -reniform stigma which is usually more or less filled in with ochreous or -whitish tint, but not infrequently it is merely outlined in one of these -colours, and the centre is then dark grey brown, sometimes enclosing a -whitish or ochreous crescent. These remarks are of general application, but -refer to a long series I obtained in North Devon. - -The caterpillar (Plate 112, Fig. 2) is reddish brown with a yellowish tinge -and with black dots and ochreous markings. It feeds on bilberry, wood-rush -(_Luzula_), various low plants, bramble, sallow, and in the spring it -attacks the buds and young leaves of the birch saplings, etc. August to -May. The moth flies in June and July, and is often common in woods over -almost the whole of the British Isles, including the Hebrides and the -Orkneys. The range abroad extends to Amurland. - -THE INGRAILED CLAY (_Noctua primulae_). - -This species, long known as _festiva_, but for which Esper's earlier name -_primulae_ will have to be adopted, is exceedingly variable. Specimens of -the more or less typical form and also of the forms known as _conflua_ and -_thulei_ are portrayed on Plate 113. The fore wings range in colour from -pale ochreous to chestnut brown, and from grey to smoky grey brown. The -cross lines are distinct in some specimens, but in others are hardly -visible; the discal cell is often no darker than the {225} general colour, -but sometimes there is a reddish square spot in place of the usual black -one; the reniform and orbicular marks may be only faintly outlined, and the -latter sometimes cannot be traced; the brownish band-like shade between the -outer and submarginal lines is frequently only indicated by a short dash -from the front margin, and even this is occasionally absent. - -The smaller moorland and mountain form, var. _conflua_, Treitschke, and in -the vulgar tongue The Lesser Ingrailed, varies on somewhat similar lines. -(Plate 113, Figs. 8, 9.) Var. _thulei_, Staudinger, also varies greatly in -colour and in marking. Some specimens are dark reddish brown, or -occasionally smoky brown; others are pale reddish brown, grey brown, -reddish grey, or grey; the pale cross lines are generally distinct, in the -darker specimens especially. This form, which is peculiar to the Shetland -Isles, is shown on Plate 113, Figs. 10, 11. In the foregoing remarks -reference has been made only to the general trend of variation; many other -forms of aberration in this species might be mentioned if space permitted. - -The caterpillar is pale or dark reddish or olive brown inclining to pinkish -between the rings; the lines are yellowish, the central paler edged with -brown, and the outer ones edged with blackish marks; oblique darker dashes -on the sides; spiracles black, ochreous ringed, with a pale stripe below -them; head pale brown marked with darker. It feeds on primrose, bilberry, -dock, sallow, hawthorn, bramble, etc. August to May. (Plate 112, Fig. 1.) -The moth flies in June, but specimens of a second generation have been -obtained, in confinement, from August to October. The species in one form -or another occurs in woods, on moorlands, etc., over the whole of the -British Isles. - -THE BARRED CHESTNUT (_Noctua dahlii_). - -The sexes of this species are depicted on Plate 114. It will be noted that -the female (Fig. 2) is darker in colour than the {226} male (Fig. 1). The -sexual colour difference holds good generally, but there are exceptions and -the male may sometimes be dark, like the female; or the latter sex may -occasionally assume a reddish coloration. As a rule the reniform mark is -most distinct in the female. A form occurring in Ireland with the fore -wings dark sepia colour and the reniform mark clear whitish has been named -var. _perfusca_, Kane. The caterpillar varies in the colour of the back -through various shades of ochreous and brown to dark reddish brown, and -this is always in strong contrast with the colour of the lower parts; the -lines are pale, and the outer ones on the back are edged with black dashes; -spots and spiracles black; head pale brown. It feeds on dock, plantain, -etc., and in the spring on young sallow leaves. In confinement will become -full grown before Christmas, but normally it feeds from September to May. -The moth is out in late July and in August. It is found on heaths, -moorlands, and in woods; it is not uncommon in some parts of the Midlands, -and is found in Cheshire and northwards to Cumberland. It also occurs in -Herefordshire, Pembrokeshire; in the south and east of England it is not -frequent, but has been taken in South Oxfordshire, Berkshire (Newbury), -Suffolk, Hants (Winchester and New Forest), etc. Widely distributed in -Scotland, and locally abundant in Ireland. The distribution abroad extends -to Amurland and Japan. - -THE SMALL SQUARE SPOT (_Noctua rubi_). - -There are two generations of this species. The first is on the wing in -June, and the second in August, September, and sometimes even in October. -An example of each brood is shown on Plate 114, Fig. 3, 1st gen., Fig. 4, -2nd gen. The early moths are larger in size than the later ones, but are -fewer in number. Moths of the second generation often abound at the sugar -patches, and on ragwort blossom. The colour of {227} the fore wings varies -from pale to dark reddish brown in both broods. - -The caterpillar is greyish ochreous or brown, with dark-edged paler lines, -and the brown head is marked with darker. It feeds on dandelion, dock, -grass, etc. Those of the first generation feed from autumn to spring, and -those of the second during the summer. The moth is found in almost every -part of the British Isles, except, perhaps, the Hebrides and Shetlands. - -THE SIX-STRIPED RUSTIC (_Noctua umbrosa_). - -This species (Plate 114, Fig. 5), is also generally distributed over our -islands as far north as Moray, but it is rather partial to marshy -situations. The caterpillar, which feeds from August to May on dock, -plantain, bramble, bedstraw, etc., is pale ochreous or brownish, freckled -with darker, and with dark-edged, pale ochreous lines on the back, the -outer ones with a series of black wedges along them; a dark brown stripe -low down along the sides; head pale brown marked with darker. The moth -flies in July and August. It seems to prefer the flowers of the ragwort and -the honey-dew on foliage to sugar, but the latter has attractions for it -nevertheless. - -COUSIN GERMAN (_Noctua_ (_Mythimna_) _sobrina_). - -On Plate 114, Fig. 6, is a portrait of this greyish suffused purple-brown -species, which in the British Isles is seemingly confined to certain -localities in Perthshire and Aberdeen, and was first met with in the former -county by Weaver in 1853. According to Barrett it is found chiefly in -mountain districts from 700 feet above sea-level upwards. - -The caterpillar is reddish or red brown, slightly mottled with grey; the -marking on the back almost linear, widening a little, but narrowly -lozenge-shaped near the end of each ring, and {228} having on the widest -part a round pale spot of dirty ochreous; sides much mottled with grey; -dots and spiracles black, and under the latter a pale pinkish, ochreous, -brown stripe; head shining brownish ochreous, with two black dots in front -of each lobe. (Adapted from Buckler.) It feeds on heather, bilberry, birch, -grass, etc. September to June. The moth flies in July and August. - -THE SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC (_Noctua_ (_Segetia_) _xanthographa_). - -Four examples of this very common and most variable species are shown on -Plate 114, Figs. 9-12. The colour of the fore wings ranges from whity -brown, or drab, through various shades of grey-brown and red-brown to -blackish. The more or less square reniform, and the orbicular, marks are -subject to a good deal of modification; in some specimens they are whitish -or ochreous and very conspicuous, and in others exceedingly faint or -entirely missing; or the reniform may be well defined and prominent, and -the orbicular absent; the cross lines are frequently obscure, except the -dark-edged, pale submarginal, and this, too, may be wanting; occasionally -there is a blackish shade between the stigmata and extending from the front -to inner margins. The hind wings of the males are whitish, with a dark -marginal border of variable width, but rarely, so far as I have noted, -entirely absent; those of the females are uniformly darker. - -The full-grown caterpillar (Plate 112, Fig. 3) is hardly separable from -that of _N. umbrosa_, and feeds at the same date on low-growing plants, -etc. The moth flies in August and early September. It is generally -distributed throughout the British Isles, and is abundant pretty well -everywhere. - -THE FLAME SHOULDER (_Noctua_ (_Ochropleura_) _plecta_). - -This moth (Plate 110, Fig. 7) is also common, and generally distributed -throughout England, Ireland, Scotland (mainland), and Wales. The fore wings -are usually purplish brown, but sometimes they are palish red brown; the -creamy stripe on the front margin is more or less sprinkled with scales of -the ground colour, occasionally so thickly that these marks appear reddish -in tint; there is often a pale, wavy submarginal line, and in some -specimens a dusky second line can be detected; not infrequently there are -traces of the claviform mark, but I do not remember ever seeing any -indication of a first line. The hind wings are white, and frequently the -fringes are pale pinky brown. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 114. - 1, 2. BARRED CHESTNUT. - 3, 4. SMALL SQUARE-SPOT. - 5. SIX-STRIPED RUSTIC. - 6. COUSIN GERMAN. - 7, 8. DOTTED CLAY. - 9, 10, 11, 12. SQUARE SPOT RUSTIC. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 115. - 1, 2. LUNAR YELLOW UNDERWING. - 4, 5, 7, 8. LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING. - 3, 6. LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING. - -{229} The caterpillar is brownish, varying from ochreous to reddish, -freckled with darker; the broken lines on the back are pale, with dark -edges, and there is a brown freckled, pale ochreous stripe along the sides; -the usual spots are black, and the spiracles whitish, edged with brownish; -head brown marked with darker. It feeds on various low plants, and also on -lettuce, beet, etc., in gardens; there are certainly two broods in most -years, one in the summer and the other in the autumn. The moth is out in -May and June, and again in August and September. Specimens have also been -taken in July, and occasionally in April. The species has a very extensive -range abroad, extending to India, Corea, Japan, and North America. - -THE FLAME (_Axylia putris_). - -This species, which is depicted on Plate 132, Fig. 13, is pretty constant -in its pale coloration and darker markings. It is often common, and is -widely spread throughout England, Wales, Ireland, and in Scotland up to -Ross. - -The caterpillar is greyish brown, mottled and dusted with blackish, chiefly -so on the sides; the central line is darker but indistinct, and there is a -yellow spot on each ring; a whitish line on each side of the central one is -edged above with curved black dashes, and these are most distinct on rings -four to ten; {230} the eleventh ring is edged behind with ochreous; head -dark brown; spiracles and raised dots blackish. (Adapted from Fenn.) It -feeds on hedge bedstraw (_Galium mollugo_), dock, plantain, nettle, and -many other low plants; also on lettuce. July to October. Generally the -winter is passed in the chrysalis stage, and the moth comes out in the -following June or July. Sometimes the moth has emerged in September. - -THE LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphaena_ (_Agrotis_) _comes_ = _orbona_). - -This very variable species, of which the typical forms and two varieties -are represented on Plate 115, is to be found, often abundantly, almost -everywhere in the British Isles, except the Shetlands. - -Apart from a form peculiar to Scotland, which will be separately referred -to, the colour range of the fore wings is from pale ochreous-brown to a -deep brown; in all shades there may be a tinge of reddish, or a suffusion -of greyish. In Ireland and Scotland, and less frequently in England, a -distinctly red form occurs. (Plate 115, Fig. 7.) Then there is variation in -the markings, and more particularly in the reniform and orbicular marks; -both stigmata are, perhaps, rarely absent, but they are frequently very -faint, and of the orbicular there is often not a trace. On the other hand, -both may be filled up with dark brown, or blackish, and very conspicuous. -The cross lines, and more especially the shaded submarginal, are usually -pretty much in evidence, but these are apt to disappear entirely. The -yellow hind wings are occasionally smudged with blackish towards the base; -the central crescents vary in size, and somewhat in shape, and although -sometimes greatly reduced, they are only rarely quite missing; the black -band before the outer margin is also subject to modification in width and -the regularity of its edges. {231} - -Var. _curtisii_, Newman, was discovered in the Isle of Bute by Curtis in -1825, but until 1871, when Newman gave it the name it now bears, it had -been known as _consequa_, the name assigned to it by Curtis when figured by -him in 1831. The form is generally rather smaller than the type; the fore -wings are rich reddish brown, clouded to a greater or lesser extent with -blackish, and sometimes entirely suffused with that colour. The yellow -ground of the hind wings is rarely quite free of black scales, but in some -specimens they are so thick that the yellow is hidden. A specimen of this -form is shown on Plate 115, Fig. 8. It is found in the Orkneys, -Sutherlandshire, Elgin, Inverness, Aberdeenshire; also in the Hebrides, and -in the Isles of Bute and Arran. - -The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 2), is greenish ochreous varying to -greenish brown; three yellowish lines on the back, the central edged with -blackish and the others with dark oblong marks; spiracles white, edged with -blackish, and below them an ochreous stripe; head grey brown marked with -darker. It feeds on grass and most low plants from September to April. The -moth is out in July and August. - -Abroad it occurs chiefly in Central and Southern Europe, but its range -extends to Southern Scandinavia and eastward to Asia Minor and Armenia. - -THE LUNAR YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphaena_ (_Agrotis_) _orbona_ = _subsequa_). - -Two specimens of this species are shown on Plate 115. Fig. 1 represents a -specimen from Forres, in Scotland, and Fig. 2 an example from the New -Forest, Hants. - -Although there is some variation in the colour of the fore wings (which -ranges from pale greyish brown to dark reddish brown), and also in the -intensity and clearness of the markings, this species is far less aberrant -than that last referred to, and {232} from which it is at once separated by -the black mark on the front margin, placed on the inner edge of the -submarginal line. The caterpillar is distinguished from that of _comes_ by -the black-edged broader ochreous central line, and a series of black oblong -spots on each side of it; the stripe under the spiracles is broad, and -ochreous. It feeds from September to April on grasses and various low -plants. The moth flies in July and August. The species is widely -distributed in Scotland, and occurs in Unst, the most northern of the -Shetland Isles. In England it occurs, or has been found, in Durham, -Yorkshire, Worcestershire (Malvern), Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, -Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk (not uncommon in the "Breck" district), -Surrey, Sussex, Wilts, Hants (rather commonly in the New Forest), and the -Isle of Wight. For Wales, Barrett states that it is rare in Pembrokeshire; -and Kane mentions Co. Galway (four specimens), Killarney, and Lisbellaw for -Ireland. The range abroad is somewhat similar to that of _comes_, but it -extends further north in Scandinavia. - -THE LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphaena_ (_Agrotis_) _pronuba_). - -The colour of the fore wings of this common, and often abundant, species -ranges through various shades of brown to dark purplish. In the typical -form (Plate 115, Fig. 3), the wings are of the paler shades, mottled with -darker, and the thorax, except the pale front, agrees in colour with the -darker mottling of the wings. Fig. 6 shows the plain form (var. _innuba_, -Treitschke), and it is in this form that the darkest colours appear; the -thorax is always of the wing colour, and without the pale front. The black -mark at upper end of the submarginal line is rarely absent, but I have a -pale reddish-brown example of the _innuba_ form without the mark. In the -black-bordered yellow hind wings a central crescent is very {233} -exceptional, but specimens in which it is more or less evident are not -unknown. - -The eggs figured on Plate 118 were found in August, 1906, on a leaf of -gladiolus in the garden. When first noticed they were of a pale -creamy-white colour, but two days afterwards the upper half of the batch -became purplish grey, and the caterpillars hatched out the following -morning, when the other half had also changed colour, and the larvae -hatched next day. - -The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 1), is obscure brownish, sometimes -ochreous or green tinged; with ochreous lines on the back, the outer ones -edged with blackish bars on rings four to eleven; head pale brown marked -with darker. It feeds from August to May on grasses and low plants, and is -often a pest in the flower or vegetable garden. When eggs are obtained -early, the caterpillars from them will sometimes attain the moth state in -the same year. The moth flies in June and July, and has occurred in April, -September, and October. - -THE BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphaena fimbria_). - -This is another species with variable coloured fore wings, and four -examples of it are shown on Plate 116. Pale ochreous brown and greyish -brown is the most frequent colour, but various shades of greenish or olive -brown are not uncommon. A dark reddish-brown form, known to collectors as -the "mahogany form," seems to be somewhat rare. In the majority of -specimens the basal third, and more or less of the central area adjacent to -the second line seems to be the darkest coloured; but occasionally these -parts are pretty much of the same tint as the rest of the wings. - -The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 4) is of a soft ochreous brown, sometimes -red tinted, minutely dotted with blackish; the central line on the back is -pale, and on each side are darkly-edged pale {234} oblique streaks; the -white spiracles are followed by blackish marks; head brown freckled with -darker. It feeds in the autumn on primrose, violet, dock, etc., and in the -spring it seems to prefer the buds and young leaves of birch, sallow, -bramble, hawthorn, sloe, chestnut, etc. The chrysalis, which also is -figured, is dark reddish-brown, with two short anal spikes. - -This species occurs in June and July, and frequents woodland localities -throughout England, Ireland, Scotland (up to Moray), and Wales. - -THE LESSER BROAD-BORDER (_Triphaena ianthina_). - -Fore wings violet or purplish grey with blackish cross bands and brownish -suffusion, the latter more especially on the basal area; reniform and -orbicular stigma outlined in whitish. (Plate 116, Fig. 3.) In another form -the bands and suffusion are reddish-brown. The black clouding on basal area -of hind wings sometimes extends further towards the marginal band. The -caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 3) is of a greenish tinged ochreous brown -colour, with a pale central line and series of dusky dashes along the back, -these dashes becoming blackish on the hind rings; the white spiracles are -set in a blackish mark, and under them is a pale ochreous stripe. It feeds -in the autumn on primrose, bramble, dock, etc., and in the spring on the -young growth of sallow, elm, hawthorn, etc. The moth flies in July and -August, frequenting lanes, hedgerows, and woods. It is pretty generally -distributed throughout England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland as far north -as Moray. - -THE LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphaena interjecta_). - -Fore wings, dull reddish brown with darker cross lines and shades, often -faint. On the inner margin of the yellow hind wings, two dusky shades run -from the border to the base; these {235} are not infrequently as black as -the border, which is often broader than in the specimen shown on Plate 116 -(Fig. 4). The caterpillar is ochreous brown dotted with black; on the -middle of the back is a brown stripe enclosing a whitish central line. A -brown stripe along the sides is edged above with whitish; the head is pale -ochreous brown lined with darker. Stated by Barrett to feed on grasses and -low plants, or, in the spring, on young shoots of sallow; said also to eat -primrose and dock. September to May. The moth is out in July and August, -and affects lanes and hedgerows. I have found it more frequently on flowers -of ragwort, and on "honey-dew," than on the sugar patch; but have met with -it occasionally darting along some particular bit of hedgerow, in the late -afternoon. Although apparently uncommon in the Midlands, it occurs more or -less freely throughout England to Durham. In Ireland it has been found in -counties Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Cork, Louth, Westmeath, Galway (Kane), -and, Barrett adds, Antrim. - -THE GREEN ARCHES (_Eurois prasina_). - -This moth is shown on Plate 117. When quite fresh the ground colour of the -fore wings is a beautiful green, but this often fades after a time, and the -wings then assume an ochreous hue. The cross lines are black relieved with -whitish, and there is a whitish blotch on the second line touching the -outer edges of the reniform stigma. The green colour varies in tint even -when the insects are alive; and the black markings differ in intensity, -being much stronger in some specimens than in others. The caterpillar is -greyish brown, more or less tinged with violet; there are three fine -whitish lines, and a series of blackish diamond-shaped marks on the back; -the spiracles are white, and there is an ochreous stripe below them. It -feeds on dock and other low plants, bramble, and in the spring on sallow -shoots and the young growth of bilberry. July to April, or May. {236} The -moth, which frequents woods; flies in June, but has been reared, as a -second generation, late in the year. The species seems to be pretty -generally distributed over England and Ireland, and is often common, -especially in the south and east of the former country. From the Midlands -northwards it appears to be less common, and its range more restricted. In -Scotland it has been recorded from Roxburghshire (common at sugar in 1898), -the Clyde district, and, Barrett adds, Perthshire. - -THE GREAT BROCADE (_Eurois occulta_). - -On Plate 117, Fig. 3 represents the typical grey form of this species, and -Fig. 4 the black var. _passetii_, Thierry-Mieg. Intermediates occur -connecting the melanic form with the type, and sometimes specimens are -found of a paler hue than the type. Bred specimens occasionally have a rosy -tinge, and this is then usually most in evidence between the first and -second cross lines. The caterpillar is brown, with three ochreous lines on -the back, the outer with dark oblique dashes on each ring; a whitish stripe -along the spiracles is blotched with reddish, and edged above with black. -It feeds in the autumn on dock, plantain, primrose, dandelion, etc., and in -the spring on bramble, bilberry, sallow, heather, and birch, among other -things. Usually it hibernates when small, but when kept indoors, and fairly -warm, it can be induced to complete growth, and attain the moth state in -October or later, sometimes even earlier. In the open the moth flies from -the end of June to August. - -Scotland appears to be the British home of the species, and it is found in -most woods throughout that country, including the isles, but it is rare in -the Shetlands. It occurs in Durham (rare), and in Yorkshire was not -uncommon at Everingham in 1897, and several were obtained at Middlesbrough -in 1900. Further south its occurrence is even more casual, and the most -recent captures I have any note of are, two specimens in Lincolnshire, -August, 1896, and one each in Norfolk and North East London, August, 1900. -Also recorded from Essex. Only two specimens are known from Ireland. - -The range abroad extends to Amurland, Corea, and to North America. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 116. - 1, 2, 5, 6. BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING. - 3. LESSER BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING. - 4. LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 117. - 1, 2. GREEN ARCHES. - 3, 4. GREAT BROCADE. - 5. SILVERY ARCHES. - 6. PALE SHINING BROWN. - -{237} THE SILVERY ARCHES (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _tincta_). - -The moth represented on Plate 117, Fig. 5, has the fore wings silvery grey -clouded with brownish on the central area; or occasionally spreading over a -larger portion of the wings, and sometimes purplish in tint. The -caterpillar is brownish inclining to reddish, clouded on the back with -paler and darker brown. The central line, which has a broken blackish -edging, is only distinct on the front rings. Spiracles black; head pale -brown marked with darker brown. In the autumn it feeds on low plants such -as dock, plantain, etc.; but in the spring it is found at night on the -young growth of birch and sallow bushes, and more rarely on hawthorn, and I -believe, on bilberry. The moth which occurs in birch woods in June and -July, is not uncommon in the south of England from Essex to Hampshire, and -has been found in Dorset and Devonshire. It has also been obtained more or -less frequently in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire (once), -Huntingdon, Worcestershire (Wyre Forest and Malvern), Staffordshire -(north), Lancashire (Witherslack), Yorkshire (Huddersfield, once), and -Westmoreland. In Scotland it ranges on the west from Ayr to Argyllshire, -but although local is more frequent in Perthshire, Moray, and Sutherland. -Var. _obscurata_, Staud., is a form of this species occurring in Amurland -and Southern Siberia. - -THE PALE SHINING BROWN (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _advena_). - -This moth (Plate 117, Fig. 6) is pale reddish brown and glossy, especially -on the outer area, on the fore wings. The caterpillar {238} is pale -ochreous brown above, and inclining to greenish below; three dark-edged -pale lines, and a series of dark diamond-shaped marks on the back. The -usual dots are whitish encircled with blackish, and the blackish edged -spiracles are reddish brown; head olive brown, and plate on first ring -blackish with the three lines showing distinct. From July to September it -feeds on various low plants, including rest-harrow, dandelion, and -knotgrass, also on broom, bilberry (Barrett); and Newman mentions -sowthistle (_Sonchus_) and lettuce. In confinement the moth sometimes -emerges in the autumn, but in the open it flies in June and July. Flowers -seem to have more attraction for it than sugar. I have taken it at the -blossoms of wood sage, white campion, and woundwort (_Stachys_), and -Barrett notes, bladder campion, viper's bugloss, and the martagon lily. The -species is chiefly found, as regards England, in the southern and eastern -counties; and in the Solway, Clyde, Forth, and Tay districts of Scotland. -Louth is the only Irish county from which it has been reported. The range -abroad extends to Amurland. In North America the species is represented by -var. _purpurissata_, Grote. - -THE GREY ARCHES (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _nebulosa_). - -Grey of some shade is the more general hue of this species, but it varies -in the West of England and in Ireland to white (var. _pallida_, Tutt), and -this form is shown on Plate 119, Fig. 3. In Cheshire (Delamere), Lancashire -(Warrington), and South Yorkshire black or blackish forms occur, and two -examples of this melanic race are portrayed on the plate, Fig. 4 being var. -_robsoni_, Collins, and Fig. 5 var. _thompsoni_, Arkle. Over the greater -part of England, and in Scotland, the greyish form is most frequently met -with, but the white form has been found in Argyllshire and in Sutherland. -The caterpillar is ochreous brown or brownish grey, with a series of -diamond-shaped blackish marks, and a pale central line, on the back; {239} -the dots and the spiracles are black, each of the latter with a blackish -streak in front of it. In the autumn it feeds upon dock and other low -plants; but in the spring, when it is more easily found, the caterpillar -eats the buds and young leaves of birch, oak, sallow, bramble, etc. The -moth is out in June and July, and is not uncommon in woods. The black form -seems to be peculiar to north England. In Amurland the species is -represented by var. _askolda_, Oberthur, and in North America by var. -_nimbosa_, Guenee. - -THE CABBAGE MOTH (_Barathra brassicae_). - -The darker markings of this very common greyish moth are often very -obscure, but the white outline of the reniform stigma, and the white -submarginal line are usually distinct. The caterpillar varies in colour, -but generally is some shade of dull brown or greenish, with the usual dots -greyish or green tinged. The central line on the back is dusky, speckled -with white, and the stripe low down on the sides is yellowish, greenish, or -dingy brown; head ochreous brown marked with darker or greenish. Although -it is exceedingly partial to the cabbage and other plants of the kind, it -will feed upon almost every sort of low herbage, wild or cultivated. -Barrett states that it has been found feeding on oak. I have taken it from -birch in the garden, and it is known to eat leaves of almost any tree or -shrub that may be offered to it in confinement. July to October. The moth -is out in June and July, and sometimes there is an emergence in September. -The species occurs over the whole of the British Isles, and abroad its -range extends to India, Amurland, and Japan. (Plate 120, Figs. 3[male], -6[female].) - -THE DOT (_Mamestra persicariae_). - -The striking feature of the bluish-black moth shown on Plate 120, Figs. 1, -2, is the brownish centred white reniform {240} stigma. Except that the -yellowish submarginal line is sometimes obscured, the species is very -constant in the British Isles. Abroad, a form without the white mark is -known as _unicolor_, Staud., and one or two examples have been recorded as -occurring in England, two in 1895 said to have been reared by a northern -collector from caterpillars obtained in the London district. The -caterpillar figured on Plate 129, Fig. 2, was pale green with darker green -markings. In another form the colour is pale brown with the markings darker -brown. It is found from August to October on all sorts of low plants, and -in the garden, where it is often common in the suburbs of London, is very -fond of the foliage of _Anemone japonica_ and lupin, among other plants. -The moth is out in July and August, but is not often common north of the -Midlands, though it occurs, or has been found in almost all the counties of -England. Its occurrence in Scotland seems to be doubtful, and Kane states -that it is rare in Ireland, and almost absent from the northern counties. -Its range abroad extends to China and Japan. - -THE WHITE COLON (_Mamestra albicolon_). - -Two specimens of this species are shown on Plate 120, Figs. 7, 8. It will -be noted that, except for the two white dots at the lower outer edge, the -outline of the reniform mark is very obscure; these dots are placed one -below the other, thus forming a :, hence the English name of the moth. -Blackish specimens have been obtained on the east coast of Scotland. - -The caterpillar is green or bluish grey, with a dark-edged pale central -line; spiracles white, margined with black. Barrett states that it feeds in -June and July, and probably as a partial second generation in September, on -plantain, dandelion, and other low plants growing in sand; probably also on -_Atriplex_, _Chenopodium_, and Cruciferae; but it is a larva of secret -habits and is very little known. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 118. - 1, 1a. LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING: _eggs and caterpillar_. - 2. LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. LESSER BROAD-BORDER: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 4, 4a. BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 119. - GREY ARCHES MOTH _and varieties_. - -{241} - -The moth, which flies in May and June, and again in July and August, -frequents sandhills on the west, especially those of Yorkshire, Lancashire, -Cheshire, and Wales. In Norfolk and Suffolk it is found in the Breck Sand -district as well as on the coast, and it also occurs on the coasts of -Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, but seems to be uncommon in most of -these counties. In Scotland it occurs in suitable parts of the east coast -to Aberdeen, and on the west coast to the Clyde; and in Ireland on the -coasts of Kerry, Louth, and Derry. - -THE BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE (_Mamestra oleracea_). - -The English name of this very common moth (Plate 120, Figs. 4, 5), applies -to the majority of specimens, but now and then the ochreous, or yellow -reniform stigma, referred to as the brown eye, is blurred and indistinct, -and the white submarginal line may almost disappear. The ground colour of -the fore wings ranges from reddish or purple brown to dark brown. The -caterpillar (Plate 129, Fig. 1), varies from green to light brown, -sometimes the brownish forms are tinged with pink; the body is minutely -dotted with white, and the usual dots are black; the spiracles are white, -margined with black, and placed on the blackish edge of a yellow stripe; -there are three greyish, but frequently indistinct, lines on the back. It -feeds from July to September on most low plants, and is often found in -abundance under spreading clumps of goose-foot (_Chenopodium_), and has -been noted in profusion upon tamarisk growing by the sea. The moth flies in -June and July, sometimes in the autumn. Except, perhaps, in the Hebrides, -it has been found throughout the British Isles. - -THE LIGHT BROCADE (_Mamestra genistae_). - -The moth portrayed on Plate 121, Fig. 1, is not given to much variation. -The central area enclosed by the cross lines is {242} more or less clouded -with reddish or purplish brown, not extending, as a rule, below the black -bar between the lines, but sometimes the inner area is clouded with -purplish from the second cross line to the base of the wing. The -caterpillar is pale olive greenish above, with brownish and blackish -diamonds or V-shaped markings; three lines on the back are dark-edged but -indistinct; a cloudy line along the white spiracles. The colour varies from -greenish to brownish grey or purplish brown, and all shades may occur in -the same brood. It feeds in July and August on broom, dyer's greenweed -(_Genista tinctoria_), persicaria, and other low plants. The moth is out in -May and June, and may be seen in the daytime on palings and other kinds of -fencing, and also on tree trunks. It occurs in England from Worcestershire -and Northampton southwards, but seems to be rarely met with northwards. -Four or five specimens were taken at electric light near Tarporley, -Cheshire, about 1900 (Day's List). It has been recorded from Ayr, Argyll, -and Paisley in Scotland, but its occurrence in Ireland is doubtful. The -distribution abroad ranges to Eastern Siberia. - -THE DOG'S TOOTH (_Mamestra dissimilis_). - -The example of this species shown on Plate 121, Fig. 2, is of the -reddish-tinged pale brown form from Essex; but in that county, and also in -other parts of England, the fore wings are sometimes clouded with -sooty-brown. In other forms the fore wings are purplish or reddish brown, -and the markings may be very distinct, or much obscured. The caterpillar is -greenish or brown, minutely dotted with white, and freckled with dark -greyish; the usual dots are black; there are indications of darker lines on -the back, but these are not always clearly defined; the white spiracles are -set in the black interrupted edge of a yellowish stripe. It feeds in July -and August, on dock, plantain, etc. The moth flies in June and July, and -occasionally in the autumn. Its haunts are marshy places, especially on the -coast, and mosses; and it is found in most of the seaboard southern and -eastern counties, and more rarely inland. Recorded from Ayr and -Kirkcudbright in Scotland; is widely distributed in Ireland, and not rare -in Louth and Kerry. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 120. - 1, 2. DOT MOTH. - 4, 5. BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE. - 3, 6. CABBAGE MOTH. - 7, 8. WHITE COLON. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 121. - 1. LIGHT BROCADE. - 2. DOG'S TOOTH. - 3, 4. DARK BROCADE. - 5. BEAUTIFUL ARCHES. - 6. BEAUTIFUL BROCADE. - 7. PALE SHOULDERED BROCADE. - -{243} THE PALE-SHOULDERED BROCADE (_Mamestra thalassina_). - -The whitish or creamy-white patch at the base of the reddish-brown fore -wings is a noticeable feature of this moth (Plate 121, Fig. 7), and is -almost always present, even when the wings are darkened and the other -markings more or less obscured. The W-like angles of the white submarginal -line run through to the fringes. In some specimens the general colour is -purplish brown, and in others greyish brown. The caterpillar is -greyish-brown with a slight reddish tinge, and freckled with darker brown; -the usual dots are black; central line dusky, a series of darker oblique -dashes on each side of it; the line along the spiracles is rather broad and -sometimes edged above with blackish. It feeds in August and September on -dock, groundsel, honeysuckle, broom, sallow, hawthorn, apple, etc. The moth -is out in June, earlier or later according to the season; sometimes it -appears again in August or September. It may be found, commonly as a rule, -in most woods over the greater part of the British Isles. - -THE BEAUTIFUL BROCADE (_Mamestra contigua_). - -The moth (Plate 121, Fig. 6) has a pale patch at the base of the fore wing, -but this is not so conspicuous as is the pale orbicular stigma, which is -often united with a pale mark at its lower edge; another pale patch lies at -the inner angle, and the whole area between the second cross line and the -clouding on {244} the outer margin may be pale. Sometimes these pale -markings are tinged with pink, and more rarely the whole surface is pinkish -suffused. The caterpillar is yellowish-green with reddish V-shaped marks on -the back; a yellowish line along the black-margined white spiracles. -Buckler figures a reddish-brown form, with a yellowish stripe below the -spiracles. It feeds in August and September on birch, oak, golden rod, bog -myrtle (_Myrica gale_), dock, brake-fern (_Pteris aquilina_), etc. The moth -appears in June, and may sometimes be seen in the daytime on tree trunks or -palings. It is a woodland species, but although it occurs in most southern -and eastern counties, it is not common in any of them; it becomes commoner -in the Midlands, but is scarce in, or absent from, the northern counties of -England, and in Wales. In Scotland it is more frequent in some localities -from Argyll to Ross. Kane notes it as local, and sometimes abundant, but -from the localities given it would seem to be widely distributed in -Ireland. The range abroad extends through Northern Asia to Japan. - -THE BROOM MOTH (_Mamestra pisi_). - -The moth shown on Plate 122, Figs. 1, 2 varies considerably, in the colour -of the forewings ranging from purplish red to dingy ochreous brown or -greyish brown. The cross lines and occasionally the stigmata and shades may -disappear, but the yellow submarginal line always remains, at least in -part. The caterpillar (Plate 129, Fig. 3) feeds on the foliage of a variety -of plants including brake fern or braken, sweet gale, broom, bramble, wild -rose, and sallow, and may be found, often in the daytime, in August and -September. It is usually of some shade of green or brown, occasionally -blackish, with yellow stripes. The moth is out in June and July and is more -or less common almost throughout the British Isles. The range abroad -extends to Amurland. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 122. - 1, 2. BROOM MOTH. - 3, 4. NUTMEG MOTH. - 5, 6. GLAUCOUS SHEARS. - 7, 8, 9. SHEARS MOTH. - 10. THE STRANGER. - 11, 12. BRINDLED GREEN. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 123. - 1, 4. NORTHERN ARCHES MOTH. - 3. NORTHERN ARCHES MOTH, _var. assimilis_. - 2. BARRETT'S MARBLED CORONET. - 5. GREY MOTH. - 6. MARBLED CORONET. - 7, 8. MARBLED CORONET _vars._ - -{245} - -THE NUTMEG (_Mamestra trifolii_). - -The fore wings of this species (Plate 122, Figs. 3, 4) are usually greyish -brown variegated with darker; cross lines pale with black edging. Sometimes -the general colour is tinged with ochreous. The caterpillar is green with a -darker central and two whitish lines on the back, the outer lines with -black marks on them; a white edged pinkish stripe along the black-margined -white spiracles. It feeds from July to September, sometimes earlier or -later, on goose-foot, orach, beet, and other Chenopodiacae, and has also -been found on young leaves of onion. The moth is out in May and June, and -as a second generation in late July and August. In 1903 a specimen was -taken, at Boscombe, on March 21. The species is more especially attached to -the coast, but is plentiful in the Breck Sand district of Norfolk and -Suffolk, in market gardens and waste places around London, and is found -more or less frequently up to Staffordshire. In Cheshire and Yorkshire it -is scarce. Barrett states that in Scotland it is found rarely in -Roxburghshire and Aberdeenshire; and not very uncommonly in the Clyde -Valley; it is, however, not mentioned in the list of the lepidoptera of the -Clyde area published in 1901. Only two specimens have been recorded from -Ireland. The range abroad includes Northern Asia, Canada, and the United -States of America. - -THE GLAUCOUS SHEARS (_Mamestra glauca_). - -Noticeable features of this dark-clouded whitish grey species (Plate 122, -Figs. 5[male], 6[female]) are the whitish, or whitish outlined, stigmata; -and the conspicuous black wedges on the inner edge of the pale submarginal -line. The ground colour is sometimes purplish tinged; the dark clouding may -spread over the greater part of the fore wings. The caterpillar is dark red -brown with darker freckles, a whitish central line, and two {246} series of -dusky dashes; a paler line along the black-edged white spiracles; head pale -brown freckled with darker. Feeds in July and August on heather, sallow, -bog myrtle, etc., and will thrive on lettuce. The moth is out in May and -June, and may be found resting by day on tree trunks, fences, or rocks. -This species in England occurs chiefly in hilly districts of the northern -counties from Staffordshire to Cumberland; recorded from Glamorgan. In -Scotland it is widely distributed from Ayr to Ross, and is also found in -the Hebrides and the Orkneys; and in Ireland is obtained in several of the -northern counties, and on the Hill of Howth. The range abroad extends to -Amurland. - -THE SHEARS (_Mamestra dentina_). - -The ground colour of this species, three specimens of which are shown on -Plate 122, Figs. 7, 8[male], 9[female], ranges from the normal pale grey -through various shades of brownish grey. The markings, usually well in -evidence, are sometimes obscured in the darker specimens. The caterpillar -is brownish with three white lines and a series of grey-brown -diamond-pattern blotches on the back; the outer lines with blackish spots -upon them; the stripe along the black spiracles greyish; head pale brown -marked with blackish; plates on first and last rings of the body glossy. -Feeds in July and August on dandelion, knotgrass, chickweed, hawk's-beard -(_Crepis_), hawkweed (_Hieracium_), etc. The moth flies in May and June and -appears to be found throughout the British Isles. Represented in Siberia by -the dark form _latenai_, Pierret. - -THE STRANGER (_Mamestra peregrina_). - -This species, which is an inhabitant of Asia Minor, Southern Russia, -Turkey, Dalmatia and Northern Italy, occurs in Southern, Western, and -Northern France; and three specimens {247} have been recorded as taken in -England--all at Freshwater in the Isle of Wight--the first in 1858, the -second in 1859, and the third about 1876. The specimen depicted on Plate -122, Fig. 10, was received from abroad. - -BARRETT'S MARBLED CORONET (_Dianthoecia luteago_, var. _barrettii_). - -The type, which is of ochreous coloration, does not occur in the British -Isles, although in one example of var. _barrettii_, reared by Mr. Kane, a -faint ochreous tinge was apparent, but this faded out in a few weeks. Fig. -2, Plate 123, represents a specimen, kindly lent by Mr. R. Adkin, of var. -_barrettii_, Doubleday, a form discovered in Ireland, at Howth, by the late -Mr. C. G. Barrett, in June, 1861. In 1879 a specimen was taken on the coast -at Ilfracombe, North Devon; one example was reared from a caterpillar found -at Tenby, South Wales, in 1884, and one was captured in Carnarvonshire, -North Wales, in 1897. In the last mentioned year specimens were taken by -the late Major Ficklin on the coast of Cornwall, and as the Cornish form -differs from the Irish form in being grey instead of brown, it has been -named var. _ficklini_, Tutt. A second specimen was obtained in North Wales -in 1899. Since its first detection at Howth the insect has been taken in -limited numbers almost every year; and in 1906 Major C. Donovan recorded it -as widely distributed along the coast of Co. Cork, the specimens being -large, of a dark slate colour with distinct light whitish grey markings. - -The caterpillar is pale ochreous with a pinkish tinge; the central line is -greyish brown and the spiracles black; head reddish brown marked with -darker. It feeds on the roots of seaside campion (_Silene maritima_), July -to September. The moth flies from June to August. Like most of the species -in this genus, it does not care for the collector's sugar, and except {248} -that an occasional specimen may be found resting on the rocks, the moths -must be netted as they fly at dusk to the flowers of _Silene_. Staudinger -considers that var. _barrettii_ is identical with var. _argillacea_, Hubn. - -THE GREY (_Dianthoecia caesia_). - -The obscurely marked slate grey insect shown on Plate 124, Fig. 5, was -first found at Tramore, Ireland, and in the Isle of Man about the same year -(1866 or 1867). Kane mentions that he has found the insect at Tramore, and -also in eleven other localities on the rocky coast line of the South of -Ireland, from Hook Point to Dingle Bay. Our form of the species, var. -_manani_, Gregson, differs from the greyish blue continental type in its -darker coloration, and this is intensified in the south-west corner of -Ireland where specimens of a uniform bluish black occur. - -The caterpillar is pale ochreous brown minutely freckled with darker; the -lines on the back are blackish, but indistinct; usual dots margined with -black; head pale brown, marked with darker. It feeds on the buds, flowers, -and seeds of campions (_Silene maritima_ and _S. inflata_) from June to -August. The moth flies in June, July, and early August, and may be taken, -like the last species, at the flowers of the campions growing on the rocks -in its seaside haunts. - -THE MARBLED CORONET (_Dianthoecia conspersa_). - -Three forms of this locally variable species are shown on Plate 123. Fig. 6 -represents the typical form occurring generally in England, but in North -Devonshire, on the coast, specimens are found closely approaching the Isle -of Lewis form (Fig. 7), whilst others from that district agree in the -blackish ground colour with specimens from Ireland. A still darker {249} -race occurs in the Shetland Isles, and chiefly on the east coasts, whence -came the specimen depicted (Fig. 8). On the western sides of the Shetlands, -Mr. McArthur found the species to be rather more typical as a whole, -although some specimens approached the darker eastern form. The dark -Shetland race has been named var. _hethlandica_ by Staudinger, and the form -with the white markings yellowish tinged is var. _ochrea_, Gregson. - -The caterpillar is pale ochreous brown; the back sprinkled with darker, and -forming still darker V-shaped marks, central line pale; spiracles ochreous -with black outlines, set in the upper edge of a pale stripe; head shining -pale yellowish-brown freckled and lined with darker. It feeds on the seeds -of catchfly, campion, and will eat those of sweet-william and garden pinks. -July to September. The moth is out in June and July, and at dusk visits the -flowers of its food plants, and occasionally comes to sugar. It is chiefly -found in the seaboard counties, but as regards England is commoner in the -south than in the north. Although generally rare in the inland counties, it -is sometimes not uncommon in some Surrey localities, such as the Croydon -district, and Mr. Scollick has reared moths from caterpillars found in seed -capsules of white campion at Horsley. - -The distribution of this species extends to Amurland. - -THE WHITE SPOT (_Dianthoecia albimacula_). - -The moth shown on Plate 124, Fig. 1, is "The Beautiful Coronet" of some -writers. Although a specimen was taken in Kent in 1816, nothing further was -heard of the species in England until 1865, when one example was captured -in the Portsmouth district. Then in 1873 caterpillars were found in the -Birchwood locality where the first moth was secured. The next year the -species was found to occur at Folkestone, and subsequently at other places -along the Kentish coast. Since {250} 1889 it has been obtained, not -uncommonly, at Seaton on the South Devon coast. The caterpillar, which is -somewhat similar to that of the last species, feeds in July and August on -the seeds of the Nottingham catchfly (_Silene nutans_), but will thrive on -those of other kinds of catchfly, campion, or even sweet-william and garden -pinks. The moth flies in May and June. - -THE VARIED CORONET (_Dianthoecia compta_). - -In Europe this species has a less northerly range than _D. conspersa_, and -its eastward range extends to Japan. The caterpillar feeds on the seeds of -_Dianthus_. - -In his list of the lepidoptera of Ireland (_Ent. Mo. Mag._, 1866), Birchall -remarks: "A pair of this well-known species, taken in Ireland by Mr. Tardy, -are in the collection of Trinity College, but I am unable to indicate the -exact locality of their capture." This is probably all the evidence we have -of the occurrence of this species in the British Isles. The specimen -represented on Plate 124, Fig. 2, is from the Continent. - -THE LYCHNIS (_Dianthoecia capsincola_). - -Except that the brown ground colour is sometimes of a reddish shade, or -greyish in tone, there is not much to notice in the variation of this -species. Occasionally the outlines of the reniform and orbicular marks are -usually white and distinct, and now and then the black markings are -intensified. Two specimens are shown on Plate 124, Figs. 3 [male], 4 -[female]. The caterpillar is brownish ochreous freckled with darker, and -with a pale central line and a series of dusky V-shaped marks on the back; -a paler stripe along the whitish spiracles; head pale reddish brown, marked -with darker brown. It feeds in July, sometimes in September, on campion, -ragged robin, catchfly, and sweet-william and pinks. Fig. 3, Plate 130, is -from a coloured drawing {251} by Mr. A. Sich, and represents the -caterpillar, as seen when making the sketch, holding a seed between its -front pair of legs and up to its mouth. The moth is out in May and June, -and in some years there is a second flight in the autumn. The species is -more or less common over the greater part of the British Isles. - -THE CAMPION (_Dianthoecia cucubali_). - -This moth (Plate 124, Figs. 5 [male], 6 [female]) is very similar to the -last, but it has a distinct violet tinge, the orbicular mark is lengthened, -and its lower edge touches, or almost touches, the reniform; the second -line is distinct and straighter above the inner margin. The caterpillar is -greenish, tinged with orange-brown on the front rings; the central line is -greyish-brown, and the V-marks on the back and oblique stripes low down on -the sides are orange-brown. It feeds on the leaves as well as the unripe -seeds of campion, ragged robin, and catchfly in July, August, and -September. The moth is out in June, and examples of a second generation in -August. Like the rest of the species of the genus, it is most partial to -flowers, but it occasionally puts in an appearance at the sugar patch. -Pretty generally distributed over the British Isles. The range abroad -extends to Amurland, China, and Japan. - -THE TAWNY SHEARS (_Dianthoecia carpophaga_). - -This species ranges in the colour of the fore wings from almost white, -through various shades of ochreous brown. - -The white and ochreous-tinted specimens are found in Kent and Sussex -chiefly, whilst the ochreous-brown forms are more generally distributed in -England. Barrett states that in the south of Scotland a form occurs in -which the ground colour is very pale dull brown with all the darker -markings and cloudings deep umberous, the cloudings more extended. Var. -_capsophila_ {252} (The Pod Lover), which represents the species in Ireland -and the Isle of Man, is of a greyish coloration and lacks the ochreous -tint; the dark markings, especially on the area between the first and -second cross lines, are blackish or black, and the outlines of the stigmata -are very distinct. Kane mentions dull black specimens, from the Blasket -Islands, in which only vestiges of the stigmata and submarginal line -remained clear. Pembrokeshire specimens have a colour range intermediate -between _carpophaga_ (Plate 124, Fig. 9) and var. _capsophila_ (Figs. 7, -8), and serve to connect one with the other. The caterpillar, which is -purplish brown with rather broad ochreous-brown lines on the back, feeds in -June and July and again in September, on seeds of catchfly, campion, and -sweet-william. The moth flies in May and June, sometimes in late July and -August. - -THE VIPER'S BUGLOSS (_Dianthoecia_ (_Epia_) _irregularis_). - -The earliest British specimen of this moth (Plate 125, Fig. 1) of which -there is any clear record is that found by the late Rev. A. H. Wratislaw, -in July, 1868, resting on viper's bugloss (_Echium vulgare_), in a locality -about ten miles from Bury St. Edmunds. Subsequently Tuddenham was indicated -as the locality, and there, as well as in other parts of the Breck Sand -district of Suffolk and Norfolk the species continues to flourish. _Echium_ -was at first supposed to be the food plant, but it was soon ascertained the -larval pabulum was the flowers and seeds of the local catchfly (_Silene -otites_). In September, 1870, Mr. Porritt described the caterpillar, and he -found that in confinement it did not object to Ragged Robin (_Lychnis -flos-cuculi_) in place of the _Silene_. - -In colour the caterpillar is pale yellowish brown, tinged with green; three -more or less distinct pale lines, and a series of smoke-coloured V-shaped -marks on the back. Spiracles black with a yellowish white stripe below -them, and a smoke-coloured one above; head wainscot brown dotted with -black. It may be found on its food plant from late July to early September. -The moth flies in June and July, but seems to have been very rarely met -with in the open, although large numbers of the caterpillars, which are -frequently "ichneumoned," are collected almost every year. A specimen, -recently presented to the Lincoln Museum, is said to have been reared from -a caterpillar found on viper's bugloss in the neighbourhood of East Ferry -in North Lincolnshire. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 124. - 1. WHITE SPOT MOTH. - 2. VARIED CORONET. - 3, 4. LYCHNIS. - 5, 6. CAMPION. - 7, 8. POD LOVER. - 9, 10. TAWNY SHEARS. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 125. - 1. VIPER'S BUGLOSS. - 2. SMALL RANUNCULUS. - 3, 4. BROAD-BARRED WHITE. - 5, 6. MINOR SHOULDER-KNOT. - 7, 8. MINOR SHOULDER-KNOT _varieties_. - -{253} THE SMALL RANUNCULUS (_Hecatera chrysozona_). - -Except that the general grey coloration of the fore wings of this moth -(Plate 125, Fig. 2) may be whiter or of a darker grey tint, there is little -in the way of variation to refer to. Usually the area between the cross -lines is dark grey, sometimes marked with yellow on the reniform and -towards the inner margin. A series of yellow dots on the submarginal line -is almost always present, but may be absent. The caterpillar is pale -reddish brown; three fine double blackish lines and two rows of black dots -on the back; a fine blackish line along the black spiracles. Head pale -brown and glossy. In another form the general colour is some shade of -green; yellowish to olive. It feeds in July and August on the flowers and -seeds of the wild lettuce (_Lactuca saligna_, and _L. virosa_), -hawk's-beard (_Crepis_), and also on those of the garden lettuce. The moth -is out late in June and July, and at dusk may be seen at the blossoms of -various plants in gardens and elsewhere, but seems to be most partial to -those of spur-valerian (_Centranthus ruber_). It is found in the eastern -counties, especially in Cambridgeshire; Surrey, and (rarely) in Sussex and -Dorsetshire. Other English counties in which it has been noted are -Hertford, Huntingdon, Northampton, Oxford, Berks, Somerset, and Hereford. -{254} - -THE BROAD-BARRED WHITE (_Hecatera serena_). - -Most of the British examples of this species have the thorax and fore wings -almost pure white, the latter with a central blackish grey band (var. -_leuconota_, Ev., Plate 125, Figs. 3[male], 4[female]). The white, however, -especially on the outer margin, is sometimes clouded with greyish, and -occasionally the ground colour has a greyish tinge, thus approaching var. -_obscura_, Staudinger. The caterpillar is ochreous brown, more or less -tinged with green, minutely dotted with dark grey, forming indistinct -blotches; the stripe along the black spiracles is yellow tinged with green -below. Head brownish, glossy. It feeds in July and August on hawk's-beard -(_Crepis_). The smaller caterpillars may be found by day resting on the -yellow flowers. In confinement they will eat the flowers and seeds of -garden lettuce; and Prout mentions dandelion blossoms, and also those of -almost any of the Compositae. The moth is out from June to August, and in -the daytime may be seen sitting on fences, tree trunks, rocks and walls. It -is pretty generally distributed in the southern portion of England, but -becomes scarce northwards. In Scotland it seems to be little known, but -Renton records it as common in Roxburghshire, and in 1898 Mr. Kirkaldy -kindly gave me three greyish-shaded specimens that he picked up casually at -Pitlochry, Perthshire, in July of that year. It has been found in North -Wales, but is more frequent in the southern parts of that country. Rather -local and usually scarce in Ireland; but has been found in counties -Waterford, Dublin, Wicklow, Louth, Antrim, Westmeath, Galway, Cork, and -Kerry. The range abroad extends to Siberia and Amurland. - -THE BORDERED GOTHIC (_Neuria reticulata_). - -The cross lines and the veins are pale brown, sometimes tinged with pink. -These markings give the moth (Plate 126, Figs. 1[male], 2[female]) a netted -appearance, which, apart from the different ground colour and clouding, -distinguishes it from the Gothic, with which it is sometimes confused. The -antennae, too, of the male are only fringed with minute hairs, whilst those -of the male Gothic are broadly pectinated. The caterpillar is greenish or -pinkish ochreous, mottled with darker, and with slightly paler lines on the -back and sides; head light brown. It will feed in July and August on -knot-grass; and soapwort (_Saponaria_), _Silene inflata_, and _Dianthus_, -have been mentioned as food plants. The moth is out in June and July. The -species occurs in nearly all the counties of England to Yorkshire, but -except in Cambridgeshire, and perhaps Oxfordshire, it is not common in any -of the southern or eastern counties, although more frequently found in them -than northwards. It has not been recorded from Scotland, and seems to be -rare in Ireland, as it has only been noted from Co. Dublin and Co. Cork. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 126. - 1, 2. BORDERED GOTHIC. - 3, 4. DUSKY SALLOW. - 5. ORACHE MOTH. - 6, 7. SAXON MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 127. - 1, 2. FIGURE OF EIGHT MOTH. - 3, 4. FEATHERED GOTHIC. - 5. GREEN BRINDLED DOT. - 6, 7. BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC. - 8, 9. ANTLER MOTH. - -{255} FEATHERED GOTHIC (_Tholera_ (_Epineuronia_) _popularis_). - -The male of this species (Plate 127, Fig. 3) is strongly attracted by -light, and frequently seen in houses, and is no doubt a familiar object to -most residents in the country, and even in the suburbs of London. The -female (Fig. 4) does not visit light, but this sex, and the males also, may -be found sitting after dark upon the upper erect leaves of the hard -grasses, such as the matweed (_Nardus stricta_). Of course a lantern will -be required to throw a light on the business of collecting them, and it is -curious to note that even the brilliant glare of the acetylene lamp does -not seem to disturb the moths very much, if at all. - -The caterpillar is dark greenish brown and rather glossy, with a dusky -plate on the first ring upon which are traces of the five dark-edged pale -brownish stripes which traverse the body and meet on the last ring; the -latter has a black plate. The spiracles are black, and the head is -brownish, marked with {256} darker. The caterpillars hatch in the spring -from eggs laid the previous autumn, and may be found until July. They feed -at night on the leaves of grasses, especially _Nardus_ and such kinds, -growing in parks and open places. The moth is out in August and September, -and occurs more or less commonly throughout England and Wales. In Scotland -it is found in Ayrshire, and in other localities in the Clyde area; thence -eastward to Aberdeen. Kane states that in Ireland it is generally -distributed, and in some localities very abundant, as at Clonbrock, and on -the Wicklow coast. - -THE HEDGE RUSTIC (_Tholera cespitis_). - -The sexes of this moth are depicted on Plate 128, Figs. 8[male], 9[female]. -In habits, and also in the kind of places it frequents, this species has -much in common with that last mentioned. It is certainly more local, but -its range in the British Isles is somewhat similar to that of the Gothic. -The life history also is very like that of the last species, and the -caterpillar feeds on the same kinds of grass. - -ANTLER MOTH (_Cerapteryx_ (_Charaeas_) _graminis_). - -This moth (Plate 127, Figs. 8[male], 9[female]) has the fore wings greyish -brown or reddish brown, sometimes tinged with ochreous in the paler forms, -or with olive in the darker forms. There is also variation in the markings, -and chiefly of the central forked streak which has been likened to the -antler of the stag. In most British specimens of the greyish form this is -white throughout its length, and it has three branches; the stigmata are -whitish, and there is often a whitish bar below the central streak. A -number of aberrations have been named, and of these the following seem to -be the most important: var. _tricuspis_, Esp., reddish brown; branched -streak, stigmata, and bar ochreous; var. _rufa_, Tutt = _tricuspis_, Hubn., -as above, but the markings white; var. _ruficosta_, Tutt = _graminis_, -Hubn., greyish brown, with reddish front margin, and ochreous markings; -var. _hibernicus_, Curt., yellowish brown with the markings ochreous, and -the stigmata more or less united with the central streak. In some specimens -most of the markings are obscured or absent, and only the reniform stigma -and the forked extremity of the central line remain distinct. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 128. - 1. FEATHERED EAR MOTH. - 2, 3. STRAW UNDERWING. - 4. SILVER CLOUD. - 5, 6. FLOUNCED RUSTIC. - 7. HAWORTH'S MINOR. - 8, 9. HEDGE RUSTIC. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 129. - 1, 1a. BRIGHT-LINE BROWN EYE: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 2. DOT MOTH: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. BROOM MOTH: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 4. BRINDLED GREEN MOTH: _egg, natural size and enlarged_. - -{257} The caterpillar, which is glossy, and the skin much wrinkled, is of a -bronzy-brown colour, with black-edged pale lines; there is a brownish plate -on the first ring and a blackish one on the last; the spiracles are black -and the head is brownish, marked with darker. It feeds from March to June -on grasses, and in some years and localities occurs in enormous numbers, -denuding considerable areas of grass land. Rooks and other birds devour -them readily, and where their feeding places are on hillsides, they are apt -to be washed off by heavy rain, so that the drains and ditches become -filled up in places by masses of these caterpillars. Even after such -wholesale destruction, the moths may still appear in the autumn in -countless numbers. The male moths are sometimes seen flying in the sunshine -and visiting the flowers of thistles, ragwort, etc. Such flight usually -takes place between eight a.m. and noon, but both sexes have been seen -flying over grass and heather continuously from just before midday to four -p.m. The moths are also on the wing at night, and the male is very -susceptible to the attraction of light. The species has occurred in all -parts of the British Islands, but its presence in the south of England -would appear to be more casual than elsewhere. The range abroad extends -through Northern Asia to Siberia. - -THE FEATHERED EAR (_Pachetra leucophaea_). - -Stephens, in 1829, figured one of two specimens of this species said to -have been taken near Bristol in 1816, a part of England {258} from which no -other specimen has ever been recorded so far as I am aware. In June, 1855, -the late Mr. S. Stevens obtained a few specimens at sugar, at Mickleham, -Surrey. Between the year last mentioned and 1894 five other specimens have -been recorded from the same county, these are Redhill (W. R. Jeffrey), -Boxhill (G. Elisha, a pair, and B. A. Bower), Reigate (R. Adkin). In Kent, -specimens have been found in the Folkestone and Tunbridge districts, but -the chalk downs between Ashford and Wye appear to be the headquarters of -the insect in Britain. - -A portrait of a male specimen will be found on Plate 128, Fig. 1, but the -ground colour is much whiter in the majority of British specimens. - -According to Dr. Chapman, the caterpillar varies from a nearly uniform -nankeen-yellow with the markings only indicated, to a handsome larva with -distinct black stripes. There is a pale dorsal line, quite narrow; thence -to the black spiracles is divided into three longitudinal stripes, a dark -dorsal, a dark (but less dark) lower one and a pale intermediate. In all -these the ground colour is the same, nankeen-yellow, and the darker areas -depend on the greater or less darkness of fine black mottlings, generally -in fine wavy streaks running more or less longitudinally. The head is -rather brown than yellow, mottled in a honey-comb pattern, with some black -marking about the mouth parts. It feeds at night from July to March on -various grasses, but seems to prefer _Poa annua_, and _P. nemoralis_. Dr. -Chapman reared some of these caterpillars by keeping each individual in a -separate glass jar and supplying it at frequent intervals with a fresh tuft -of _Poa annua_. The moth is out from May to July, and hides during the day -among the tufts of grass on chalk hills. It comes freely to sugar, and has -been taken at privet blossom. - -THE SILVER CLOUD (_Xylomania conspicillaris_). - -Three forms of this species occur with us. In that represented on Plate -128, Fig. 4, the fore wings are almost entirely {259} blackish. Another has -a larger portion of the inner marginal area ochreous brown, or whitish, ab. -_melaleuca_, Vieweg; a third form, and the least frequent, may be described -as pale ochreous brown with darker mottling on the basal half, and black -central markings representing a broken streak from the base of the wing to -the outer margin, in this form the pale outlined stigmata are fairly -distinct, and there is a blackish shade between them extending from the -front to the inner margin. From chrysalids obtained by digging under oak -and elm trees in a private park several miles from Taunton, Somerset, Mr. -H. Doidge (1901) reared moths and obtained eggs which were laid in a batch -on the covering of the cage in which the female was placed with a growing -plant of bird's-foot trefoil. The eggs hatched on May 31, ten days after -they were laid. The young caterpillars were purplish grey, but after -feeding on the yellow flowers they assumed the same colour. "After -finishing the flowers they commenced on the leaves, by which time they were -a pale green colour, with a yellow spiracular stripe, and were fond of -resting by day on the stems of the plant. As they approached the final -stage, the green became shaded with brown and black," and then resembled -the ripening seed pods. They were afterwards supplied with blackthorn, and -did not object to the change of food. They also ate dock (sparingly), and -_Trifolium minus_. "About July 8 they began to go under ground to pupate. -The pupae, which were of a dark reddish-brown colour, and somewhat obese -and blunt, being enclosed in a very compact and brittle earthy cocoon" -(Doidge). - -The moth is out in April and May, but is very local in England. It has -occasionally been found at rest on isolated tree trunks or on posts, but -very rarely captured in any other way. Specimens have been obtained from -chrysalids dug up now and then from about the roots of trees, but perhaps -most of the specimens in collections, not numerous altogether, have been -reared from eggs. In England the species is only known {260} to occur in -Kent, Surrey, Suffolk, Gloucester, Somersetshire, Worcestershire, and -Herefordshire. Barrett also mentions one specimen at Gower, South Wales. - -THE BEAUTIFUL ARCHES (_Eumichtis_ (_Hadena_) _satura_). - -Of this species (Plate 121, Fig. 5) probably less than a dozen specimens -have been taken in England, and apparently none in any other part of the -British Isles. It is very similar to some of the darker forms of _E. -adusta_, specimens of which have often been mistaken for examples of the -present species and recorded as such. The wings are rather more ample; the -reniform and orbicular stigmata are reddish, with a blackish cloud under -them, and the space between the second and submarginal lines towards the -inner margin is also reddish. The hind wings are dark in both sexes. The -caterpillar, which is said to feed in July and August on hop, honey-suckle, -and cherry, among other plants, is pinkish brown, darker above; the -dusky-pink central line on the back is interrupted and indistinct, and on -each side of it is a series of oblique greyish but not clearly defined -streaks; the line low down on the sides is yellow-green. The moths flies in -June, July, and August. - -Abroad the species occurs in Central and Northern Europe (except the most -northern parts, and perhaps Western France); eastward the range extends to -Amurland. - -THE DARK BROCADE (_Eumichtis_ (_Hadena_) _adusta_). - -The sexes of this moth are figured on Plate 121, Figs. 3[male], 4[female]. -The ground colour is grey-brown in some examples of this species, whilst in -others, especially in the north of England and in Scotland, the colour -ranges through rich reddish brown, blackish brown to almost black. In the -lighter coloured forms the markings are usually clear and distinct, but in -the darker forms are often much obscured. The caterpillar is somewhat -variable in colour and markings. Barrett describes one form as pale sage -green strongly tinged with ochreous and dusted with greyish brown; the line -along the middle of the back is white, interrupted, and edged with greyish -brown; a series of outlines of greyish-brown diamonds spread over to the -brown margin of the pale ochreous stripe along the whitish spiracles, and -form a network on the back and sides. Another form, described by Buckler, -has the general colour brilliant yellow, suffused on the upper surface with -deep rose pink; a stripe on the middle of the back composed of two darker -pink lines, united and forming a spot at the beginning of each segment, and -an interrupted yellow stripe on each side. It feeds from July to September -on grass and various low plants, including knot-grass, bladder campion -(_Silene cucubalus_); also sweet gale, sallow, etc. The moth flies in June -and July, sometimes in May. The species occurs in woods and on heaths and -moors, and is generally distributed, and more or less common throughout the -British Isles. The range abroad extends to Amurland. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 130. - 1. SLENDER BRINDLE: _caterpillar_. - 2, 2a. CLOUDED BRINDLE: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 3. LYCHNIS: _caterpillar_. - 4. CLOUDED BORDERED BRINDLE: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 131. - 1, 2. LARGE NUTMEG MOTH. - 3, 4. CONFUSED MOTH. - 5, 6. CRESCENT STRIPED MOTH. - 7, 8. DUSKY BROCADE MOTH. - -{261} THE BRINDLED GREEN (_Eumichtis_ (_Hadena_) _protea_). - -Green of some shade is often the prevailing colour in the much ornamented -moth portrayed on Plate 122, Figs. 11, 12; but in some specimens the -general colour is pinkish white. The variegation consists of reddish brown -or pinkish, and white clouds and black streaks, chiefly as edging to the -pale cross lines, or between the stigmata; these latter are as often -obscure as distinct, but sometimes the orbicular is white with a white mark -below it extending to the black bar connecting the first and second cross -lines. - -The caterpillar is green freckled with yellow, with a yellow central line -on the back; head brownish. It feeds from March to June, and when it leaves -the egg it bores into an oak bud to {262} feed; later on it spins the young -leaves together, and finally it dispenses with a retreat altogether and -feeds openly on the leaves. The moth is out in the autumn, rather earlier -in Scotland. It is widely distributed in England, and in some seasons and -localities very abundant. In Scotland it is found from Roxburgh to Moray, -and in the latter county as well as in Perthshire and Argyll it is often -plentiful. Single specimens have been recorded from Ireland, and these from -Co. Galway and Co. Westmeath. - -THE NORTHERN ARCHES (_Crymodes exulis_). - -The specimens of this species shown on Plate 123, Figs. 1, 4, are from -Shetland, and more or less of the typical form, but rather more variegated, -perhaps, than the actual type. In other specimens from the same locality -the yellowish submarginal line is band-like; or the ground colour is -browner, and sometimes blackish. These blackish examples approach var. -_assimilis_, Doubleday (Fig. 3), from Perthshire, where it was first met -with, at Rannoch, by Weaver, over sixty years ago. _Exulis_ (The Exile) was -discovered by Mr. H. McArthur in the Shetlands in 1883. In 1896 Mr. P. M. -Bright captured a specimen in the Shetlands which Barrett considered -referable to _maillardi_, Hubn. (Geyer, Fig. 833.) "Its ground colour is -drab-brown, abundantly marked with umberous and dusted with black, and its -only conspicuous marking is the reniform stigma, which is distinctly edged -with white in such a manner as to give it a singular resemblance to -_Mamestra_ [_Barathra_] _brassicae_." Staudinger, it may be added, adopts -_maillardi_ as the earlier name for this species, and it may have to be -generally accepted. The caterpillar is ochreous whitish, shaded with grey, -and with yellowish plates on the first and last rings; spiracles black, -head reddish brown. It feeds on grasses from August to May, but is -sometimes two, or even three, years in completing its {263} growth. When -young, and also later, it eats the lower part of the stem and partly into -the root of the grass. The moth is out in July and August. Very few -examples of the _assimilis_ form have been obtained, and these only in -Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, Inverness, and the Isle of Arran. Mr. W. M. -Christy captured one specimen in Ross-shire in August, 1902. The -geographical range of this species extends from the Alps and Pyrenees -through Norway and Lapland to Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador. - -THE MINOR SHOULDER-KNOT (_Bombycia viminalis_). - -Figs. 5 and 6 on Plate 125 represent the typical form of this species. Fig. -8 shows the blackish var. _obscura_, Staud., and Fig. 7 an intermediate -form. The pale form is most frequent in southern England, and dark forms -are commoner in the north. Both forms occur in Scotland, but in some parts -the pale form only is found. The caterpillar is green with three whitish -lines on the back; the raised spots are also whitish; the line along the -black spiracles is yellowish. It feeds from April to June on sallow and -willow; at first on the terminal shoots, the leaves of which are spun -together with silk. Later on the caterpillar folds down or rolls a leaf so -as to form a shelter. The moth is on the wing in June and July, sometimes -later, and is pretty widely distributed throughout the British Isles, but -is rather local in Scotland, northern England, and Ireland. The dark form, -it may be mentioned, does not seem to be found abroad. The range of the -species extends to Amurland. - -THE DUSKY SALLOW (_Eremobia ochroleuca_). - -This brownish tinged ochreous moth (Plate 126, Figs. 3, 4) has the fore -wings crossed by whitish lines, the first and second of which approach or -unite below the middle, dividing into two blotches the dark central -band-like shade. {264} - -The caterpillar, which feeds on the seeds of cock's-foot (_Dactylis_) and -other kinds of grass from May to early July, is whitish green and glossy; -three whitish stripes on the back, the central one broadest; a stripe below -the black spiracles is whitish, edged above with green. Mullein -(_Verbascum_) has also been mentioned as eaten by this caterpillar. The -moth is out in July and in August, and may often be seen resting on the -flowers of knapweed (_Centaurea_) in the daytime. It flies at night, and -has been taken at the flowers of centaurea, ragwort, etc., and at light. In -some districts it is said to visit the sugar patch, but not to do so in -other localities. Occurs in the chalk districts of most southern English -counties, and especially those of Kent and Sussex; also, but only rarely, -in Warwickshire and Yorkshire. One specimen has been recorded from -Pembrokeshire in Wales. - -THE ORACHE MOTH (_Trachea atriplicis_). - -In the past this greenish-mottled brownish moth (Plate 126, Fig. 5) appears -to have been commoner, and more widely distributed in England than it now -is. Wilkes, in 1773, referring to it as "The Wild Arrach," states that it -was taken occasionally near London. At the present time the species seems -to occur only in the eastern counties, and chiefly in Cambridgeshire. In -June, 1904 and 1905, specimens (three in all) were obtained at sugar in -Huntingdonshire. The caterpillar is ochreous or reddish brown, dotted with -white; three dark lines on the back, the central one only distinct. A -yellowish stripe along the black-edged white spiracles; head light reddish -brown, glossy. It feeds in July and August on orach (_Atriplex_), -persicaria, knot-grass, and will also eat dock. The range abroad extends to -Amurland, Corea, and Japan. - -NOTE.--It may be mentioned here that _Prodenia littoralis_, Boisd., an -inhabitant of tropical and sub-tropical regions, has {265} been -occasionally reared in this country from caterpillars found in imported -tomatoes. - -THE SAXON (_Lithomoea_ (_Hyppa_) _rectilinea_). - -The brownish clouding, and reddish-brown central band, of this species -(Plate 126, Figs. 6, 7) varies in tone; sometimes the band is olive grey -and the clouding rather grey than brown. The caterpillar, according to -Buckler, varies from dark brown to chestnut, ochreous, and orange browns; -the spiracular stripe pale ochreous or cream colour, shading off in the -middle to grey brown. It feeds from July to September, or later, on sallow, -bramble, bearberry (_Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_), and will eat knot-grass. It -hibernates when full grown, and pupates in the following spring. The moth -is out in May, June, or July, and is taken at sugar, chiefly in woods. At -one time it was found in Yorkshire, but Cumberland seems to be the only -English county in which it now occurs. In Scotland it has been taken in the -south. Renton states that near Hawick, Roxburghshire, he finds a few at -raspberry blossom every year. It is more plentiful, however, from -Perthshire to Sutherland. Kane notes it from Torc Wood, Killarney, near -Galway, and Clonbrock; and that the form is identical with that from -Aberdeen named _semivirgata_, Tutt. The range abroad extends to Siberia and -Amurland; and the North American, _xylinoides_, Guen, seems to be a form of -the present species. - -THE FIGURE OF EIGHT MOTH (_Diloba caeruleocephala_). - -The greyish-centred white marks are the chief features on the brownish fore -wings of this moth (Plate 127, Figs. 1, 2). The first one, or both when -quite apart, is very like the figure 8; sometimes these marks are united, -and form an irregular blotch. Rarely the area between the black lines is -dark and the marks {266} obscured or absent. The caterpillar (Plate 133, -Fig. 1) is bluish grey, with a number of bristle-bearing black spots and -minute black dots; a stripe along the back is yellow and interrupted; a -yellow stripe low down along the sides. It feeds, from April to June, on -hawthorn, sloe, and wild crab; also on the leaves of apple, plum, and other -fruit trees. Sometimes these caterpillars are to be seen on the hedges in -numbers, and usually seem to prefer the outer extremities of the longer -shoots. The pale purplish brown chrysalis is enclosed in a strong somewhat -oval cocoon, which is covered with fragments of litter, and often attached -to some object, such as a bit of stick, leaves, etc., on the ground. The -moth is out in October and November, but is rarely seen, except -occasionally at gas lamps, etc. Generally common in the south and east of -England, and widely distributed throughout the rest of the country to -Cumberland. It has occurred in a few Clydesdale localities, and has been -recorded by Renton as sometimes common in Roxburghshire. Widely distributed -in Ireland, but not often plentiful. - -THE GREEN BRINDLED DOT (_Valeria oleagina_). - -Nearly eighty years ago Stephens summed up all that was known of this -species in Britain. As there is nothing to add in the way of later records, -his remarks may be quoted. "Very rare; specimens have been found in -Richmond Park, and one was taken in the pupa state by Mr. Plastead some -twenty or thirty years ago in Battersea Fields; others have occurred near -Bristol, and Mr. Donovan, I believe, captured one in South Wales; it has -also been taken in Scotland. My specimens were from the former locality, -and I have been fortunate enough to have had nearly a dozen examples at -various periods." Most of the later authors mention only the Welsh -specimen, taken at Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, July, 1800. A continental -specimen is shown on Plate 127, Fig. 5. {267} - -THE BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC (_Heliophobus hispidus_). - -This species (Plate 127, Figs. 6, 7) varies in the brown colour of the fore -wings, which is sometimes of a greyish tint; not infrequently the pale -cross lines are tinged with brownish, or they may be rather broad, and, the -submarginal especially, white and very distinct; the reniform and orbicular -marks are sometimes tinged with pink. The caterpillar (Plate 133, Fig. 3) -is pale rusty brown, with blackish markings, and three pale lines on the -back; head glossy and rather paler than the body, and marked with two -blackish lines. It feeds on grasses from September to March. The specimen -figured (slightly enlarged) was received from Mr. Walker of Torquay on -January 11, 1907. The chrysalis (Fig. 3A) is dull reddish, ring divisions -and wing-cases paler and brighter; two hooks on last ring. The moth is out -from the latter part of August to early October, and in its haunts, which -are cliffs by the sea, it may be found at night sitting on grass stems. It -is not known to visit flowers or the sugar patch, but has been taken at -light. Although previously taken in the Isle of Portland, the earliest -published record was that in the _Zoologist_ for 1849 of a specimen taken -on the sandhills at Exmouth, late in September. It still occurs at Portland -and at Swanage in Dorset; also in the Isle of Wight and along the Devon -coast to Cornwall. The range abroad is restricted, the species only being -noted from Southern France, North-east and Southern Spain, Sicily, -Palestine, and North-west Africa. - -THE FLOUNCED RUSTIC (_Luperina testacea_). - -Portraits of this moth will be found on Plate 128, Figs. 5, 6. The ground -colour of the fore wings ranges from very pale brown through greyish brown -to blackish. In some specimens the markings are very faint, and, excepting -the whitish submarginal line, are hardly visible. Usually there is a black -or {268} dark brown bar connecting the first and second cross lines; not -infrequently there is a black mark on the inner margin below the bar, and a -black mark or two in the cell above. These marks are sometimes supplemented -by others, and so form a more or less complete black central band. The -reniform and orbicular stigmata are often only outlined in paler brown, but -they may be whitish and very distinct. Var. _gueneei_, Doubleday, is pale -ochreous brown, with the first line pale, interrupted, and terminating in a -black dot on inner margin; and the second line made up of white-edged black -crescents; the reniform distinctly edged with white, and there is a slender -black line above the inner margin between the first line and the base of -the wing. Hind wings pure white, with black marginal lunules. - -The caterpillar is pinkish ochreous; usual dots not in evidence; skin much -wrinkled and glossy; spiracles pink margined with black; head and plate on -first ring pale brownish yellow. Robson (Cat. Lep. of Durham, etc.) states -that the caterpillar feeds on grass roots, and adds, "I have known it -abound in the grass tufts at the foot of palings around a large mill." The -moth is out in August and September. At night it flies freely to light, but -is not known to visit any of the usual floral attractions or the -collector's sugar. Generally distributed and often common. - -DUMERIL'S LUPERINA (_Luperina dumerilii_). - -Fore wings ochreous grey or brown, two brownish streaks represent the basal -line; the space between the first and second cross lines darker, and there -is a darker band on the outer margin; the stigmata are pale inclining to -yellowish, and the veins below them are white. Hind wings whitish tinged -with darker on outer margin. Ab. _desyllesi_, Boisd., has almost -unicolorous fore wings, and this form, according to Staudinger, has been -found in Northern France and England. I have only seen a continental -specimen of this species, which is very local and somewhat rare abroad. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 132. - 1, 2. RUSTIC SHOULDER-KNOT. - 3, 4. SMALL CLOUDED BRINDLE. - 5. DOUBLE-LOBED MOTH. - 6-11. COMMON RUSTIC. - 12. UNION RUSTIC. - 13. FLAME MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 133. - 1. FIGURE OF EIGHT: _caterpillar_. - 2. FEATHERED RANUNCULUS: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{269} In his _Manual_, vol. i. (1857), Stainton states, "one specimen has -occurred in the Isle of Arran." Reference is made in 1885 (_Entom._ xviii. -73) to two specimens taken in the Isle of Portland in 1858, and three -others in 1859. Then, in the _Entomologist_ for 1902, Mr. Stockwell -records, from Dover, the capture of "a fine female of this rare Noctua, on -a gas lamp in this town, during the latter part of September." - -THE STRAW UNDERWING (_Cerigo matura_). - -This moth, both sexes of which are shown on Plate 128, Figs. 2, 3, is -readily recognized by the yellowish hind wings. The caterpillar is ochreous -or dull reddish brown; series of greyish brown marks along the middle of -the back, and a brown edged line on each side; a pale ochreous line edged -above with brown low down along the sides; head pale brown, with darker -streaks. It feeds from September to April, sometimes later, on grasses, -chiefly in dry situations. The moth is out in July and August. Generally -distributed throughout the British Isles, but in Scotland not recorded -north of Moray. In suitable localities it is common, and sometimes is the -only visitor to the sugar patch. - -HAWORTH'S MINOR (_Celaena haworthii_). - -In this reddish brown moth (Plate 128, Fig. 7) the reniform and orbicular -stigmata are white or broadly outlined in white, and the vein below as well -as the branches also white. The wings of the female are smaller than those -of the male, and the body is distinctly stouter. The white markings -referred to are sometimes obscured or absent, and such specimens are -referable {270} to var. _hibernica_, Haworth. The caterpillar is purplish -brown, with the usual raised dots darker brown; three pale lines along the -back, the central one least distinct; head and plates on first and last -rings reddish brown; spiracles black. From April to July on cotton grass -(_Eriophorum vaginatum_), feeding in the stems down towards the root. The -moth flies in August and September. It was first noted as British in 1819, -and Stephens in 1829 mentions it as common in Whittlesea Mere. Although -still occurring in the fens, the species is far more common on the moors -and mosses of Northern England, Scotland to the Shetlands, and in Ireland. - -THE CRESCENT STRIPED (_Hama oblonga_ (_abjecta_)). - -In its most frequent form this species (Plate 131, Figs. 5, 6) has the fore -wings greyish brown and somewhat shining; the markings, especially the -cross lines, indistinctly paler; the reniform is outwardly dotted with -white. Sometimes the ground colour is paler grey with black markings -arranged very similar to such marks in _A. gemina_, var. _remissa_ (Fig. -8). - -The caterpillar is greenish grey, with the raised dots rather greyer; a -pinkish line along the back; head and plate on first and last rings shining -reddish brown. It feeds on grasses growing in salt marshes, edges of tidal -rivers, and ditches of brackish water: in the spring and until June; -perhaps from September. The moth is out from June to August, and may be -obtained at the flowers of marram grass as well as at sugar. The species is -found in most of the eastern and southern seaboard counties of England; at -Sandown and Freshwater in the Isle of Wight; in the fens of Huntingdon and -Cambridge; also occasionally in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Lancs, -Yorks, and Durham. In Scotland it has been obtained in Moray and in the -Shetlands. Local in Ireland. The range abroad extends to Amurland. {271} - -THE LARGE NUTMEG (_Hama sordida_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 131, Figs. 1, 2) are pale ochreous -brown, much marbled with darker brown, and sometimes slightly tinged with -reddish; the pale stigmata and submarginal line are the most distinct of -the usual markings. The caterpillar is said to be very like that of _Apamea -basilinea_. The moth flies in June, and is not uncommon in most parts of -Southern England. It occurs in Lancashire and Cheshire, but is more -frequent in Yorkshire and Durham; also found in South Wales, and although -it has been obtained in the Shetlands, it seems to be very local and -infrequent in Scotland. Only twice recorded from Ireland, one specimen on -the Dublin coast, 1860, and one at Howth (Kane). - -THE CONFUSED (_Hama furva_). - -This darker mottled greyish brown moth (Plate 131, Figs. 3, 4) is very -similar to the typical form of _A. gemina_ (Fig. 7); the fore wings, -however, are distinctly broader at the base, the W-like angles of the -submarginal line are less noticeable, and this line is comparatively -straighter. The reddish tinge so usual in _A. gemina_ is absent in the -present species. - -The caterpillar is ochreous tinged with pinkish, except on the first three -rings and the under surface; central line dusky; usual dots reddish brown, -as also are the head and plates on first and last rings. On grasses, -September to June, feeding chiefly on the shoots near the roots (condensed -from Buckler). The moth occurs from July to September, and may be obtained -at flowers of ragwort, scabious, etc., and freely at sugar, in rocky places -from Lancashire northwards through Scotland to the Shetlands. It also -occurs in Wales, and suitable places in Gloucester, Somerset, Devon, -Cornwall, and has also been recorded from Sussex. In Ireland found on -several parts of {272} the coast, but not plentiful. Abroad the range -extends to Amurland. - -THE DUSKY BROCADE (_Apamea obscura_ (_gemina_)). - -In its ordinary form the moth shown on Plate 131 is purplish brown, as in -Fig. 7, sometimes mottled with greyish or pale ochreous. A more ornamented -form is known as var. _remissa_ (Fig. 8), and the ground colour of this is -not infrequently pale ochreous brown, or almost whitish, with the black -marking very conspicuous. The caterpillar is brownish grey, finely striated -with darker; a yellowish white line along the middle of the back, and a -brownish ochreous stripe on each side of it; stripe along the black edged -spiracles greyish ochreous. It feeds from autumn till March on grasses in -moist situations. The moth is perhaps most abundant in the south, but it -occurs, in June and July, pretty well all over the British Isles; and -abroad its range extends to Amurland and Japan. - -THE RUSTIC SHOULDER KNOT (_Apamea basilinea_). - -The species shown on Plate 132, Figs. 1[male], 2[female], is found almost -everywhere in the British Isles, is generally common, and in many parts -abundant. Usually the pale brown fore wings are clouded or suffused with -reddish, but this tint may be absent, or the wings may be tinged with -greyish: the single black dash from middle of the base is the "Shoulder -Knot." The caterpillar, according to Barrett, is pale olive brown varying -to grey brown; a greyish white line along the middle of the back edged with -short undulating black lines; spiracular line a row of blackish dashes, -clouded with olive brown, or edged with greyish white and looped with grey -brown; head black, plate on first ring black and white striped. It feeds -from August to March on grasses, etc. The moth flies in May and June. {273} - -THE SMALL CLOUDED BRINDLE (_Apamea unanimis_). - -The fore wings are generally reddish brown mottled with darker, but the -reddish tinge may be almost absent; the reniform is more or less outlined -in white and there are two black streaks from the base. (Plate 132, Figs. -3[male], 4[female].) The caterpillar is pale ochreous brown, sometimes -tinged with greenish; three dark edged pale lines on the back; spiracular -line pale edged above with darker; head, and plate on first ring, brown and -glossy. On grasses that occur in damp places, such as water meads, marshes -and fens from July to April. The moth flies in June and July. It is widely -distributed, and sometimes common in most moist localities throughout -England. More local in Scotland but occurring in Aberdeenshire, and on the -western side ranging to the Orkneys. Not frequent in Ireland, but has been -obtained in several parts. The distribution abroad extends to Amurland. - -THE UNION RUSTIC (_Apamea pabulatricula_). - -The very distinctly marked, and sometimes brownish tinged, greyish white -moth shown on Plate 132, Fig. 12, is very local in the British Isles, and -apart from its reported occurrence in the Clyde and Tay districts of -Scotland, seems to be found only in some of the woods of South Yorkshire, -as near Rotherham, Sheffield (Wharncliffe Woods), and Barnsley. It has been -obtained in Cumberland; and Barrett states that formerly it occurred in -Norfolk. The caterpillar, which is little known, is said to feed on grasses -in May. The moth flies in August and early September. It is also known as -_connexa_, Bork. {274} - -THE COMMON RUSTIC (_Apamea secalis_). - -Following Guenee, British entomologists at one time knew this species as -_oculea_; afterwards it became the habit to label it _didyma_, a name given -to it by Esper in 1788. Just now the authorities insist on _secalis_, -Linnaeus, being adopted. The species is an exceedingly variable one, and -six examples of it are shown on Plate 132, Figs. 6 to 11. The form with -blackish fore wings and a white reniform mark is var. _leucostigma_, Esp. -_Nictitans_, Esp., has brownish fore wings and a white reniform. _I-niger_, -Haw., is greyish or grey brown with darker central band, and the cross -lines united by a black bar. Ochreous or reddish ochreous specimens with -the front marginal area broadly and irregularly reddish brown, and the -outer margin bordered with reddish brown, are referable to var. _furca_, -Haw. Many other forms have been named. The caterpillar is green with three -reddish lines on the back; head and plate on the first ring pale brown, -also plate on last ring. In stems of grasses such as _Festuca_, _Dactylis_, -etc., also on wood-rush. From Autumn to April or May. The moth flies in -July and August, and is common everywhere in the British Isles; its range -abroad extends to Western China. - -THE DOUBLE LOBED (_Apamea ophiogramma_). - -This species (Plate 132, Fig. 5) is usually found in marshy localities, or -in gardens, over the eastern counties, and from Northamptonshire through -Bucks, and Hertfordshire, to Kent, and Surrey. The caterpillar feeds from -September on the shoots of _Phalaris arundinacea_ and the cultivated form -of that plant grown in gardens, and known as ribbon grass. Also said to -feed on _Poa aquatica_. When the grass dies down in the late autumn the -caterpillar enters the ground to hibernate, and {275} emerges in the spring -ready to attack the young grass shoots as soon as they appear. Where the -new growth of ribbon grass assumes a brown and withered appearance this -larva will probably be found at the bottom of the trouble. When nearly full -grown it eats down the interior of the thicker stems to the base. In colour -it is ochreous with a pinkish tinge; a pale brownish plate on first and -last rings, each edged with blackish and that on the first ring traversed -by a white line; head pale brown, glossy. The moth flies in July and -August, sometimes in June. - -THE MARBLED MINOR (_Miana strigilis_). - -Half a dozen specimens are shown on Plate 134, and these will serve to give -some idea of the range of aberration in this species. The most typical of -the species are those represented by Figs. 1 and 4; the farthest removed -from the type is var. _aethiops_, Haworth (Fig. 16). In the reddish var. -_latruncula_, Hubn., as figured by him, the most conspicuous character is -the white lower curve of the second cross line, as in Fig. 7. - -The caterpillar is purplish brown above, and ochreous below; striped on the -back with pale yellow, and less distinctly on the sides; spiracles black -and very distinct; head and plates on the first and last rings of the body -ochreous brown and shining. Found in March and April, after hibernation, -feeding on the stems of various grasses. The moth is out in June and July, -and may frequently be seen at rest on palings, etc., but at night it often -abounds at sugar or honey dew. Generally distributed in the British Isles, -except perhaps in the islands of Scotland. - -THE MIDDLE-BARRED MINOR (_Miana fasciuncula_). - -In its typical form this species (Plate 134, Fig. 3) has the fore wings -reddish ochreous, with a darker central band, and {276} the cross lines, -especially the second, distinctly white towards the inner margin. -Sometimes, chiefly in Scotland, the ground colour is much paler, -occasionally almost whitish, and the band reddish (var. _cana_, Staud., -Figs. 5, 8). There is a good deal of variation, both in the ground colour -and in that of the band; the latter is often smoky brown in pale specimens -of both sexes. - -The caterpillar is of a pale flesh tint, rather inclining to greyish -ochreous, the dorsal stripe of a darker tint of the same colour well -defined on each side by the pale ground colour; next a very broad stripe of -pinkish brown, followed by a narrow stripe of the ground colour, faintly -edged below with pinkish brown; above the black spiracles is a stripe of -pinkish brown freckles; head and plates on first and last rings of the body -light brown, shining (Buckler). In the shoots of grasses such as _Aira -cespitosa_, in April and early May, probably after hibernation. The moth is -out in May and June, and its haunts are moist woods and marshy grounds, -generally. The species is widely distributed, and often common, throughout -the British Isles. Abroad it seems to have a very limited range. - -THE ROSY MINOR (_Miana literosa_). - -The ground colour is pale, or dark, violet grey, more or less clouded -inwards from the submarginal line, and on the basal area, with purplish; a -central reddish or reddish brown band is limited inwardly by the, -sometimes, whitish edged black first line, and outwardly by an almost -straight black line passing between the stigmata to the inner margin. -(Plate 134, Figs. 11, 14.) - -The caterpillar is dingy ochreous yellow, with a dark purplish stripe, -enclosing a central line of the ground colour, on the back; spiracles -black; head dark brown, plates pale brown (Porritt). From September to -June, in stems of _Carex glauca_, _Dactylis glomerata_, and other grasses. -The moth flies in July and August, and although rare inland is pretty -generally distributed around the coasts of the British Isles; apparently, -from the Clyde area, confined to the east coast of Scotland, and not -extending north of Moray. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 134. - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16. MARBLED MINOR MOTH. - 2, 5, 8. MIDDLE-BARRED MINOR. - 11, 14. ROSY MINOR. - 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. CLOAKED MINOR. - 17, 18. LEAST MINOR. - 19-21. SMALL DOTTED BUFF. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 135. - 1, 2. CLOUDED-BORDERED BRINDLE. - 3. LIGHT ARCHES. - 4, 5. CLOUDED BRINDLE. - 6. REDDISH LIGHT ARCHES. - 7, 8. SLENDER BRINDLE. - -{277} THE CLOAKED MINOR (_Miana bicoloria_). - -This is another variable species of the genus, and five specimens of it are -shown on Plate 134. The typical form (Fig. 3) has the fore wings more or -less brownish on the basal area, and whitish bordered with brownish on the -outer area. Very frequently these wings are pale, or dark, brown marbled -with darker brown, and with the stigmata and cross lines distinct, faint, -or absent. Fig. 15 represents a form from Ireland, which is uniformly pale -ochreous brown, sometimes reddish tinged. The caterpillar is yellowish -ochreous, tinged with pink; three dull reddish interrupted bands, each -intersected by a line of the ground colour; head reddish brown; plates on -first and last rings of the body pale reddish brown (Buckler). In stems of -grasses, such as _Festuca_ and _Aira_--April and May; probably after -hibernation. The moth flies in August and September, sometimes earlier. At -dusk it is often common in rough fields and grassy places near the sea. -Although found in some inland localities, it is more especially a coast -species, and as such is widely distributed over the British Isles to the -Orkneys. - -THE LEAST MINOR (_Phothedes captiuncula_). - -The pretty little moth shown on Plate 134, Figs. 17, 18, has the fore wings -brownish ochreous, tinged with reddish brown, and with a darker central -band and hind margin. Sometimes the whole basal area up to the white second -line {278} is reddish brown; and in a form from Ireland named _tincta_, -Kane, the coloration is somewhat similar to that of _M. literosa_. This -species was first discovered in Britain by Messrs. Law and Sang, in a -locality near Darlington, Durham, in 1854. It is now obtained in several -places in that county, and in Northumberland. Also found in North -Lancashire, Westmoreland, and once in Yorkshire. It occurs commonly in Co. -Galway and Clare, Ireland, and has once been taken in Killarney. There is -also a record from Perthshire in Scotland. - -The caterpillar is dull ochreous, with a reddish tinge inclining to -purplish on rings two to seven; head reddish brown; plates on first and -last rings yellow brown, the former edged in front with darker brown; -spiracles black, three yellow spots on sides of rings two and three -(Buckler). On _Carex glauca_ and other sedges, eating down the stems close -to the roots. Will also eat ribbon grass--August to June. The moth flies, -often in the early afternoon, from late June to August. It seems partial to -rough fields, and hillsides, chiefly on the coast. - -THE CLOUDED-BORDERED BRINDLE (_Xylophasia rurea_). - -Of this common, generally distributed, and often abundant species, -portraits of the typical form (Fig. 1), and of var. _alopecurus_, Esp. -(Fig. 2), will be found on Plate 135. The ground colour varies from the -normal greyish white to a silvery white (var. _argentea_, Tutt), and -through yellowish shades to a reddish ochreous; the markings in all these -colour aberrations are more or less typical. In the var. _alopecurus_, -Esp., there are also gradations; thus _combusta_, Haworth, is dark greyish -brown; and a blackish brown, red tinged form is _nigro-rubidea_, Tutt. The -caterpillar (Plate 130, Fig. 4) is variable in colour, one form is ochreous -grey with three lines on the back, the central one white shaded on each -side with grey; usual dots and spiracles are black; head blackish and -shining. From {279} August to May on grasses. The range abroad extends to -Amurland. - -THE LIGHT ARCHES (_Xylophasia lithoxylea_). - -In this whitish ochreous species (Plate 135, Fig. 3) there is little -variation except that the darker clouding is more pronounced in some -specimens than in others. The caterpillar is brownish grey, tinged with -ochreous or with greenish; usual dots blackish, as also are the head and -the plates on first and last rings of the body. October to May, feeding on -stems of grasses, near the roots. The moth is out in June and July, and is -often seen on fences, etc., in the daytime. Generally distributed, and -common in most places throughout the British Isles. In Scotland, however, -it does not range north of Moray, and only on the eastern side. - -THE REDDISH LIGHT ARCHES (_Xylophasia sublustris_). - -Except that the fore wings are somewhat reddish tinged, and not so long, -this species (Plate 135, Fig. 6) is very similar to the last. The -caterpillar is also very like that of the Light Arches, but has more red in -its coloration. The moth is out in June and July, and affects limestone and -chalk localities, and these chiefly on the coast. In Berkshire and -adjoining counties it occurs in beech woods. Specimens have been recorded -from Kendal in Westmoreland, but Yorkshire has been considered the northern -limit of the species in England. It has been recorded occasionally from the -fens. Paisley and Bonhill are given as Scottish localities in the _Fauna of -the Clyde Area_ (1901). Widely distributed in Ireland but most abundant in -the province of Connaught. - -_Xylophasia zollikoferi._ The home of this species would seem to be in -parts of Hungary, Russia and Western Asia, whence it very occasionally -finds its way across the continent {280} to England. Its British history is -as follows:--a specimen taken at Deal, by Mr. Harding, October, 1867; one -at Inverurie in Scotland, by Mr. Tait, September, 1871; and one at sugar by -Mr. T. A. Lofthouse at Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, September 26, 1903. Also -recorded from Norwich, September, 1905, and from Methley, Yorks, August, -1910. (Plate 153, Fig. 6.) - -THE DARK ARCHES (_Xylophasia monoglypha_). - -The five portraits of this moth on Plate 136 will give some idea of the -various forms it assumes. The blackish specimen is referable to var. -_infuscata_, White, and an extreme aberration of this form has been named -_aethiops_, Tutt. The caterpillar is greyish, inclining to brownish or -reddish; usual dots blackish; head and plate on first ring of body dark -brownish, and shining. August to September, feeding on grasses and -devouring the stems near the base. The moth is out from June to August, -sometimes in October and November. It occurs in all parts of the British -Isles and is often abundant. - -THE CLOUDED BRINDLE (_Xylophasia hepatica_). - -The most frequent form of this species (Plate 135) has the fore wings pale -brown, with well-defined black markings, but without distinct cross lines. -When the wings are more clouded and suffused with reddish or purplish brown -the paler ground colour shows up as cross lines, and these are more or less -edged with blackish (var. _characterea_, Hubner). The caterpillar (Plate -130, Fig. 2) is dingy brown with shining black dots; three pale ochreous -lines along the back, the central one most distinct; head black and -shining; plate on first ring of the body black crossed by white lines, -another on the last ring is blackish. Feeds from August to April on -grasses, but will also eat various low plants. The chrysalis (Fig. 2A) -which {281} is enclosed in a tender earthen cocoon, is reddish, blackish -between the rings, and the last ring, which is blunt at apex, is furnished -with four hooks. The moth is out in June and July. A common species in the -eastern and southern counties of England, but less frequent or rare in the -Midlands and northwards to Roxburgh in Scotland. Local and not numerous in -Ireland. Range abroad extends to Amurland. - -THE SLENDER BRINDLE (_Xylophasia scolopacina_). - -This is another species with reddish brown clouded, pale ochreous brown -fore wings. The ground colour may be whiter or redder than in the specimens -shown on Plate 135, Figs. 7, 8. The caterpillar (Plate 130, Fig. 1) is -dusky green above and whitish green beneath, the green shading into -blackish along the sides; a fine whitish line along the middle of the back; -usual dots black; head honey-brown and glossy, the jaws and a spot on each -cheek black. It feeds on the juicy lower part of the stems of grasses, such -as _Triticum_, but will also eat the leaves. In the spring, and till June, -probably after hibernation. The moth is out in July and August, and as an -uncommon event may be seen at rest on a tree trunk or paling. Stephens -(1829) refers to its occurrence in the London district, and it still -appears in woods around Highgate. It seems to be most plentiful in the -woods of South Yorkshire, and in the Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire; -but it has been found more or less frequently in several of the southern -counties of England, and also in some northern ones. Its range abroad -extends to Amurland and Japan. - -THE BIRD'S WING (_Dipterygia scabriuscula_). - -The curious wing-like marks on the blackish fore wings of this moth (Plate -137, Figs. 1[male], 2[female]) are its chief features. The {282} stigmata -are outlined in black, but are rarely paler than the ground colour. The -caterpillar is reddish brown with yellow and black dots; three lines along -the back, the central one white with a black edging, and the others -blackish; head brown and glossy, marked with black; a blackish plate on -first ring is also glossy, and is followed by a black mark on the next -ring, both streaked with white. It feeds on dock, sorrel, and plants of the -genus _Polygonum_, in July and August. The moth flies in late May and June, -sometimes as a second generation in August or September. It occurs more or -less commonly in most southern and eastern counties from Oxfordshire. In -other parts of England, and in Scotland, it seems to be local or absent. - -THE PURPLE CLOUD (_Cloantha polyodon_). - -This moth is figured on Plate 137, Fig. 7. The first recorded British -specimen was taken at Yarmouth, in June, 1839. In 1855 a specimen, found in -a spider's web at Ashford, Hampshire, was exhibited at a meeting, held in -May, of the Entomological Society of London. Two specimens were taken in -1892; one at Folkestone, Kent, at sugar, and the other outside Norwich, in -Norfolk, at a gas lamp. In the _Entomologist_ for 1894, there is a record -of a specimen captured at sugar, July, 1891, at Clonbrock, Co. Galway, -Ireland. The species has a wide range abroad, extending eastward to -Amurland and Japan. - -THE DEEP-BROWN DART (_Aporophyla lutulenta_). - -In the south of England the species (Plate 137, Figs. 9, 10) is generally -of a dark brown coloration on the fore wings, and the markings are often -indistinct; but blackish forms also occur, although the latter are more -frequent northwards, and in Scotland and Ireland are the prevailing form of -the species. In black or blackish specimens, usually referred to -_luneburgensis_, {283} Freyer, the hind wings in the male, have the veins -more or less blackish and dotted with black beyond the middle; var. _sedi_, -Guenee, has the fore wings pale greyish with the markings distinct, and the -central area blackish. - -The caterpillar is green, sometimes tinged with pink on the first three -rings; three brownish broken lines along the back, and a violet edged white -line along the spiracles. It feeds on grasses, yarrow, groundsel, dock, -plantain, gromwell (_Lithospermum_), and other low herbage; also on buds of -hawthorn and sloe in the spring. October to April. The moth is out in -August and September, sometimes later. It is found most frequently on the -coast, perhaps, but occurs in Cambridgeshire, Hunts, Oxfordshire, -Gloucestershire, Berks, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hants, and Isle of Wight; -from Somerset to Cornwall; North and South Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire, and -Yorkshire, and apparently in all counties northward except Westmoreland. -Widely distributed in Scotland from the border to the Hebrides and Orkneys. -It is found only on the coast in Ireland, and chiefly in the north-west. - -THE BLACK RUSTIC (_Aporophyla nigra_). - -This black or brownish black moth (Plate 137, Fig. 8) has the outer edge of -the reniform stigma ochreous, and the cross lines are sometimes dotted with -the same colour. The caterpillar is green, yellowish-brown, or dull -purplish; first three rings often tinged with reddish; three darker, often -broken, lines along the back; line along the black-edged white spiracles -yellowish. It feeds on bedstraw (_Galium mollugo_), dock, plantain, -grasses, etc. October to May. (The egg is figured on Plate 139, Fig. 3.) -The moth is out in September and October. Chiefly a northern species, but -it occurs in some of the southern counties. It is, however, most frequent -in Northampton, Huntingdon, and Cambridgeshire; in Gloucestershire, {284} -and Wales, and in the Isle of Man, Cumberland, and Westmoreland. In -Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire it seems to be local or rare. It is -found up to Moray in Scotland, and is sometimes plentiful in Aberdeenshire, -Inverness, and Moray. Very local in Ireland, but Kane says that it is found -in the extreme north, south, east, and west. - -THE FEATHERED BRINDLE (_Aporophyla australis_). - -The fore wings are pale grey, sometimes darker clouded, chiefly on the -costa; the black cross lines, slender, wavy, but not always distinct; a -short black bar from middle of the base and one below it on the inner -margin; often two other bars, pretty much in a line with the basal ones, on -the central area; a row of black wedges on the outer area, near margin. -Hind wings white in the male, pale brownish grey in the female. Most of our -specimens, perhaps all, are referable to var. _pascuea_, Curtis. The -caterpillar is yellowish green tinged with reddish above; a pale reddish -line along the middle of the back has black V-shaped marks upon it, and -there is a series of black marks on each side; the line along the spiracles -yellowish; head green, brown freckled. Feeds, from October to April, on -grasses, catchfly (_Silene maritima_), etc. The moth, which is figured on -Plate 137, Figs. 3, 4, is out from late August to October. - -This is a local species in England and occurs on the south coast; in Kent, -on the sand hills at Deal; in Sussex, on the downs at Brighton and Lewes; -also on downs on the Isle of Wight. Farther west it is found at Portland in -Dorset, and Torquay in Devon; thence along the Devon and Cornish coasts. In -Ireland it is obtained, according to Kane, on the coast of Wicklow and -Waterford, and is not scarce on the sand hills of Wexford Harbour. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 136. - DARK ARCHES MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 137. - 1, 2. BIRD'S WING MOTH. - 3, 4. FEATHERED BRINDLE. - 5, 6. FEATHERED RANUNCULUS. - 7. PURPLE CLOUD. - 8. BLACK RUSTIC. - 9, 10. DEEP-BROWN DART. - -{285} - -THE FEATHERED RANUNCULUS (_Epunda lichenea_). - -This is a maritime species and is chiefly found in the Isle of Wight, the -Isle of Portland, and along the coasts of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, -Gloucester, and on the opposite Welsh coast. It is locally common in -Cheshire and Lancashire, and occurs on the coast of North Wales, in Flint -and Carnarvon. In Yorkshire it is not uncommon at Scarborough. Has been -recorded from the Lincolnshire coast and from Eastbourne. There are two -records from Scotland--Renfrew and Ayr. In Ireland it is common at Howth, -and abundant at Rossbeigh, Co. Kerry. This species, and the last two, have -a rather limited range abroad. On Plate 137 are portraits of two local -forms, Fig. 5 is from Portland, and Fig. 6 from Plymouth. It will be noted -that the former is greyish in tone whilst the latter is greenish and rather -larger. Similar local variation occurs throughout the range of the species. - -The caterpillar (Plate 133, Fig. 2) is olive green inclining to brownish -above; along the back are darker markings forming a central stripe and a -paler interrupted stripe on each side; a pale stripe along the spiracles. -It feeds from autumn to May on various low plants. The moth flies from late -August to early October. The first British specimen is said to have been -taken in the New Forest in 1847; but in 1850 about a hundred were captured -at New Brighton in Cheshire. - -THE BRINDLED OCHRE (_Dasypolia templi_). - -The dull ochreous-brown moth shown on Plate 138, Fig. 1, has hardly any -well-defined markings, but the cross lines are generally darker, and the -reniform and orbicular paler. The caterpillar, which feeds in the stems of -cow-parsnip (_Heracleum sphondylium_) from April to August, is pinkish -ochreous with a rather darker stripe on the back; raised spots brown; head -{286} reddish brown. The moth flies in the autumn, and, after hibernation, -in the spring. It frequents rocky places on the coast and on hills. Its -range in England is pretty much as in the last species, but it does not -seem to occur on the south-east coast. In Scotland it is widely spread over -the country to the Orkneys, and has been found in the most northern isle of -the Shetlands, but it is generally uncommon. It has been taken near Dublin -in Ireland, and less frequently in Antrim and Donegal. - -THE LARGE RANUNCULUS (_Polia flavicincta_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 138, Figs. 6 and 7), are pale grey, -clouded, and marked with darker; yellowish freckles at the base, and on the -central area and the submarginal line are usually, but not always, present. -Sometimes, chiefly in northern specimens, these wings are much suffused -with darker grey, approaching blackish. The caterpillar is green with a -yellowish or bluish tinge; a dusky line along the back, and a dark green -line along the black-edged white spiracles. It feeds on dock, groundsel, -plantain, and many other plants from April to July. The moth flies in -September and October, and, except in Kent, and perhaps Sussex, is rather -uncommon in the southern counties of England. It occurs, however, not -infrequently in the eastern counties, and through Oxford, Berks, -Gloucester, Somerset to Cornwall, and northward through Hereford and parts -of the Midlands to Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Durham. - -THE GREY CHI (_Polia chi_). - -Four specimens are depicted on Plate 138. Figs. 2 and 3 represent the sexes -of the type form, and Figs. 4 and 5, the greenish-grey var. _olivacea_, -Stephens. Both forms may be paler or darker, but the green tinge is apt to -fade out. Var. _suffusa_, Tutt, is a dark greyish suffused form. {287} - -The caterpillar is green, inclining to bluish green above; the lines on the -back are whitish, edged with dark green; that along the black-margined -white spiracles is white, shaded above with dark green. It feeds on dock, -dandelion, groundsel, etc.; also on sallow and hawthorn, from April to -June. The moth is out in August and September. It prefers the open country -to woodlands, and is often seen resting on rocks, stone, or other walls, -and buildings. Except that it occurs in Devon and Dorset, the species seems -to be absent in the south of England, but its area of distribution extends -in the British Isles from the Midlands of England to Moray and Ross in -Scotland, and to Ireland. - -THE BLACK-BANDED (_Polia xanthomista_). - -The form of this species occurring in Britain is var. _nigrocincta_, Tr. -(Plate 140, Figs. 2, 3), which is pale grey, spotted with white, and -clouded on the central area with black. The typical yellow flecking and -dotting is in this form usually sparse, but occasionally it is prominent. A -specimen reared from a caterpillar taken in the Isle of Man was suffused on -the fore wings with bright orange. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown, varying in tint, above and pale green -below the brown spiracles; the head is rather yellowish and very glossy. It -feeds on sea thrift (flowers), and plantain in its haunts, which are the -rocky coasts of Cornwall, North Devon, and the Isle of Man. In confinement -it will eat groundsel, dock, dandelion, lettuce, etc. Usually the -caterpillars do not hatch out until the spring, and then feed until June or -July; but they have been known to hatch in the autumn, and then to -hibernate. The moth flies in August and September, but, although it has -been taken at sugar and light, is more frequently reared from caterpillars, -which are readily found at night by those who may undertake the sometimes -{288} hazardous business of collecting them. The earliest known British -specimen was taken at a lighthouse near Padstow in Cornwall, and five years -later the moth was bred from a caterpillar found in the Isle of Man. In -1880 a specimen was taken at sugar in the middle of a small wood in South -Pembrokeshire. According to Hampson this, and the other two species usually -included in _Polia_, are referable to _Antitype_, Hubn. On the same -authority _nigrocincta_, Treit., is the earlier name for the present -species, as the figure of _xanthomista_, Hubn., was not published until -1827. - -THE SPRAWLER (_Brachionycha_ (_Asteroscopus_) _sphinx_). - -The black streaked and dotted, pale brownish grey moth (Plate 138, Fig. 8) -occurs, more or less locally, in most of the English counties from Norfolk, -Huntingdon, and Oxford, southwards; and from Gloucester northwards through -Hereford and Worcester, to Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, to Darlington -in Durham, and Cumberland. It is, however, rare in the northern counties. -The caterpillar is yellowish green; three whitish lines on the back, the -central one broadly edged with green on both sides, and the others inwardly -by a dark line; the front ring is edged with whitish, and the head is -greenish. It feeds on the foliage of various trees, including oak, beech, -elm, ash, sallow, lime in May and June. The moth flies in November and -December. - -THE RANNOCH SPRAWLER (_Brachionycha_ (_Asteroscopus_) _nubeculosa_). - -The first British specimen was taken at Rannoch in the spring of 1854, and -in that Perthshire locality the species is still to be found, sitting on -the trunks of the birch trees in late March and in April. It has frequently -been reared from the egg, but the caterpillars must be sleeved out on -growing birch, or the mortality among them may be high. Even if they attain -the chrysalis stage, the moth may not appear the following spring, as it -has a habit of remaining in its shell for two winters, and sometimes more. -(Plate 140, Figs. 1[male], 4[female].) - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 138. - 1. BRINDLED OCHRE MOTH. - 2, 3. GREY CHI MOTH. - 4, 5. GREY CHI MOTH, _var. olivaceae._ - 6, 7. LARGE RANUNCULUS. - 8. SPRAWLER. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 139. - 1, 1a. BLACK-BANDED MOTH: _eggs, natural size and enlarged._ - 2, 2a. GOTHIC MOTH: _caterpillar and chrysalis._ - 3, 3a. BLACK RUSTIC: _eggs, natural size and enlarged._ - -{289} The caterpillar is yellowish green, whiter on the back; the third -ring is obliquely marked with yellow on each side; the eleventh ring is -slightly raised and marked yellow, and there is an oblique yellow mark -above the claspers; spiracles white edged with black, and the usual dots -are pale yellow. It feeds on birch. May and June. - -THE GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT (_Miselia oxyacanthae_). - -This moth, which in its typical form was known to the ancient fathers of -entomology as "Ealing's Glory," is shown on Plate 141, Fig. 2. The var. -_capucina_, Mill (Fig. 3), a purely British production by the way, has the -fore wings dark sooty brown, inclining to blackish. The caterpillar, which -has a white-marked and divided hump on ring eleven, is reddish or greyish -brown, with dark grey and greenish mottling; the back has three darker -lines along it, and there is a sort of diamond pattern in greyish between -the outer ones; rings three and ten striped with black; head reddish brown. -It feeds in April and May on hawthorn, sloe, crab, and apple. Widely -distributed throughout the British Isles, but apparently not found north of -Moray in Scotland. - -THE DOUBLE-SPOT BROCADE (_Miselia bimaculosa_). - -Stephens, referring to this species in 1829, states that he had only seen -one British specimen. This was in the British Museum, "to which it was -presented by Dr. Leach; it was captured near Bristol, I believe, in July, -1815." Barrett notes {290} a specimen, said to have been taken by Peter -Bouchard, in the collection of the late Dr. Mason. This is all that there -seems to be known concerning this species in Britain. The specimen figured -on Plate 141, Fig. 4, is continental. - -THE MERVEILLE DU JOUR (_Agriopis aprilina_). - -The pretty green moth, with white-edged black markings, shown on Plate 141, -Fig. 1, is widely distributed over the greater part of the British Isles. -It occurs in oak woods, or in localities where oak trees are plentiful. The -caterpillar is of an obscure greenish-grey coloration, sometimes inclining -to brownish; a white line along the back, and a dark one low down on the -sides; over the back spreads a series of blackish marks showing a more or -less diamond pattern. It feeds in the spring and until June on oak leaves, -and often rests by day on the trunks, in the chinks of the bark. The moth -flies in September and October, rather earlier in Scotland. - -FLAME BROCADE (_Rhizotype_ (_Trigonophora_) _flammea_). - -The earliest record of this species (Plate 141, Fig. 6) in England dates -back to 1855, when five specimens were obtained at sugar in a locality near -Brighton, in Sussex. The next year, and subsequently, it was found, not -only in the original place, but also in the Lewes and Shoreham districts. -Later it was met with in other localities in the county, and for several -years captures were made in most of its known haunts. For some years past, -however, it seems to have disappeared from Sussex, and is not known to -occur in any other part of the British Isles. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown, tinged with reddish; a dull brownish -diamond pattern, and three lines along the back, the central line paler -than the others; the spiracles and usual dots are white, ringed with -brownish. Another form is green, as also are both forms in the younger -stages. It feeds from December to April on pilewort (_Ranunculus ficaria_), -_R. repens_, and other kinds of buttercup. When full grown it is said to -prefer ash or privet. The moth flies in late September and October. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 140. - 1, 4. RANNOCH SPRAWLER. - 2, 3. BLACK-BANDED MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 141. - 1. MERVEILLE-DU-JOUR MOTH. - 2, 3. GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT. - 4. DOUBLE-SPOT BROCADE. - 5. SMALL ANGLE SHADES. - 6. FLAME BROCADE. - 7. ANGLE SHADES. - -{291} THE SMALL ANGLE SHADES (_Euplexia lucipara_). - -The pale reniform mark on the outer edge of the blackish central area is -the prominent feature of this pinkish- or purplish-brown moth. (Plate 141, -Fig. 5.) The caterpillar is green, or pinkish-brown, and velvety in -appearance; three indistinct lines and some dusky V-shaped marks on the -back; a white line along the sides; usual dots white, and the spiracles -black. It feeds in August and September on most low plants, birch, sallow, -bracken, etc. It is often destructive to ferns in the garden or -conservatory; usually selecting the choicer kinds, and as its depredations -are carried on only at night, the culprit escapes detection. The moth flies -in June and July, and a few specimens sometimes appear in the autumn. -Generally distributed and often common in the South. The range abroad -extends to Amurland, Japan, and North America. - -THE ANGLE SHADES (_Phlogophora meticulosa_). - -The moth shown on Plate 141, Fig. 7, is, when newly emerged from the -chrysalis, an exceedingly pretty creature. After death the pinky-brown -colour remains, but the olive green of the triangular central band, and -border of outer margin, fades and distinctly mars the pleasing effect of -the general colour scheme. Sometimes the central band and outer border are -red, and in such specimens the ground colour is more rosy. The caterpillar -is green or brown, minutely dotted with white; a pale central line and -dusky V-shaped marks on each side of it; the outer arm of the V more -distinct than the inner; the line along the dark {292} ringed spiracles -whitish; head green or brown freckled with darker. It feeds on groundsel, -dock, bracken, and almost anything in the way of an herbaceous plant; often -attacks geraniums in the greenhouse as well as outdoors. Has been found in -almost every month of the year, but perhaps most common in July, August, -and September. The moth also occurs at all seasons of the year, but seems -to be most frequent in May and June, and sometimes in September and -October. It is found throughout the British Isles. Both this species and -the last mentioned, when resting on herbage, paling, or tree stem, chiefly -the former, sit with the wings folded in to the body, but each fore wing is -broadly wrinkled or folded throughout its length. In this position the moth -is very like a crumpled decaying leaf, and for such may be readily -mistaken. - -THE OLD LADY (_Mania_ (_Mormo_) _maura_). - -From its habit of creeping behind curtains, shutters, etc., and otherwise -disposing itself in dwelling-houses during the day, as well as in summer -houses and other buildings, this moth (Plate 142, Figs. 1[male], 3[female]) -must often come under observation. The caterpillar is ochreous brown with a -darker diamond pattern on the back; the central line is ochreous, but much -broken, and on each side of it there is a series of pale oblique streaks; -the spiracles are reddish ochreous, edged with black, and the line along -them is ochreous; head pale brown, glossy. The general colour varies to -greyish or purplish brown. It feeds on various low herbage in the autumn, -and on the young shoots and leaves of sallow, hawthorn, birch, etc., in the -spring after hibernation. The moth flies in July and August, and is -generally common in the south of England. Sometimes it abounds even in the -London suburbs, and in 1904 it was seen pretty frequently during August -flying, in the evening, low down along the roads and in gardens all over -the southern district. The species is also {293} found more or less -frequently throughout England northwards, and well into Scotland, as least -as far as Clydesdale. Renton records it as common at sugar in -Roxburghshire, and White gives the Forth and Tay districts. Widely -distributed in Ireland, common in some parts. - -THE GOTHIC (_Naenia typica_). - -This moth (Plate 142, Fig. 2) is common in gardens, as well as along the -weedy wayside and hedgerow in all parts of England and Wales, Scotland to -Sutherland, and in Ireland. The caterpillar (Plate 139, Fig. 2) varies in -colour from brownish-grey to pale ochreous brown, or greenish grey, -freckled with darker; three pale lines on the first ring, and partly on the -second; some pale oblique streaks on the sides, and blackish marks on rings -ten and eleven, the latter more or less united behind; head of the body -colour darker marked. It feeds on all kinds of herbage, also on the leaves -of sallow, sloe, apple, etc. When young in large companies on the underside -of leaves. August to May. The moth flies in June and July. - -THE CRESCENT (_Helotropha leucostigma_). - -Of this purplish-brown species the typical form (Fig. 1), and the pale -banded form, var. _fibrosa_, Hubn., are shown on Plate 143. The -caterpillar, according to Buckler, is slaty brown, inclining to olive drab -above; three paler lines on the back; the spiracles are black and the usual -dots black-brown; head warm brown, very glossy; plate on first ring glossy -black, that on the last ring blackish brown. It feeds in the stems of -_Cladium mariscus_, sedge (_Carex paludosa_), and yellow flag (_Iris -pseudacorus_). May to July. The moth is out in late June, July, and August. -It inhabits fens and marshy ground, and seems to be found in such -localities throughout the British Isles, including the {294} Hebrides and -Shetlands. Abroad the range extends to Amurland, China, Japan, also North -America. - -THE EAR MOTH (_Hydroecia_ (_Gortyna_) _nictitans_). - -On Plate 143 are shown a more or less typical specimen of this species -(Fig. 3); the reddish spotted var. _erythrostigma_, Haw. (Fig. 4); and two -examples of the marsh or saltern form, _paludis_, Tutt (Figs. 5, 6), for -which specific rank has been claimed. Specimens found in marshes, -especially those by the sea, are usually somewhat larger than normal, but I -cannot see that they otherwise differ from forms of _nictitans_. The -caterpillar is greenish pink with pinkish grey stripes on the back and -sides; spiracles black, and usual dots dark brownish; head pinkish -ochreous, plate on ring one of the body yellowish brown. It feeds from May -to August on grasses, chiefly the lower part of the stems. The moth flies -in August and September, and is sometimes seen in the daytime on the -flowers of thistle and ragwort, etc., but far more frequently at night, -when it also visits sugar more or less freely. Usually common in marshy -places throughout our islands. The range abroad extends to Amurland, Corea, -Japan, and North America. - -THE ROSY RUSTIC (_Hydroecia_ (_Gortyna_) _micacea_). - -This moth (Plate 143, Figs. 8, 9) is also widely spread over the British -Isles, occurring most freely on the coast, but not uncommonly inland. It -appears in the autumn, and is frequently seen at light, and although not -very partial to sugar it occasionally visits that attraction as well as -ragwort blossom, etc. The caterpillar is dull smoky pink, with a faintly -darker central stripe; the usual dots dark brown, and the spiracles black; -head, and plates on first and last rings of the body ochreous brown. May to -August on dock, plantain, feeding in the stems and down into the roots. -Sometimes it attacks the potato, eating down the stalk into the tuber. The -range abroad extends to Amurland. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 142. - 1, 3. OLD LADY MOTH. - 2. GOTHIC MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 143. - 1, 2. THE CRESCENT. - 3, 4. EAR MOTH. - 5, 6. EAR MOTH, _saltern form_. - 7. BUTTERBUR MOTH. - 8, 9. ROSY RUSTIC. - -{295} THE BUTTERBUR (_Hydroecia_ (_Gortyna_) _petasitis_). - -This is a larger species than the last, and more dingy in coloration. Its -chief haunts, among the butterbur (_Petasites_), are in the northern -counties from Cheshire to Durham. It was first met with by Stainton in 1846 -at Falkirk in Scotland, and Doubleday named and described it in 1847. An -account of its caterpillar feeding in the roots of the butterbur was -published by N. Cooke in 1850, and by 1855 the northern collectors had -reared and distributed large numbers of the moths among their confreres in -other parts of the country. The species is still common in the north of -England, but continues scarce and very local in Scotland. Odd specimens -have been reported from the eastern counties and once from Somerset. The -caterpillar is greyish white with black dots; head, and plate on first ring -of the body brown. July and August. The moth occurs among its food plant in -August and September. (Plate 143, Fig. 7.) - -THE FROSTED ORANGE (_Ochria ochracea_). - -Except that it sometimes visits a strong light, and may then be captured, -this moth (Plate 144, Figs. 1[male], 2[female]) is most easily obtained in -its early stages. The caterpillar is pale ochreous white with conspicuous -black dots; head ochreous brown, the plate on first ring of the body is -blackish with white lines upon it. It feeds in the stems of thistles, -burdock, hemp-agrimony, etc. April to July, or later. The brownish -chrysalis may be found in stems of the plants, generally low down near the -ground. The moth, also known as _flavago_, Schiff., occurs from August to -October in most places, especially marshy ground, where {296} thistles -flourish, throughout England and Wales. It is found in Scotland up to -Perthshire and Aberdeen. Only recorded from Wicklow, Galway, Sligo, and -Clare, in Ireland. - -REED WAINSCOT (_Nonagria algae_ (_cannae_)). - -This moth (Plate 144, Fig. 4) varies in size and also in the colour of the -fore wings, which range from a pale ochreous, through reddish shades, to -sooty brown. The cross lines are indicated by black dots. The black dotted -greenish caterpillar has a brown head and a whitish green plate on first -ring of the body. It feeds from May to July in the stems of reed-mace -(_Typha latifolia_), often called the bulrush or catstail; also in the true -bulrush (_Scirpus lacustris_). Fig. 5, Plate 148, shows the chrysalis in -its characteristic position when in the stem, that is with the head -upwards. The moth flies, in August and September, at dusk, over and among -the reeds; the males especially freely responding to the attraction of -light. Its chief localities are in the fens of Norfolk and Suffolk, but it -has also occurred in Mid-Sussex. - -WEBB'S WAINSCOT (_Nonagria sparganii_). - -This moth also varies in the colour of the fore wings, from almost whitish -through various shades of ochreous and red. The main veins are shaded with -grey, and the median one has black dots upon it, chiefly at the end of the -cell; the outer margin with a row of large or small black dots. (Plate 144, -Fig. 3.) The caterpillar is yellowish green with darker lines; head and -plate on first ring of the body pale brown. It feeds in July and August in -stems of bur-reed (_Sparganium_), reed-mace, and yellow flag. Fig. 6, Plate -148, shows the chrysalis in its natural position in the stem. The hole in -the stem from which the moth escapes is also clearly in evidence above the -chrysalis. {297} The moth flies among reeds, etc., in August and September. -Its chief localities in England are in East and South-east Kent, in which -county the first British specimens were obtained by Mr. Sydney Webb in -1879. In 1899 a specimen reared from a caterpillar found in a stem of -_Typha_, was recorded from Suffolk (Woodbridge district); and in 1901 the -species was recorded from South Devon. It is also not uncommon "between Old -Head of Kinsale and Glandore," Co. Cork, Ireland. - -THE BULRUSH WAINSCOT (_Nonagria typhae_). - -The fore wings of this species (Plate 144, Fig. 5), usually of a pale -whity-brown colour, in some specimens are reddish tinged; or they may be -almost uniformly reddish brown or blackish (var. _fraterna_, Treit.). The -row of black spots on the outer area are wedge-shaped and are placed just -before the margin. The caterpillar is pale ochreous more or less tinged -with pink; a paler line along the spiracles; head and plate on first ring -of the body red-brown. July to August, in stems of _Typha_. The moth flies -in August and September, and although it may be netted when on the wing at -dusk, or at light, it is obtained in better condition by rearing it from -the chrysalis, which may be found in the stems (Plate 148, Fig. 3), those -of the previous year for choice, of reed mace. Generally distributed in -England up to Yorkshire; it has been recorded also from Northumberland and -the Scottish border. It is common in southern Ireland, and found northwards -up to Sligo, Tyrone, and Armagh. - -THE TWIN-SPOTTED (_Nonagria geminipuncta_). - -This species, shown on Plate 144, Figs. 6, 7, varies in colour from pale -brown, more or less suffused with grey, through darker, or reddish brown to -blackish (var. _nigricans_, Staud.). {298} In the brown typical form the -reniform mark is represented by two dark-edged white dots, the upper one -often tiny or absent (var. _unipuncta_, Tutt), or both may be absent (var. -_obsoleta_, Tutt). The caterpillar in pale ochreous, pink-tinged, a pale -line along the spiracles; head dark brown. May and June, in stems of reeds -(_Phragmites_). The chrysalis lies in the reed stem with the head towards -the oval hole above it from which the moth escapes. In August the moth may -be found in its haunts in the south and east of England. These are marshes, -often near the sea, in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex, the Thames valley, -Sussex, Hants, and the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire and Somerset. - -THE BROWN-VEINED WAINSCOT (_Nonagria dissoluta_). - -The popular name applies more especially to the ordinary form of this -species known as _arundineta_, Schmidt. (Plate 144, Fig. 8.) The dark brown -or black typical form (_dissoluta_, Treit. = _hessii_, Boisd.) is local and -uncommon; in fact until 1900 it had not been noted in England for a number -of years, and specimens were only known from Yaxley. In the year just -mentioned however, several examples of it were recorded from Suffolk, taken -in the Needham Market district; and in 1905 specimens were reported from -the East Kent marshes. Var. _arundineta_, the _neurica_ of some authors, -occurs in the fens of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and Lincolnshire; also -in marshes in Essex and Kent; and is said to have been taken in Middlesex -and Lancashire. The caterpillar is dirty white, light reddish on the back; -raised dots black inclining to brown on front three rings; spiracles white -edged with black; head dark brown; plate on first and last rings of the -body brownish grey. It feeds in June in the stems of reed and turns to a -chrysalis in the lower part of the stem, head downwards in the direction of -the exit hole below it. (Plate 148, Fig. 1.) The moth flies in July and -August. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 144. - 1, 2. FROSTED ORANGE MOTH. - 3. WEBB'S WAINSCOT. - 4. REED WAINSCOT. - 5. BULRUSH MOTH. - 6, 7. TWIN-SPOTTED WAINSCOT. - 8. BROWN-VEINED WAINSCOT. - 9. FENN'S WAINSCOT, 10. _aberration sinelinea._ - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 145. - 1, 2. LARGE WAINSCOT. - 3, 4. FEN WAINSCOT. - 5, 6. FLAME WAINSCOT. - 7, 8. SILKY WAINSCOT. - 9, 10, 11. SMALL RUFOUS MOTH. - 12, 13, 14. SMALL WAINSCOT. - -{299} - -THE SMALL RUFOUS (_Coenobia rufa_). - -Varies from pale ochreous white, through reddish shades, to a greyish -brown. (Plate 145, Figs. 9 to 11.) The caterpillar is described by Hofmann, -as pale reddish above and whitish below, with minute dark dots on the back -and a fine blackish line along the sides; head and plate on first ring of -the body brown and glossy. May and June, in stems of the jointed rush -(_Juncus lamprocarpus_). The moth flies in July and August, and occurs in -fens and marshes. At one time it was not uncommon in marshy localities -around London, and it is still to be obtained in Richmond Park, Surrey. In -some years it abounds in the Norfolk and Cambridge fens, and in others is -hardly seen. It is also to be found more or less frequently but always -local in Suffolk, Essex, Berks, Kent, Sussex, Isle of Wight, Dorset (Isle -of Purbeck), Devon, Somerset, Gloucester, North and South Wales, Cheshire, -and Yorkshire; Argyllshire in Scotland; Ireland. - -THE SILKY WAINSCOT (_Senta maritima_). - -In its typical form (Fig. 7) the moth shown on Plate 145 is whity-brown, -clouded with grey and sometimes tinged with brownish on the disc. The -orbicular and reniform stigmata are round and faintly outlined in whitish. -In var. _bipunctata_, Haworth, the stigmata are black and conspicuous: var. -_wismariensis_, Schmidt, has a blackish central streak from the base -broadening out towards the outer margin (Fig. 8): var. _nigristriata_, -Staud., has the fore-wings finely streaked with black; and var. -_nigrocostata_, Staud., has the front margin broadly black. The caterpillar -is ochreous grey with three fine interrupted, whitish lines on the back; -spiracles black with darker lines along their area; head dark brown and -shining. September to May, hiding by day in stems of reed (_Phragmites_) -and at night {300} feeding on the caterpillars and chrysalids of other reed -insects (Hofmann). The moth flies from late June to early August. It occurs -in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridge, but in the former county it has been -taken at Merton and King's Lynn. Dr. Wheeler states that it is usually -found in the thicker reed beds where stems of the previous year's growth -still remain. Specimens were obtained among reeds in the Harwich district, -Essex, in 1902, and the species has also been recorded from Tring, -Hertfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, and the Isle of Wight. - -THE FLAME WAINSCOT (_Meliana flammea_). - -The original British specimen, which Curtis in 1829 named, described, and -figured, was stated to have been taken "near Lewisham, towards Lee, in -July." Now it is only known to occur in Huntingdon, Norfolk, and -Cambridgeshire, chiefly in the fens; in Wicken fen in the latter county it -is most plentiful. (Plate 145, Figs. 5, 6.) The caterpillar is greyish -ochreous brown, rather paler beneath, with paler lines along the back and -sides, the central one edged on each side with darker; spiracles whitish, -outlined with black, and a greyish drab spiracular stripe with paler edges; -head shining, and faintly netted with darker grey. (Condensed from -Buckler.) Hides by day in the old stems of reed (_Phragmites_), and feeds -at night on the leaves, August to October. - -THE SMALL WAINSCOT (_Tapinostola fulva_). - -The fore wings vary in colour from almost whitish through various shades of -grey brown and reddish brown (Plate 145, Figs. 12 to 14). The caterpillar, -pale shining pinkish ochreous; central stripe pale, bordered on each side -with greyish brown. Head pale brown, marked with darker, shining. June and -July in stems of sedges (_Carex_). The moth flies in August and {301} -September, and is found in fens and marshy ground pretty well all over the -British Isles, including the Hebrides. - -THE CONCOLOROUS (_Tapinostola extrema_). - -This species (Plate 146, Fig. 3) was at one time subsequent to 1844, when -it was first discovered in Yaxley Fen, not at all scarce in that locality -and in other fens in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire. It then -disappeared from all its old haunts, some of which were destroyed; but a -few years since it was met with again in Hunts, and apparently not -uncommonly. - -BOND'S WAINSCOT (_Tapinostola bondii_). - -The whitish moth shown on Plate 146, Fig. 4, was first taken at Folkestone, -Kent, by Dr. Knaggs, in 1859, and named and described by him in 1861. It -still occurs in that locality and also on the Devon and Dorsetshire coast, -the known localities being Charmouth, Lyme Regis, and Sidmouth. - -The caterpillar is dirty white in colour inclining to brownish at each end; -a whitish line along the middle of the back; head brown. Feeds from August -to June in stems of _Festuca arundinacea_. The moth flies in June and July. - -THE MERE WAINSCOT (_Tapinostola hellmanni_). - -Present localities for this reddish species (Plate 146, Figs. 1, 2) are -Wicken and Chippenham fens, Chatteris and Whittlesford, in Cambridgeshire; -Monk's Wood in Hunts. Formerly Yaxley, where it was first taken in 1847, -used to be a noted locality, but the insect disappeared when the fen was -drained. It has been reported from Norfolk (Yarmouth), Lincolnshire, -Devonshire (Dartmoor), and Hertfordshire (Hitchin), chiefly in odd -specimens. The caterpillar has been described by Hofmann as -yellowish-white, or reddish above and paler beneath; plate {302} on first -ring of the body rather glossy, head glossy yellow brown. It lives from -autumn to June of the next year in stems of the wood smallreed -(_Calamagrostis epigeios_). The moth flies in July and August. - -THE LYME GRASS (_Tapinostola elymi_). - -The more or less brownish-tinged, whitish-ochreous species shown on Plate -146, Figs. 5, 6, was not recorded as a British insect until 1861. It is now -known to occur in England in many localities, but all on the east coast -from Norfolk to Durham. In the _Entomologist_ for 1894, it is recorded as -occurring at Montrose on the Forfarshire coast in Scotland. The caterpillar -is described by Buckler as pale flesh colour, with a rather darker stripe -along the back; spiracles black; head reddish-brown, shining; shining -yellowish-brown plates on the first and last rings of the body. It feeds on -the stems of lyme-grass (_Elymus arenarius_) in May and June. The moth -flies at early dusk over and among its food plants, and later on it settles -on the stems, from which it may be easily boxed. - -THE BRIGHTON WAINSCOT (_Oria_ (_Synia_) _musculosa_). - -This yellowish-clouded, whitish insect is a native of Southern Europe, Asia -Minor, Syria, and North-west Africa. Occasionally it has occurred in -England, and in the time of Haworth and Stephens one or two specimens seem -to have been recorded as British. In 1855 an example was captured at -Brighton, and others occurred in the same locality, and at Bexhill, Kent -(Jenner), between that year and 1860. A specimen was recorded from Brighton -in 1883, and one from South Devon in 1899. Reported from Wiltshire in 1910. -(Plate 146, Fig. 7.) - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 146. - 1, 2. MERE WAINSCOT. - 3. THE CONCOLOROUS. - 4. BOND'S WAINSCOT. - 5, 6. LYME GRASS MOTH. - 7. BRIGHTON WAINSCOT. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 147. - 1, 2. COMMON WAINSCOT. - 3, 4. SMOKY WAINSCOT. - 5. SOUTHERN WAINSCOT. - 6. STRIPED WAINSCOT. - 7, 8. OBSCURE WAINSCOT. - 9. DEVONSHIRE WAINSCOT. - 10. SHOULDER-STRIPED WAINSCOT. - -{303} - -THE LARGE WAINSCOT (_Calamia lutosa_). - -This species, shown on Plate 145, Figs. 1, 2, varies somewhat in the colour -of the fore wings, which is usually pale ochreous brown, but may be more or -less reddish tinged, or clouded with dusky; there is a row of black dots -beyond the middle of the wing, but these are sometimes faint or absent. The -range in size is considerable, some specimens are about the size of _L. -straminea_ whilst others will equal that of a large _N. typhae_. - -The caterpillar is whitish tinged with pink above, and with a dusky line -along the back; head reddish brown and glossy; plates on first and last -rings of the body shining pale brown. It feeds from April to June in the -stems of reed (_Phragmites_), causing the leaves of the affected stems to -whiten. The moth flies in August, September, and October, sometimes later, -and occurs in marshes, and on the banks of streams and ditches, in most of -the southern and eastern counties of England, and from Derbyshire to -Durham; in Scotland it has been recorded from Roxburghshire (near Kelso, -rare), Perthshire, Aberdeen, and Shetland. The species is widely spread in -Ireland. - -THE FEN WAINSCOT (_Calamia phragmitidis_). - -In the typical form this species (Plate 145, Figs. 3, 4) the fore wings are -whitish on the basal half, and incline to reddish on the outer half; var. -_rufescens_, Tutt, has these wings reddish all over, but somewhat darker on -the outer margin. The caterpillar is ochreous white with a slightly paler -stripe along the back, edged on each side with purplish; the spots are -black, as also are the spiracles; head and plates on the first and last -rings of the body black or blackish brown, glossy. It feeds from August to -June in stems of reed (_Phragmites_), and is said {304} to hatch from the -egg in the autumn. The moth flies in July and August, and is fond of the -flowers of grasses growing in its marshy haunts. It is common in the -Norfolk and Cambridge fens, and is found in suitable locations in -Huntingdon, Northampton, Lincoln, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and South -Lancashire, also in Berkshire, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, and Sussex. - -THE COMMON WAINSCOT (_Leucania pallens_). - -This common, often abundant species (Plate 147, Figs. 1, 2) is pretty -generally distributed over the British Isles. The typical coloration is -pale ochreous; ab. _arcuata_, Stephens, is pale brownish ochreous; ab. -_ectypa_, Hubn. = _rufescens_, Haworth, is reddish; and ab. _suffusa_, -Stephens, is also reddish, but powdered with blackish scales between the -veins, and chiefly so under the median nervure. The hind wings in all forms -are white in both sexes; but sometimes slightly tinged with greyish on the -outer margin in the female. The caterpillar (Plate 152, Fig. 1) which feeds -on grasses from August to May, is pale whity-brown freckled above with -pinkish brown; three whitish lines along the back, the central one narrowly -edged on each side, and the others on the inner side only, with blackish; a -greyish stripe along the sides with two pinkish brown lines above it; dots, -minute, black; head freckled with dark brown. Distribution abroad extends -to Amurland. - -MATHEW'S WAINSCOT (_Leucania favicolor_). - -This species (Plate 149, Figs. 1, 2) has been mainly found on the coasts of -North-east Essex and South-east Suffolk, but it has also been taken at -Hemley in Suffolk, and has been recorded from near Southend in Essex, and -Rochester in Kent. In 1906 six specimens were captured in the Isle of -Sheppey. So far as is known at present this is its range in England, and it -does not seem to occur anywhere abroad. It was first discovered by -Paymaster-in-Chief G. F. Mathew, in 1895, and was described by the late Mr. -C. G. Barrett in 1896. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 148. - 1, 1a. BROWN-VEINED WAINSCOT: _egg and chrysalis_. - 2. TWIN-SPOTTED WAINSCOT: _egg, enlarged_. - 3. BULRUSH MOTH: _chrysalis_. - 4, 4a. FENN'S WAINSCOT: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 5. REED WAINSCOT: _chrysalis_. - 6. WEBB'S WAINSCOT: _chrysalis_. - 7. DEVONSHIRE WAINSCOT: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 149. - 1, 2. MATHEW'S WAINSCOT. - 3. THE DELICATE. - 4. THE WHITE SPECK. - 5. THE WHITE POINT. - 6. THE COSMOPOLITAN. - -{305} In the typical form the fore wings are of a smooth soft honey colour, -or colour of the honeycomb, having the nervures faintly perceptible, but -not paler; a black discal dot, and two more dots with some faint blackish -dashes indicate the usual second line. Tutt has named several forms, the -most important being ab. _lutea_, bright yellow buff with discal dot and -two dots beyond; and ab. _rufa_, deep reddish with discal dot and two -others beyond. Besides these there are ab. _aenea_, Mathew, deep orange, -with only one dot representing second line; and ab. _obscura_, Mathew, -cinnamon-brown, with smoky shading between some of the nervures. The hind -wings vary from whitish with darker nervures, to smoky grey; but the -fringes always remain whitish. - -The caterpillar is a warm putty colour, or pinkish brown, mottled and -shaded with darker shades; three pale whitish brown lines on the back, the -central one bordered on each side by a darker shade, and the outer ones -shaded inwardly with darker and edged below by a darker line; a brown or -pinkish stripe above the spiracles, and a pinkish yellow stripe below them; -head yellowish-brown, shining, and dotted with darker colour. It feeds on -grasses from July to April (adapted from Mathew). The moth flies in June -and July, and frequents the flowers of the large grasses growing on salt -marshes. Sometimes specimens of a second brood appear in August or -September. - -THE SMOKY WAINSCOT (_Leucania impura_). - -The range of this common species (Plate 147, Figs. 3[male], 4[female]), in -the British Isles is almost the same as that of _L. pallens_, but it does -not extend further north than Moray in Scotland. The hind wings are greyish -or blackish grey. A form with reddish {306} fore wings is var. _punctina_, -Haw., which sometimes has a row of black dots on the outer margin. The -caterpillar is greyish ochreous above, greenish tinged beneath; a brown -stripe along the middle of the back is intersected by a very fine white -line; above the reddish black-edged spiracles is a brownish stripe; usual -dots black; head pale brown, shining, netted with brown and lined with -blackish. It feeds on grasses from August to May. The moth is out in July -and August; rather later in the north. Distribution abroad extends to -Amurland and Japan. - -THE SOUTHERN WAINSCOT (_Leucania straminea_). - -In its more usual form this species (Plate 147, Fig. 5) has pale -whity-brown or pale straw-coloured fore wings, and the black dots forming -the second line not infrequently absent, at least as regards some of them. -Var. _rufolinea_, Tutt, has the fore wings reddish ochreous, the rays -whitish, and the shade under the median nervure reddish. Var. -_nigrostriata_, Tutt, has the ground colour of the fore wings obscured by a -thick powdering of black scales. The hind wings in all forms are whitish, -sometimes greyish tinged. Generally there is a central black dot, and a -more or less complete series of black dots beyond it; but some, or all, of -these dots may be absent. The caterpillar, which feeds on the leaves of -reeds, _Phalaris_, and other coarse grasses from October to May, is -ochreous with an orange tinge, and dusted with grey; three white lines on -the back are broadly shaded with bluish grey; on the sides are two grey -shaded white lines; head shining brownish ochreous (Fenn). The moth flies -in July and August, sometimes earlier. - -Hammersmith Marshes, a once noted locality for this, the Obscure Wainscot, -and other good species, have long since been built over; but the present -insect, and perhaps some of the other ancient inhabitants of the said -marshes, possibly still occur along the banks of the Thames. Anyhow, it -does lower {307} down in the Kentish marshes. It is found in most of the -eastern counties from Essex to Huntington and Lincoln, and also, but less -frequent, in Sussex, Devon, and Cornwall. Kane gives Dromoland, Co. Clare, -and Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Ireland. - -THE STRIPED WAINSCOT (_Leucania impudens_). - -This is a rather larger insect than either of the last four species. The -fore wings are whitish ochreous, powdered with blackish scales, and often -tinged with pinkish. The black shading along the median nervure is -sometimes very conspicuous. The caterpillar is ochreous brown, with three -blackish-edged whitish lines on the back and dark stripes along the sides; -head pale brown marked with darker. It feeds on the leaves of the reed -(_Phragmites_) in June. The moth flies in July and August in fens, boggy -heaths, and marshy ground, and is found in such places in most of the -eastern counties, in Yorkshire, and from Berkshire and Kent to Devon, also -in South Wales and in Galway, Cork, and Kerry, Ireland. Abroad the range -extends to Siberia and Amurland. (Plate 147, Fig. 6.) - -THE OBSCURE WAINSCOT (_Leucania obsoleta_). - -This species (Plate 147, Figs. 7[male], 8[female]) will be recognized by -the fine blackish lines on the fore wings, the white dot at lower end of -the cell, and the row of black dots representing the second cross line. It -is a very local species, chiefly found among reeds in Norfolk and -Cambridgeshire, and may also occur in marshy places along the banks of the -Thames from Bucks to Kent. The caterpillar is greyish ochreous above and -paler beneath; three white lines on the back, the central one edged with -greenish on each side, and the others edged with brownish; the line along -the black-edged spiracles is greyish; head pale {308} brown striped with -darker. It feeds from August to October on the leaves of the reed -(_Phragmites_), hiding by day in the stems. It also hibernates in the reeds -when full grown, but does not change to the chrysalis state until the -spring. The moth flies in June and July. - -THE SHORE WAINSCOT (_Leucania littoralis_). - -The white line running through the pale ochreous brown fore wings is the -chief character of this species. (Plate 150, Figs. 4, 5.) The caterpillar -(Plate 152, Fig. 2) is whity-brown with three lines on the back, the -central one is whitish, shaded with dusky on each side, the others brown -edged with whitish; the spiracles are whitish, outlined in blackish; head, -and plate on first ring of the body, bone colour, shining. It feeds from -August to May on marram grass (_Psamma arenaria_), but will eat meadow -grass (_Poa_) and other kinds in confinement. The moth is out in June and -July, sometimes earlier or later. It is a coast species, occurring only on -sandhills where the marram grass flourishes, and in such localities is -found all round England and Wales; on the east coast of Scotland to -Forfarshire, and on the west to Clydesdale and Arran; and in Ireland on the -north, south, and east coasts. - -FENN'S WAINSCOT (_Leucania brevilinea_). - -On Plate 144, Fig. 9 represents the type of this specimen, and Fig. 10 ab. -_sinelinea_, Farn. This form, which has also been referred to as -"_alinea_," is without the typical black streak at the base of the fore -wings. The caterpillar is pale pinkish grey; dorsal line pale yellow or -bone colour; subdorsal stripes of the same colour, edged on each side by a -grey line, and each divided down the middle by a slender pale brown line; -spiracular stripe of a dull opaque yellowish white edged above with grey; -head, and plate on the first ring of the body, pale brown, the latter -striped with pale yellow (Barrett). It feeds in the upper part of reed -stems until nearly full grown, and then upon the leaves. April to July. -Barrett states that it prefers the reeds near small trees or bushes to -those growing in masses. The moth is out in July and August, and may be -netted as it flies at dusk along the edges of the reed beds, etc.; later on -it resorts to the honeydew-covered leaves of sallow and alder, and also -visits light. This species was first taken in 1864 at Ranworth in Norfolk; -it is now obtained in Barton Broad and several other localities in the -Norfolk fens, but not in any other part of the British Isles. It does not -appear to occur abroad. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 150. - 1, 2. BROWN-LINE BRIGHT-EYE MOTH. - 3, 6. DOUBLE-LINE MOTH. - 4, 5. SHORE WAINSCOT. - 7, 8. CLAY MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 151. - 1, 2, 3. TREBLE LINES MOTH. - 4. ANOMALOUS MOTH. - 5. MOTTLED RUSTIC. - 6. UNCERTAIN MOTH. - 7. RUSTIC MOTH. - 8. VINE'S RUSTIC. - 9, 10. PALE MOTTLED WILLOW. - 11. SMALL-MOTTLED WILLOW. - -{309} THE SHOULDER-STRIPED WAINSCOT (_Leucania_ (_Cirphis_) _comma_). - -The striking features of this moth (Plate 147, Fig. 10) are the white -median nervure, and the black streak below it, of the fore wings; there are -also black marks on the veins before the outer margin. The caterpillar is -very like that of _L. impura_, but there is a dark line on the back between -the central and outer whitish lines. It feeds on cocksfoot and other -grasses from June to August. The moth flies in June and July, and is not -uncommon in meadows and grassy places, even by the roadside. Except that it -does not, apparently, extend beyond Perthshire in Scotland, it seems to be -widely, or even generally, distributed over the British Isles. Abroad it -ranges to Siberia and Amurland. - -_Leucania l-album._--Barrett, "Lepidoptera of the British Islands," vol. -ix. p. 450 (1904), remarks: "This species now seems to have made its way to -this country, though it is still doubtful whether it has established -itself. Mr. Eustace R. Bankes has captured a female specimen in South -Devon, and he mentions the occurrence of one or two other specimens. It is -a very pretty species, and widely distributed abroad." {310} - -THE DEVONSHIRE WAINSCOT (_Leucania_ (_Cirphis_) _putrescens_). - -So far as the British distribution of this species (Plate 147, Fig. 9) is -known, it seems to be confined to the coasts of South Devon and South -Wales. It was first noted at Torquay in the year 1859, and about twelve -years later was detected in Carmarthenshire. Abroad it occurs somewhat -locally in France, Italy, Dalmatia, and in North-west Africa. - -The caterpillar is pale brown with three whitish lines on the back, the -central one edged on each side with blackish, the others shaded above with -blackish with black dots in the shading, and edged below by a blackish -line; all these lines become faint on the last three rings of the body; the -usual dots are black; head rather paler, somewhat shiny, the lobes -conspicuously edged with black, and the jaws marked with blackish. It feeds -on grasses from September to January. The figure on Plate 148, Fig. 7, is -from one of a few caterpillars kindly sent by Mr. J. Walker, of Torquay. He -writes: "They are full fed by the beginning of January as a rule, and -although they go down, they do not turn until the beginning of June." Mine -unfortunately died in the cocoon. The moth flies in July and August, and -favours particular coves and banks by the sea. It visits sugar, and also -the flowers of wild sage. - -THE WHITE-SPECK OR AMERICAN WAINSCOT (_Leucania_ (_Cirphis_) _unipuncta_). - -This moth (Plate 149, Fig. 4) is known in America, where it is exceedingly -abundant and destructive, as the "Army Worm." It ranges through India, -China, and Japan, and occurs in many other parts of the world, including -Madeira and the Canary Isles. It is rare in Europe, and appears to have -been noted in parts of Spain, Portugal, and France. Since Haworth described -and {311} named it _unipuncta_ in 1803 it has been renamed many times, and -was long known in England as _extranea_, Guenee. About a score have been -recorded as taken in the British Isles altogether, and of these two only in -Ireland; the others were captured in England and Wales, and nearly all on -the south or south-west coast, chiefly in the month of September. The most -recent being one in the New Forest, Hampshire, 1896, one in Devon, 1903, -one in 1907, and one in 1911. Also in Isle of Wight, 1912. - -THE COSMOPOLITAN (_Leucania_ (_Cirphis_) _loreyi_). - -Barrett accepted this species as British, chiefly on the strength of two -specimens captured at sugar by a sedgy ditch, nearer to Worthing than to -Brighton in Sussex; the date was 1862. More recent records are one specimen -at Torquay on September 27, 1900, and another, also in South Devon, -September 6, 1903. The former taken at sugar, and the latter netted when -"flying wildly over rough herbage at dusk." Ireland in 1908. - -The species has a wide range through Southern and Eastern Asia, etc., but -in Europe it is only found in the south and along the Mediterranean. The -specimen shown on Plate 149, Fig. 6, is from India. - -THE DELICATE (_Leucania_ (_Sideridis_) _vitellina_). - -The first recorded British specimen of this species (Plate 149, Fig. 3) was -captured at Brighton, Sussex, some fifty odd years ago. The species has -occurred in and around that locality several times since, but seems to have -been found more frequently at Torquay and other places on the Devonshire -coast. It has also been recorded from the Scilly Isles, Cornwall, the Isle -of Wight, the New Forest, and Chichester; Kent, on the coast, and inland at -Canterbury, Sussex. In 1902, a year in which several specimens were -obtained on the south coast, {312} one example was taken at Navestock, in -Essex. August and September are the months during which it is seen in this -country, but abroad it occurs also in June and July. The caterpillar, which -feeds on grasses in the spring, is described by Hofmann as pinkish ochreous -with three white lines on the back and black dots between them, two on each -ring; below the black spiracles is a yellowish stripe; head brown with -black dots. - -THE WHITE-POINT (_Leucania_ (_Sideridis_) _albipuncta_). - -This species (Plate 149, Fig. 5) appears to have been confused with the -following one. It may be distinguished by its generally smaller size and -the pure white spot on the fore wings. The colour of the fore wings is -brownish red, rather than rusty tinged as in some reddish forms of _L. -lithargyria_; the second cross line is more distinct, and the series of -black marks beyond less so. The hind wings are paler than those of the next -species. The caterpillar is yellowish wainscot brown above, inclining to -flesh-colour on the sides and beneath; three white lines on the back, the -central one edged on each side by a wavy blackish line, the outer ones -edged above by a blackish line and below by a brownish line; a pale stripe -low down along the sides; head ochreous, shining, and lined on the face -with greyish. It feeds from autumn to spring on grasses. The moth is out -from August to October. It occurs more or less frequently, and chiefly on -the coast, in Kent (first taken at Folkestone, in 1868), Sussex, Hants, -Isle of Wight, South Devon, and Essex (Shoeburyness). - -THE CLAY (_Leucania_ (_Sideridis_) _lithargyria_). - -Two specimens of this species are shown on Plate 150, Figs. 7 [male], 8 -[female]. The colour of the fore wings varies from pale ochreous brown, -often with a pink tinge, to a deep rusty red; the reniform stigma is -generally represented by a pale crescent with a white or whitish dot at its -lower end; the cross lines are rarely distinct, but a series of black dots -before the outer margin are usually well in evidence. The caterpillar is -pale brown tinged with pinkish or yellowish; central line white edged with -dark brown, and on each side of this is an interrupted broad blackish line -edged below with white; a whitish line below the blackish spiracles; head -and plate on the first ring of the body, pale brown, rather shining, the -former freckled with blackish. It is found in April and May on grasses, -probably after hibernation, The moth is out from late June to early August -and is common in woods, and woody places throughout the greater part of the -British Isles. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 152. - 1. COMMON WAINSCOT: _caterpillar_. - 2. SHORE WAINSCOT: _caterpillar_. - 3. CLAY MOTH: _caterpillar_. - 4. BROWN RUSTIC: _caterpillar_. - 5, 5a. DOUBLE LINE: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - 6. THE ANOMALOUS MOTH: _caterpillar_. - 7, 7a, 7b. SMALL MOTTLED WILLOW: _eggs and caterpillars_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 153. - 1, 3. REDDISH BUFF MOTH. - 2. MARSH MOTH. - 4, 5. BROWN RUSTIC. - 6. _XYLOPHASIA ZOLLIKOFERI._ - -{313} THE BROWN-LINE BRIGHT-EYE (_Leucania_ (_Chabuata_) _conigera_). - -This species (Plate 150, Figs. 1 [male], 2 [female]) ranges in the colour -of fore wings from pale ochreous brown to a dusky tawny hue; the cross -lines are sometimes very faint, but otherwise the markings are constant. -Var. _suffusa_, Tutt, is described as rusty red suffused with darker -scales, markings typical, but deeper in colour and more distinct. The -caterpillar is ochreous or greyish brown; three yellow lines on the back -are black edged; a yellow line along the sides is often edged with black, -and the line below the black spiracles is blackish; head pale brown marked -with black. It feeds on grasses, and may be found in April and May. The -moth appears in June and July and is pretty generally distributed. It is -regarded as a common species in South England, but in the north seems to be -rather local and most frequently found on the coast. In Scotland it does -not appear to have been noted north of Ross or in the isles. Abroad the -range extends through Northern and Central Asia to India and Japan. {314} - -THE DOUBLE LINE (_Leucania_ (_Eriopyga_) _turca_). - -The sexes of this species are shown on Plate 150, Figs. 3 [male], 6 -[female]. The general colour of the fore wings may be paler or darker than -in the specimens shown. Sometimes the central area enclosed by the black -cross lines is darker than the other parts of the fore wings; var. -_obscura_, Tutt, has the fore wings obscure smoky grey, with a dull coppery -tinge, much suffused with dark scales; markings indistinct. - -The caterpillar is pale brown freckled with darker; a whitish line along -the middle of the back is edged on both sides with blackish merging into -black at the ring divisions; a rather wavy, but less distinct, whitish line -on each side of the central one edged above with blackish; spiracles black -ringed with pale brown and set in a broad dark brown line below which the -colour is pinkish; head shining pale brown, freckled with darker on the -cheeks. It feeds on cocksfoot and various other grasses occurring in -woodlands. August to May. The moth, which inhabits woods and well-timbered -parks, is out in June and July. It is, perhaps, most frequent in the New -Forest, Hampshire, thence it is found more or less sparingly to Cornwall. -Sometimes not uncommon in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, and occurs in -Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex (Epping Forest, etc.), Surrey (Richmond -Park). Recorded from Cheshire and from South Wales. In Scotland it is said -to have been taken at Newfield, Ayrshire. The only records from Ireland are -Clonbrock (1), and Merlin Park, Galway (2). Abroad it ranges to Amurland, -China, Corea and Japan. - -TREBLE LINES (_Meristis_ (_Grammesia_) _trigrammica_). - -The fore wings range in colour from whitish or greyish brown to ochreous -brown; the cross lines are usually distinct, {315} and the central one is -often broad. (Plate 151, Fig. 1.) In var. _approximans_, Haw., the cross -lines fall nearer together on the inner margin; and in var. _semi-fuscans_, -Haw., the basal half is greyish or reddish grey, and the outer half is -suffused with brownish (Fig. 2). Then there is a somewhat rarer form, with -dark grey, brown, or blackish brown fore wings, with the cross lines more -or less distinct, as in Fig. 3; or with the central one absent (var. -_bilinea_, Hubn.); or all the lines may be obscured by the dark colour. -Kane states that var. _obscura_, Tutt (= _bilinea_, Haw.), is pretty common -at Howth and other places in Ireland, and, according to Barrett, it is not -infrequent in Wales. The caterpillar is greyish or dingy reddish brown; -three pale lines on the back, the central one partly edged with black, and -the outer ones are broken and inwardly edged with blackish marks; the -stripe along the black spiracles is ochreous brown; head brownish. From -July to April on plantain and other low plants. The moth is out in June and -July. In Scotland it is local and rare, but has been recorded from -Clydesdale, Arran, and once from Perthshire. Local but widely distributed -in Ireland. - -THE ANOMALOUS (_Stilbia anomala_). - -A local species, but sometimes not uncommon on heaths, or in rocky places -by the sea. It is found from Surrey westward to Cornwall; and from -Staffordshire, in which county it has been seen in abundance on Cannock -Chase, it ranges into Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Wales (North -and South), Lancashire, Yorkshire (commonly at Saltaire), Durham (once), -and Cumberland. Generally distributed in Scotland, including the Orkneys. -It occurs in the Isle of Man, and seems to be pretty widely spread in -Ireland, but found chiefly on the coast. Abroad it seems to be only found -in France and in Central and Western Germany. In Southern Spain it is {316} -represented by var. _andalusiaca_, Staud., and in Syria by var. _syriaca_, -Staud. A typical male is shown on Plate 151, Fig. 4. - -The caterpillar is green, inclining to yellowish between the rings of the -body; three lines on the back are whitish, edged with dark green; a stripe -low down on the sides is whitish, shaded above with dark green merging into -the ground colour; head shining bright green, obscurely mottled with -darker. In other forms the general colour is reddish or pinkish brown, with -the lines edged and shaded with darker brown; the head is ochreous brown, -mottled with darker brown. The green form is figured on Plate 152, Fig. 6, -but the browner forms are more frequent. It feeds on grasses from the -autumn until about March. - -THE MOTTLED RUSTIC (_Caradrina morpheus_). - -A specimen of this species is shown on Plate 151, Fig. 5. There is some -variation in the darker mottling and suffusion of the ochreous or pale -brown fore wings. The dark brown or blackish stigmata are generally -distinct. Hind wings whitish, tinged with smoky on the veins, and in the -female on the outer marginal area. The caterpillar is brownish or greyish -brown, inclining to ochreous on the back; central line whitish, with a -broken edging of brown; on each side of the central line there is a series -of blackish arrow heads; spiracles blackish; head dark brown, and very -glossy. It feeds from August and through the autumn on various low plants, -including goose-foot, knot-grass, dandelion, etc. The moth flies from June -to August, and occasionally there is a second flight in October. The -species is generally distributed and often common over the greater part of -England, but is less frequent in the more northern counties, and in Wales, -Ireland, and Scotland. Abroad the range extends to Amurland and Corea. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 154. - 1, 2, 3. COPPER UNDERWING MOTH. - 4, 5. MOUSE MOTH. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 155. - 1, 2, 3. PINE BEAUTY MOTH. - 4. WHITE-MARKED MOTH. - 5, 6. RED CHESTNUT MOTH. - 7, 8. HEBREW CHARACTER MOTH. - 9, 10. HEBREW CHARACTER MOTH, _var. gothicina_. - -{317} - -THE UNCERTAIN (_Caradrina alsines_). - -This species (Plate 151, Fig. 6) and the next one--The Rustic--are often -confused, but the present one may be recognized by the more ochreous tinge -of its fore wings, the more distinct markings, and the general rougher -appearance of all the wings. The hind wings are more smoky, or sometimes -brownish tinged. - -The caterpillar is ochreous brown, frequently with a reddish tinge; three -whitish lines on the back, edged with black, the edging of the central one -interrupted at the ring divisions; a dusky area along the sides is edged -above and below by a black line; head ochreous brown. It feeds from -September to March on dock, chickweed, primrose, and various other low -plants. The moth flies in July and August, and, like most of its congeners, -is partial to the blossoms of privet. The species is widely distributed -over England, but seems to occur more commonly in the south and east. It is -also found in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. - -NOTE.--_C. superstes_, an inhabitant of Central and Southern Germany, -Hungary, Southern Europe, and Asia Minor, has been mentioned as British, -but the record needs confirmation. - -THE RUSTIC (_Caradrina taraxaci_). - -Compared with the last species, the one now considered (Plate 151, Fig. 7) -has browner fore wings, inclining to brownish or blackish, smoother and -glossy; and the markings are usually rather obscure. The hind wings are -silky, and whiter in the male. - -The caterpillar is greyish brown, with an olive tinge; central line dark -brown, expanding on each ring; on either side of this is a brown-edged -white line; a light brown line along the spiracles; head ochreous brown. It -feeds from September to April on low plants, such as dock, chickweed, -plantain, etc. {318} The moth flies from late June to early August, and its -range in the British Isles is pretty much as in the last species, but more -generally distributed than _alsines_ in Ireland. - -VINE'S RUSTIC (_Caradrina ambigua_). - -The fore wings of this species (Plate 151, Fig. 8) are rather greyer than -those of the last, and the hind wings are shining white, tinged with -greyish brown in the female, especially on the veins. - -Barrett describes the caterpillar as follows: "Plump, cylindrical; head -round, the lobes dark brown, but the face paler; dorsal region between the -subdorsal lines broadly yellowish brown, with slender, delicate, oblique -lines on each segment; dorsal line a row of black dots, one on each -segment; lateral space from the subdorsal lines to the spiracles darker -brown or umberous, containing a row of ovate, oblique, yellowish spots, -each rather raised into a knob by the wrinkling of the skin; spiracles -black; under surface, legs, and prolegs pale rosy brown, except the anal -prolegs, which are brown." It feeds from October to May on dandelion, -plantain, chickweed, and other low plants; also on lettuce and grass. The -moth flies in August and September. Sometimes the caterpillars will feed up -and attain the moth state the same year in November or December. The -species was not known to occur in England until some specimens were taken -by Mr. Vine at sugar, near Shoreham, Sussex, in 1879. Since that year it -has been taken more or less freely at several places on the south and -south-west coast, from Deal, in Kent, to Truro, in Cornwall. - -THE PALE MOTTLED WILLOW (_Caradrina quadripunctata_). - -The black spots on the front margin of the fore wings of this species -(Plate 151, Figs. 9, 10) are pretty constant characters, {319} and are -usually present even when most or all the other markings are absent. The -caterpillar is greyish brown, often tinged with green above; the lines are -faintly paler, and edged with darker; head blackish. It feeds from -September to May on grasses, seeds of plantain; also on peas and corn; -often common in stacks of wheat and other grain. - -The moth flies chiefly in July and August, but it is sometimes seen as -early as May and as late as October. Generally distributed, and often very -common. Except that it does not occur in America the range abroad is almost -as extensive as that of the next species. - -SMALL MOTTLED WILLOW (_Laphygma_ (_Caradrina_) _exigua_). - -This species (Plate 151, Fig. 11) practically ranges over the globe. It is -the "Beet Army-worm" of American economic entomologists; whilst in South -Africa it is known in the early stage as "The Pigweed Caterpillar." In -Asia, and especially in India, where it is destructive to the indigo -plants, maize, etc., it is a familiar pest, but does not seem to bear a -common name. As regards our own country, it was apparently unnoticed until -somewhere about the middle of the last century, when a specimen was -captured in the Isle of Wight. Its occurrence here is always considered a -noteworthy event, but the records are very scanty except for the years -1896, 1897, 1900-03, and 1906. In the latter year there seems to have been -an invasion on quite a large scale, and captures in some localities on the -south and south-west coasts must have been in hundreds, whilst the species -was also taken in fewer numbers in Essex, Surrey, Wiltshire, Somerset, -Devon, and South Wales. A specimen occurred at Crosby, Lancs., in 1884. In -1903 one example was taken at Chester, Cheshire. At Keighley, Yorks, eight -were secured, which, added to three taken in other years, gives a total of -eleven specimens for the county. In Ireland one example was {320} obtained -at honeydew, September, 1899, at Timologue, Co. Cork. - -The eggs (Plate 152, Fig. 7a) are laid in batches on a leaf, and more or -less covered with whitish hairs. Some deposited on Sept. 8, 1906, hatched -on the 20th of that month. When just hatched the caterpillar is greenish, -paler on the last rings; head and plate on first ring shining black; when a -week old a black plate appears on the last ring also. Later on the colour -varies from green to olive green, brownish, and dark greyish. Green -examples are figured on Plate 152, Fig. 7. The central line is ochreous, -and there are series of black bars and blackish marks on the back; along -the black-edged white spiracles is a pinkish brown band, edged above by an -interrupted black line; the pinkish brown colour runs up the front part of -each ring four to eleven; head blackish. The caterpillars were fed upon -plantain, dandelion, and groundsel, but they would eat the foliage of any -weed that was put in their cage. They formed fairly tough earthen cocoons -on, or just below, the surface; but, although they pupated, the moths -failed to emerge, probably because they were kept too dry. The ochreous or -pinkish brown colour of the orbicular stigma, and sometimes of the -reniform, distinguishes this moth; the hind wings are white with a very -distinct pearly gloss. - -THE SMALL DOTTED BUFF (_Petilampa arcuosa_). - -This pale whity-brown insect (Plate 134, Figs. 19 to 21) is often without -markings, and where these are present on the fore wings they comprise two -series of dusky dots representing two cross lines, and sometimes there is a -dot at the end of the cell. These wings may be shaded with brown, and -occasionally there is a dark band-like shade between the series of dots, in -the male as well as in the smaller and narrower-winged female. Var. -_morrisii_, Dale, seems to be a whiter form of this species. {321} The -caterpillar, which may be found in May and June in the flower stems of -_Aira caespitosa_, is of a pale pinkish ochreous with three darker bars on -each ring, and a brown, glossy head. The moth flies in July and part of -August, and may be found, often in abundance, in most English and Welsh -counties, in Scotland to Aberdeenshire; and widely spread in Ireland. - -THE REDDISH BUFF (_Acosmetia caliginosa_). - -Both sexes of this reddish tinged grey-brown species are shown on Plate -153, Figs. 1 [male], 3 [female]. As will be noted, the female is much -smaller than the male. Except that it has been recorded from the Isle of -Wight and from Bloxworth, Dorset, in the past, this species is restricted -to certain portions of the New Forest, Hampshire. Even in these favoured -haunts its numbers have become far less than formerly. The moth is out in -July. Apparently it has no taste for sugar, neither does it seem to visit -blossoms of any kind. It may be disturbed from its retreat among the grass -by day, or netted as it flies at dusk. The caterpillar is stated by Hofmann -to live on saw-wort (_Serratula tinctoria_); it is sap-green, yellow at the -ring divisions, and marked with fine white lines. - -THE MARSH MOTH (_Hydrilla palustris_). - -The fore wings of the male of this species (Plate 153, Fig. 2) are greyish -brown in colour, and more or less tinged with violet; the cross lines are -dusky, and the reniform and orbicular stigmata are represented by black -dots, the former the larger; hind wings whitish with a smoky tinge. The -female is much smaller, darker, and the cross lines heavier; hind wings -blackish grey. - -Stainton ("Manual," 1857) refers to a specimen taken at Compton's Wood, -near York, and this, no doubt, is the same as {322} that stated by Barrett -to have been captured in a moist place at Stockton-in-the-Forest, about -four miles from York, certainly before the year 1855. Then there is a -record of a specimen from Quy Fen, Cambridgeshire, in May, 1862. Seven -years later the late Mr. C. G. Barrett took a specimen as it fluttered -about a gas-lamp outside Norwich. In 1877 and 1878 the use of bright -collecting lanterns in Wicken Fen may have led to the capture of nearly -twenty Marsh Moths, anyway it seems to have been a record for the time. - -Very few specimens were taken in the fens between the year last mentioned -and 1898, when the total secured by several collectors visiting the fens in -June of that year amounted to something like fifty examples, all males. Two -female specimens were captured in the Carlisle district, one in 1896, and -the other in 1897. No male was noted in that locality until 1899, when a -specimen was netted as it flew along a hedgeside at night, on May 20. Two -other males have since been taken there, in much the same way. The life -history of the species is little known. Hofmann describes the caterpillar -as reddish brown with white dots, and a white line along the middle of the -back; spiracles and head black. It feeds in the summer on low-growing -plants in meadows, and hides in the daytime on the underside of a leaf. - -The range of the species abroad extends to Siberia and Amurland. - -THE BROWN RUSTIC (_Rusina tenebrosa_). - -Here, again, the female is smaller than the male, as will be seen on Plate -153, Figs. 4 [male], 5 [female]. Sometimes the general colour of the fore -wings is of a blacker tint, and in such specimens the fine black cross -lines are obscured. - -The caterpillar is dark cinnamon brown; three whitish lines on the back, -the central one, most distinct on the front rings, is edged on each side -with dark brown, and the shading of the outer lines is interrupted by -oblique pale dashes; head, shining dark brown, almost blackish. It feeds on -grasses, and many low-growing plants from August to May. (Plate 152, Fig. -4.) The moth flies in June and July, sometimes earlier. The species is -generally distributed over nearly the whole of England, but more local in -the north than in the south. It is found in North and South Wales. In -Scotland it is locally abundant and widely distributed up to Ross, and -occurs in the Hebrides. It is also widely spread in Ireland, and common in -some parts. - -_Umbratica_, Goeze, is said to be an earlier name for this species, and -will probably have to be adopted. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 156. - 1, 1a, 1b. HEBREW CHARACTER: _eggs, caterpillars and chrysalis_. - 2, 2a. CLOUDED DRAB: _caterpillars and chrysalis_. - 3. MOUSE MOTH: _caterpillar_. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 157. - 1-6. CLOUDED DRAB MOTH. - 7, 8. LEAD-COLOURED DRAB MOTH. - 9, 10. NORTHERN DRAB. - -{323} THE COPPER UNDERWING (_Amphipyra pyramidea_). - -The striking species shown on Plate 154, Figs. 1 to 3, varies somewhat in -the tint of its brown-coloured fore wings, and in the greater or lesser -amount of blackish shading on the central area; the latter is sometimes -quite absent, and not infrequently the outer marginal area is pale ochreous -brown. The hind wings, normally of a coppery colour, are occasionally -paler, and sometimes of a reddish hue. - -The caterpillar is green with three interrupted whitish stripes on the -back; the dots are yellowish; and the stripe along the black-edged white -spiracles is whitish; the back of ring eleven is raised, forming a cone, -the apex of which is hornlike and slightly curved backwards; the head is -green. It feeds from April, or in forward seasons from March, to June, on -the foliage of oak, birch, sallow, plum, rose, and other trees and shrubs. -The moth flies from late July to September, and sometimes later. Although -somewhat local in Southern England, it is often common enough in the New -Forest, and most of the larger woods from Essex to Devonshire. Northwards -from Oxfordshire it becomes more local, less frequent, and even rare, {324} -except, perhaps, in Worcestershire (Malvern district, common) and -Herefordshire. Apparently not recorded from Scotland. In Ireland it is -sometimes plentiful in the south, but does not seem to occur north of Sligo -on the west, and Howth on the east. - -THE MOUSE (_Amphipyra tragopogonis_). - -The English name of this generally distributed, and usually common, -greyish-brown moth (Plate 154, Figs. 4, 5) applies more especially to the -mouse-like way it scuttles off when discovered in its retreat by the -collector. In colour, however, it is sometimes not unlike the familiar -little rodent. The caterpillar (Plate 156, Fig. 3) is green with white -lines and stripes along the back and sides; spiracles white, margined with -black; head yellowish-green. In another form the ground colour is pale -reddish brown. It feeds from April to June on sallow, hawthorn, and many -other plants. Barrett states that it is partial to the blossoms, -particularly yellow ones, of garden as well as wild plants. The moth flies -in July and August, sometimes later. - -The range abroad extends to Central Asia and to the Atlantic States of -America. - -NOTE.--Some recent authors refer this and the preceding species to -_Pyrophila_, Hubn. - -THE PINE BEAUTY (_Panolis griseo-variegata_ = _piniperda_). - -The general colour of the fore wings of this species (Plate 155, Figs. 1, 3 -[male], 2 [female]) is ochreous brown, more or less reddish tinged; -sometimes greenish grey. The cross markings are bright or dull reddish -brown; the orbicular and reniform stigmata are white, or outlined in white, -sometimes connected by a white line along the median nervure; occasionally -these marks are united, forming a blotch. {325} - -The caterpillar is green with three broad white lines along the back, the -outer ones edged above with black; a yellow, inclining to reddish orange, -stripe along the black spiracles; head reddish brown. It greatly resembles -the needles of the Scotch fir (_Pinus sylvestris_), upon which it feeds -from May to July. The moth is out in the spring and continues on the wing -until early May, and is often common at sallow bloom, where this occurs in -the immediate vicinity of pine woods; it also comes to the sugar patch not -infrequently, and may occasionally be seen on the trunks of fir trees, or -beaten from the boughs. The species seems to occur wherever there are fir -woods or plantations throughout England, Wales, and Scotland to Ross, and -is found locally in Ireland. - -THE WHITE-MARKED (_Pachnobia leucographa_). - -A portrait of this moth will be found on Plate 155, Fig. 4. The fore wings -are reddish brown, sometimes tinged with purplish, or clouded with -blackish. The reniform and orbicular stigmata are usually yellowish grey, -often only outlined, but not infrequently indistinct, and sometimes absent. -The cross lines are rarely well defined, although the second line may be -indicated by blackish dots flanked by whitish ones on the veins. - -The caterpillar is green freckled with whitish; three whitish lines along -the back are edged with dark green, the outer ones with oblique dark-green -dashes spreading to the central line; head paler green. In another form the -general colour is pale reddish brown, lines yellowish, and dashes darker -reddish brown. It feeds on sallow, bilberry, dock, plantain, and other low -plants. May and June. The moth flies in March and April, and may be found -at sallow bloom around woods. The species is obtained more or less -frequently in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Somerset, and Devon; also in -Buckinghamshire and in Suffolk. In Herefordshire it is local but not {326} -uncommon, and I have taken it in the Malvern district. British specimens -were first obtained near York. Porritt ("List of Yorks. Lep.," 1904) states -that it is still abundant in Bishop's Wood, and is found in other Yorkshire -localities; also occurs from Lancashire to Durham. In Ireland it has been -reported from Clonbrock, Galway. - -THE RED CHESTNUT (_Pachnobia rubricosa_). - -The fore wings of this moth (Plate 155, Figs. 5, 6) are purplish red and -more or less suffused with greyish. Sometimes these wings are more -distinctly reddish and without the greyish suffusion (var. _rufa_, Haw.). -The egg is pale straw colour, with a reddish-brown girdled dot. The -caterpillar (Plate 159, Fig. 3) is pinkish brown with three yellowish lines -along the back, the central one rather obscure; a yellowish stripe along -the sides; usual dots yellowish or whitish margined with blackish; head -yellowish brown, lined with darker brown. It feeds from April to June on -dock, dandelion, groundsel, and other low plants. The moth is out in March -and April, and is often not uncommon at sallow and plum blossom. It seems -to be pretty generally distributed throughout the British Isles, including -the Orkneys. - -THE HEBREW CHARACTER (_Taeniocampa gothica_). - -This species (Plate 155) varies in the general colour of the fore wings -from pale purplish grey to dark reddish brown. Figs. 7[male] and 8[female] -represent the more usual form. The black markings, often very conspicuous, -are in the somewhat smaller var. _gothicina_, reddish (Fig. 9). Sometimes -in Scotch specimens they are very indistinct or absent (Fig. 10). - -The early stages are figured on Plate 156. The eggs (Fig. 1a) are laid in a -batch, two deep towards the centre of the {327} heap. In colour they are -whitish with a dark grey ring and dot. When five days old the young -caterpillars were pale whitish green with black dots; head and plates on -first and last rings of the body black. The nearly full-grown caterpillar -(Fig. 1) is green above and yellowish green below; three whitish lines on -the back and a yellowish stripe along the sides; usual dots black, ringed -with whitish; head shining yellowish, dotted with black. Feeding on dock, -dandelion, etc., it will also eat sallow and hawthorn, and the foliage of -other trees and bushes, in April, May, and June. The moth is common at -sallow bloom all over the British Isles. The range of the species abroad -extends to Amurland. - -THE BLOSSOM UNDERWING (_Taeniocampa miniosa_). - -A portrait of this species will be found on Plate 158, Fig. 8. The fore -wings are pinkish, or reddish grey, and the redder central area is often -tinged with orange; the hind wings are whitish, faintly shaded or tinged -with pink. - -The full-grown caterpillar is bluish, inclining to black on the sides; -three yellow lines on the back, the central one broad; and a white blotched -yellow stripe along the sides; head shining black. (Adapted from Fenn.) The -eggs are laid in batches on the twigs of oak, usually just below a bud. -When the caterpillars hatch out they spin a web of silk under which they -live in company for a time; later on they separate, and then either -continue to feed on the oak or betake themselves to birch, hawthorn, -bramble, or some low-growing herbaceous plant. The "nests" of young -caterpillars are found chiefly on oak bushes rather than trees. - -The moth flies in March and April, and generally occurs only in oak woods. -It is most frequently met with in the South of England--from Middlesex and -Essex to Hampshire; but it occurs in most of the southern counties, and -also northwards {328} up to Yorkshire. It has been found in Wales (Pembroke -and Dolgelly), and appears to be rare in Ireland, except at Glenmalure, Co. -Wicklow. - -THE SMALL QUAKER (_Taeniocampa pulverulenta_). - -Most specimens of this species (Plate 158, Figs. 9[male], 10[female]) have -the fore wings pale greyish ochreous, more or less mottled or dusted with -reddish brown. Occasionally these wings are pale grey (var. _nana_, -Haworth); or dark grey brown and more rarely blackish. The dingy brownish -dots representing the first and second cross lines are sometimes distinct -and not infrequently absent. - -The egg is whitish with brown girdled dot. - -The caterpillar is greenish grey and rather greener between the rings; -there are five yellow or whitish lines, that along the centre of the back -being the broadest, usual dots black and glossy; head greenish, much marked -with black: plates on first and last rings of the body black. It feeds from -April to June on oak, hawthorn, sallow, rose, etc. (Plate 159, Fig. 2.) The -moth flies in March and April, and is a constant visitor to the sallow -catkins, also to the blossoms of plum, damson, and sloe. It appears to be -common throughout England and Wales; more or less frequent in Scotland to -Moray; and is not uncommon in some districts of Wicklow and Galway, but -local and rather scarce in other parts of Ireland. - -THE COMMON QUAKER (_Taeniocampa stabilis_). - -The ground colour of the fore wings of this species (Plate 158, Figs. 1, 2) -ranges from whitish or pale grey brown through tints of reddish brown to -dark brown; the stigmata are outlined in pale ochreous, the centres often -darker than the general colour of the wings; the orbicular is of large size -and frequently {329} touches the reniform; the ochreous submarginal line is -usually inwardly edged with, and sometimes obscured by, blackish; very -often the submarginal line and the dusky central shade are the only -distinct cross markings. - -The caterpillar is green, minutely dotted with yellow; three lines on the -back, and a stripe on the sides, yellow, the latter most distinct, edged -above with black, and united by a yellow bar on the last ring. It feeds on -oak, birch, sallow, beech, elm, etc., from April to June. The moth flies in -March and April, and is generally common throughout the British Isles, -except, perhaps, the islands of Scotland. - -THE LEAD-COLOURED DRAB (_Taeniocampa populeti_). - -The ground colour of the species shown on Plate 157, Figs. 7, 8, is usually -some shade of purplish grey, ranging from very pale to dark; the cross -lines are often indistinct, but occasionally they show up clearly; the -central shade, usually in evidence, is sometimes almost blackish and -broadened out to the second line; the orbicular and reniform have pale -margins but the centres are frequently no darker than the general colour. - -The egg is greyish white with dark grey girdled dot. - -When full grown the caterpillar is whitish or yellowish green, but always -whitish on the back: three white lines on the back, the central one rather -broad; head ochreous brown with a blackish spot on each side. It feeds from -April to June on aspen chiefly, but also on other kinds of poplar, hiding -by day between two leaves. The moth is out in March and April, and may be -found on the sallow catkins. It seems to be more or less rare in the South -of England, but it is locally not uncommon in many parts of the country -from Middlesex northwards to Yorkshire. Farther north it is again -infrequent, and this is also the case in Scotland and in Ireland. {330} - -THE CLOUDED DRAB (_Taeniocampa incerta_). - -Six specimens of this most variable species are shown on Plate 157, Figs. 1 -to 6. To refer in detail to all the forms, named or otherwise, would occupy -much space, so that it can only be stated here that the general colour of -the fore wings ranges from pale greyish brown, through various shades of -reddish brown, to deep brown or purplish brown; the darker greys range -through slaty grey to purplish black. In all the lighter shades the wings -are usually much variegated, but they may be nearly or quite plain. - -The egg is yellowish white with brown girdled dot. - -The caterpillar is green, minutely freckled with whitish; three white lines -on the back, the central one broadest; a white stripe, edged above with -black, along the sides; usual dots black, minute, ringed with whitish; head -yellowish green with a few black dots. It feeds on sallow, oak, hawthorn, -also on apple, elm, etc. (Plate 156, Fig. 2.) The moth is generally to be -found at sallow-bloom in almost every part of the British Isles. - -THE TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER (_Taeniocampa munda_). - -The fore wings range in ground colour from very pale ochreous (typical) or -pale greyish (var. _pallida_, Tutt), through reddish shades to a dingy -brown. The black or brownish twin spots on the middle of the submarginal -line are sometimes accompanied by others above and below them (var. -_geminatus_). In var. _immaculata_, Staud., the "twin spots," and also the -others, are absent. (Plate 158, Figs. 11, 12.) - -The caterpillar (Plate 159, Fig. 1) is pale brown minutely freckled with -darker; a whitish line along the centre of the back finely edged with -black; a broad velvety black stripe along the sides, edged with whitish; -head reddish brown, freckled with darker. It feeds from April to June on -elm, oak, sallow, plum, etc. The moth is out in March and April, but a -specimen has been taken at "ivy bloom" in the autumn. Plum blossoms, as -well as the sallow catkins, are an attraction to this moth, and it will -also visit the sugar patch. The species probably occurs in most woodland -districts throughout the greater part of England and Wales. It seems to be -found in South Scotland, but is local and infrequent; in Ireland it is -widely spread in the north, but uncommon in the south. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 158. - 1, 2. COMMON QUAKER MOTH. - 3-7. POWDERED QUAKER. - 8. BLOSSOM UNDERWING. - 9, 10. SMALL QUAKER. - 11, 12. TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER. - -[Illustration] - - Pl. 159. - 1. TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER: _caterpillar_. - 2. SMALL QUAKER: _caterpillar_. - 3, 3a. RED CHESTNUT: _caterpillar and chrysalis_. - -{331} THE NORTHERN DRAB (_Taeniocampa opima_). - -The dark form (var. _brunnea_, Tutt) (Plate 157, Fig. 10 [male]) has the -outlines of the orbicular and reniform stigmata, and the submarginal line -pale and distinct; sometimes the general colour is much blacker than in the -specimen shown. In the more typical greyish form (Fig. 9 [female]) the -central area is blackish or dark reddish brown. The caterpillar is olive -green above, inclining to yellowish beneath; three pale lines on the back, -and a yellow stripe along the black-edged white spiracles; head olive -green. It feeds from April to June on sallow, willow, birch, rose, etc. The -moth flies in March and April. - -As suggested by the English name, this moth was supposed to be confined to -the northern counties from Cheshire to Cumberland and Northumberland, but -it occurs more locally in Herefordshire, Worcestershire (Wyre Forest), -Somerset, Gloucester, and Wales; also in Essex, Surrey, and Sussex. Renton -records it from Roxburghshire in Scotland, and Kane states that it is local -in Ireland. - -THE POWDERED QUAKER (_Taeniocampa gracilis_). - -In the ordinary English form of this species (Plate 158, Figs. 3 [male], 4 -[female]) the fore wings are pale whity brown, more or {332} less tinged -with grey; the submarginal line, and the stigmata, are usually distinct, -but the other cross lines are only indicated by blackish dots on the veins. -In Ireland the specimens are creamy white and very often tinged with pink -(Fig. 5), but in the New Forest, Hants (Fig. 7), and in the marshes of -North Kent (Fig. 6), deep purplish grey, purplish brown, and reddish (var. -_rufescens_, Cockerel) forms occur. - -The caterpillar is green, sometimes tinged with yellowish or with bluish; -usual spots whitish; three whitish or yellowish lines along the back and -one along the sides, the latter shaded above with dark green or blackish; -head ochreous brown. It feeds from May to July on meadow-sweet (_Spiraea_), -fleabane (_Inula_), purple loosestrife (_Lythrum salicaria_), yellow -loosestrife (_Lysimachia vulgaris_), sweet-gale, sallow, bramble, etc. The -moth is out in April and May, and is often plentiful at damson and plum -blossom, as well as sallow catkins. The species is widely distributed -throughout the greater part of the British Isles, but is perhaps more -generally common in the southern and eastern counties of England. The range -abroad extends to Japan. - -PEUCEPHILA ESSONI, Hampson. - -_Trans. Ent. Soc., Lond._, 1909, Part IV., Pp. 461-463, Pl. xvi., Fig. 1, -Dec. _Entom._, 1909, p. 258. See Appendix. {333} - -APPENDIX. - -Page 28. HERSE CONVOLVULI.--Reported from several English counties, August -and September, 1911, and again in 1915. In 1917 the species seems to have -been more widely spread over our islands, specimens being recorded from -Ireland and Shetland. - -Page 41. PHRYXUS LIVORNICA.--Further records are: In July, 1909, a dead -male specimen was found under an electric light standard at Exeter, and one -was noted on a bowling green at Blackpool in October. Specimens were -recorded from Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Devon, and Cornwall in 1911. On -January 19, 1912, a male was taken from a shrub in a garden at Tavistock. -Thirty-five were captured in South Cornwall between May 9 and 23 of the -same year, and single specimens were reported from North Wales, Norfolk, -Dorset, also in May. - -Page 47. DAPHNIS NERII.--Further records: Ilfracombe, September 22, 1909; -Sydenham, September 24, 1910; Eastbourne (August 15), Ashford, 1911; -Folkestone, August 30, 1916, on trunk of poplar tree; Littleover, -Derbyshire, in a conservatory, August 18, 1917; Dovercourt, Essex, -September, 1919. {334} - -Page 141. NOLA CONFUSALIS.--A grey form of this species, ab. _columbina_, -Image, has been recorded from Epping Forest. - -Page 146. SARROTHRIPA REVAYANA.--A number of forms of this species are -named and described by Mr. Sheldon in the _Entomologist_ for 1919. - -Page 268. LUPERINA GUENEEI.--Over thirty years ago the late Mr. Baxter, of -St. Anne's, Lancashire, sent me a specimen of _Luperina_ that he had -captured in his district. This I considered to be a form connecting -_gueneei_ with _nickerlii_, and that both were forms of _L. testacea_. -Since that time _gueneei_ has been found in some numbers on the Lancs. -coast, and has been recognized as a distinct species, and its identity with -_nickerlii_ established. - -The earlier published history of this species in Britain may here be -quoted: "The late Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson, in a note on _Luperina gueneei_, -published in the _Entomologist_ for 1885, vol. 54, wrote:--'In 1860 or -1861, T. Porter (still living) brought me two fine specimens of a moth I -did not know. They were of both sexes. I purchased them from him, and sent -them on to the Rev. H. Burney, who forwarded them to Henry Doubleday. From -him they went to Guenee, and he returned them with the remark that he had a -specimen in his collection marked as a variety of _L. testacea_, but he was -quite satisfied they represented a good species when he saw both sexes. H. -Doubleday then named them after Guenee, as the latter was evidently the -original captor. I saw Porter again, and he told me another man, by name H. -Stephenson, had one. They took three in all near the ferry at Rhyl, North -Wales. I sent Porter again, and went myself, but we failed to find more -afterwards. I bought the specimen from Stephenson, and sent it to Miss -Sulivan, of Fulham, where, I suppose, it remains. I think it was a -female.'" {335} - -According to Barrett (_British Lepidoptera_, IV., p. 335), the three North -Wales specimens "were raked from overhanging edges of sandhills." - -Page 294. HYDROECIA CRINANENSIS. - - "HYDROECIA CRINANENSIS, Burrows. Larger than _H. nictitans_. F.-w. - slightly pointed at the apex, bright red-brown, longitudinal and - transverse lines very distinct, fringes concolorous. Orbicular stigma, - lighter than the ground colour. Reniform stigma orange, full, fairly - straight edged inwardly, lower lobe projecting outwardly, interior - lines faint. H.-w. red-brown, darker towards the outer margin; fringes - yellow, the yellow colour intruding in dots upon the darker margin. - - "Type specimen taken by Mr. A. W. Bacot at Crinan Canal, September, - 1899." - -The above is extracted from an instructive paper by the Rev. C. R. N. -Burrows, entitled, "On the _nictitans_ group of the genus _Hydroecia_, -Gn.," published in the _Transactions of the Entomological Society_, 1911, -pp. 738-749, plates li.-lviii. In this paper specific rank is also claimed -for _lucens_, Frr., and _paludis_, Tutt, both of which have been considered -as merely forms of _H. nictitans_, L. - -_H. crinanensis_ has been recorded from Inveran, Crinan Canal, Aberfeldy, -and Liddelbank, in Scotland; from Lough Foyle and Enniskillen, in Ireland; -and from Bolton and Burnley, in England. - -Page 298. NONAGRIA NEURICA.--In 1907, when the first edition of this volume -was published, the fact of _N. neurica_ being a British species was not -truly ascertained. In the following year, however, some specimens of -_Nonagria_, which were not identical with _N. dissoluta_, Treit. = -_arundineata_, Schmidt, were named _edelsteni_, Tutt. {336} - -Quite a number of _N. edelsteni_ were obtained by Messrs. Wightman and -Sharp in the Cuckmere Valley of Sussex, July, 1908. - -At a meeting of the Entomological Society of London, held on November 4, -1908, a series of bred _edelsteni_ from Sussex was exhibited by Mr. -Edelsten. - -By a consensus of opinion among entomologists, Sussex specimens are now -considered to be true British representatives of _neurica_, Hubn., Fig. -381. - -Page 332. PEUCEPHILA ESSONI, Hamps.--On July 12, 1909, Mr. Esson, of -Aberdeen, captured a specimen of a noctuid moth at sugar on a fir tree. -This he sent to me for identification. As the insect was a novelty to me, -it was submitted to Sir George F. Hampson, who, finding that the moth was -not only a species new to science, but not even congeneric with any other -noctuid, described and figured it as indicated on page 332 of this volume. - -Although keenly searched for, no other example of the species had been -detected up to the end of 1919. - -INDEX. - - _Acherontia Atropos_, 24. _Plates 8, 9, 11_ - _Acosmetia caliginosa_, 321 - _Acronyctinae_, 189 - _Acronycta aceris_, 192, _Plates 100, 102_; - _alni_, 193, _Plate 100_; - _auricoma_, 196, _Plates 102, 103_; - _euphorbiae_, 197, _Plate 103_; - _leporina_, 161, _Plate 100_; - _megacephala_, 193, _Plates 100, 101_; - _menyanthidis_, 196, _Plate 103_; - _myricae_, 197, _Plate 103_; - _psi_, 195, _Plates 100, 101_; - _rumicis_, 198, _Plates 102, 103_; - _strigosa_, 194, _Plate 100_; - _tridens_, 195, _Plates 100, 101_ - _Agriopis aprilina_, 290. _Plate 141_ - _Agrotis agathina_, 214, _Plate 107_; - _ashworthii_, 216, _Plate 110_; - _cinerea_, 204, _Plate 105_; - _comes_, 230, _Plates 115, 118_ - _Agrotis corticea_, 203, _Plates 105, 109_; - _crassa_, 217; - _cursoria_, 206, _Plate 106_; - _exclamationis_, 208, _Plate 105_; - _fennica_, 217; - _hyperborea_, 215, _Plate 108_; - _lucernea_, 213, _Plate 107_; - _lunigera_, 205, _Plate 105_; - _nigricans_, 207, _Plate 106_; - _obelisca_, 208, _Plate 106_; - _obscura_, 215, _Plate 107_; - _orbona_, 230, 231, _Plates 115, 118_; - _praecox_, 211, _Plate 107_; - _pronuba_, 232, _Plates 115, 118_; - _puta_, 204, _Plate 104_; - _ripae_, 210, _Plate 106_; - _saucia_, 212, _Plate 104_; - _segetum_, 201, _Plate 104_; - _simulans_, 214, _Plate 107_; - _spinifera_, 217 - _Agrotis strigula_, 210, _Plates 107, 109_; - _subsequa_, 231, _Plate 115_; - _tritici_, 207, _Plate 106_; - _vestigialis_, 202, _Plate 104_; - _ypsilon_, 209, _Plate 104_ - Alder Kitten, 58. _Plate 22_ - Alder Moth, 193. _Plate 100_ - _Amorpha populi_, 20. _Plates 4, 5_ - _Amphipyra pyramidea_, 323, _Plate 154_; - _tragopogonis_, 324, _Plates 154, 156_ - Angle Shades, 291. _Plate 141_ - Anomalous, 315. _Plates 151, 152_ - _Antennae_, 1, 3 - Antler Moth, 256. _Plate 127_ - _Apamea basilinea_, 272, _Plate 132_; - _gemina_, 272, _Plate 131_; - _ophiogramma_, 274, _Plate 132_; - _pabulatricula_, 273, _Plate 132_; - _secalis_, 274, _Plate 132_; - _unanimis_, 273, _Plate 132_ - _Aplecta advena_, 237, _Plate 117_; - _nebulosa_, 238, _Plate 119_; - _tincta_, 237, _Plate 117_ - _Aporophyla australis_, 284. _Plate 137_ - _Aporophyla lutulenta_, 289, _Plate 137_; - _nigra_, 283, _Plates 137, 139_ - Archer's Dart, 202. _Plate 104_ - _Arctiidae_, 7, 148 - _Arctia caia_, 100, _Plates 82, 84, 85_; - _villica_, 162, _Plates 86, 87_ - _Arctiinae_, 148 - Areas of Wings, 5 - _Arsilonche albovenosa_, 199. _Plate 130_ - _Ascometia caliginosa_, 321. _Plate 153_ - Ashworth's Rustic, 216. _Plate 110_ - _Asphalia diluta_, 91. _Plate 39_ - _Asteroscopus nubeculosa,_ 288, _Plate 140_; - _sphinx_, 288, _Plate 138_ - _Atolmis rubricollis_, 173. _Plates 92, 93_ - Autumnal Rustic, 218. _Plate 119_ - _Axylia putris_, 219. _Plate 132_ - - _Barathra brassicae_, 239. _Plate 120_ - Barred Chestnut, 225. _Plate 114_ - Barred Hook-tip, 135. _Plates 70, 71_ - Barrett's Marbled Coronet, 247. _Plate 123_ - "Beating," 14 - Beautiful Arches, 260. _Plate 121_ - Beautiful Brocade, 243. _Plate 121_ - Beautiful Gothic, 267. _Plates 127, 133_ - Bedstraw Hawk, 38. _Plates 14, 15_ - Bird's Wing, 281. _Plate 137_ - Black Arches, 105, _Plates 46, 47_ - Black-banded, 287. _Plates 139, 140_ - Black Collar, 221 - Black Rustic, 283. _Plates 137, 139_ - Blossom Underwing, 327. _Plate 158_ - _Bombycia viminalis_, 263. _Plate 125_ - Bond's Wainscot, 301. _Plate 146_ - Bordered Gothic, 254. _Plate 126_ - _Brachionycha nubeculosa_, 288, _Plate 140_; - _sphinx_, 288, _Plate 138_ - Bright-Line Brown Eye, 241. _Plates 120, 129_ - Brighton Wainscot, 302. _Plate 146_ - Brindled Green, 261. _Plates 122, 129_ - Brindled Ochre, 285. _Plate 138_ - Bristle and Catch, 4 - Broad-barred White, 254. _Plate 125_ - Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-Moth, 53. _Plates 20, 21_ - Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 10, 233. _Plates 116, 118_ - Broom Moth, 244. _Plates 122, 129_ - Brown-Line Bright Eye, 313. _Plate 150_ - Brown Rustic, 323. _Plates 152, 153_ - Brown-tail, 99. _Plates 42, 43, 44_ - Brown-veined Wainscot, 298. _Plates 144, 148_ - _Bryophila algae_, 201; - _glandifera_, 200, _Plate 103_; - _perla_, 200, _Plate 103_ - Buff Arches, 85. _Plate 36_ - Buff Ermine, 151. _Plates 76, 77_ - Buff Footman, 180. _Plates 96, 97_ - Buff-tip, 81. _Plates 35, 37_ - Bulrush Wainscot, 297. _Plates 144, 148_ - Burnets, 6 - Butterbur, 295. _Plate 143_ - - Cabbage Moth, 239. _Plate 120_ - _Calamia lutosa_, 303, _Plate 145_; - _phragmitidis_, 303, _Plate 145_ - _Callimorpha dominula_, 166, _Plates 88, 89_; - _quadripunctaria_, 164, _Plates 88, 89_ - Campion, 251. _Plate 124_ - _Caradrina alsines_, 317, _Plate 151_; - _ambigua_, 318, _Plate 151_; - _exigua_, 319, _Plates 151, 152_; - _morpheus_, 310, _Plate 151_; - _quadripunctata_, 318, _Plate 151_; - _superstes_, 317; - _taraxaci_, 317, _Plate 151_ - Catch and Bristle, 4 - Caterpillar, 1 - _Celerio galii_, 38. _Plates 14, 15_ - _Celaena haworthii_, 269. _Plate 128_ - _Cerigo matura_, 269. _Plate 128_ - _Cerura bicuspis_, 58, _Plate 22_; - _bifida_, 59, _Plates_ 22, 23; - _furcula_, 61, _Plates_ 22, 23 - _Chabuata conigera_, 313 - _Charaeas graminis_, 256. _Plate 127_ - Chinese Character, 138. _Plate 71_ - _Chloephoridae_, 143 - Chocolate-tip, 82. _Plates 34, 35_ - _Chaerocampa celerio_, 43, _Plates 1, 16_; - _elpenor_, 49, _Plates 17, 19_; - _nerii_, 45, _Plates 1, 16;_ - _porcellus_, 48, _Plates 18, 19_ - Chrysalis, 1 - _Cilix glaucata_, 138. _Plate 71_ - Cinnabar, 171. _Plates 92, 93_ - _Cirphis comma_, 309, _Plate 147_; - _loreyi_, 311, _Plate 149_; - _putrescens_, 310, _Plates 147, 148_; - _unipuncta_, 310, _Plate 149_ - Classification, 6 - Clay, 312. _Plates 150, 152_ - Clearwings, 6 - Cloaked Minor, 277. _Plate 134_ - _Cloantha polyodon_, 282 - Clouded-Bordered Brindle, 278. _Plates 130, 135_ - Clouded Brindle, 280. _Plates 130, 135_ - Clouded Buff, 158. _Plates 82, 83_ - Clouded Drab, 330. _Plate 157_ - Coast Dart, 206. _Plate 106_ - _Cochliopodidae_, 6 - _Coenobia rufa_, 299. _Plate 145_ - _Coenophila subrosea_, 217. _Plate 108_ - _Comacla senex_, 175. _Plate 95_ - Common Footman, 182. _Plates 96, 97_ - Common Quaker, 328. _Plate 158_ - Common Rustic, 270. _Plate 132_ - Common Wainscot, 304. _Plates 147, 152_ - Concolorous, 301. _Plate 146_ - Confused, 271. _Plate 131_ - Convolvulus Hawk-Moth, 2, 28. _Plates 9, 10, 11_ - Copper Underwing, 323. _Plate 154_ - Coronet, 198. _Plate 103_ - _Coscinia cribrum_, 168, _Plates 90, 91_; - _striata_, 167, _Plate 90_ - Cosmopolitan, 311. _Plate 149_ - _Cosmotriche potatoria_, 123. _Plates 60, 61_ - _Cossidae_, 6 - _Cossus ligniperda_, 6 - Costa, 5 - Cousin German, 227. _Plate 114_ - Coxcomb Moth, 11 - Coxcomb Prominent, 77. _Plates 32, 33_ - _Craniophora ligustri_, 198. _Plate_ 103 - Cream-Bordered Green Pea, 144. _Plate 73_ - Cream-spot Tiger, 162. _Plates 86, 87_ - Crescent, 293. _Plate 143_ - Crescent Dart, 205. _Plate 105_ - Crescent Striped, 270. _Plate 131_ - Crimson Speckled Footman, 169. _Plates 92, 94_ - _Crymodes exulis_, 262. _Plate 123_ - _Cybosia mesomella_, 178. _Plate 95_ - _Cymbidae_, 7 - - _Daphnis nerii_, 45. _Plates 1, 16_ - Dark Arches, 280. _Plate 136_ - Dark Brocade, 260. _Plate 121_ - Dark Dagger, 195. _Plates 100, 101_ - Dark Sword Grass, 209. _Plate 104_ - Dark Tussock, 97. _Plates 40, 41, 42_ - _Dasychira fascelina_, 97, _Plates 40, 41, 42_; - _pudibunda_, 98, _Plates 40, 41_ - _Dasypolia templi_, 285. _Plate 138_ - Death's-Head Hawk Moth, 24. _Plates 8, 9, 11_ - December Moth, 113. _Plates 50, 53_ - Deep-brown Dart, 282. _Plate 137_ - _Deilephila euphorbiae_, 36, _Plates 1, 14, 15_; - _galii_, 38, _Plates 14, 15_; - _livornica_, 41, _Plate 15_ - _Deiopeia pulchella_, 169. _Plates 92, 94_ - Delicate, 311. _Plate 149_ - _Demas coryli_, 190. _Plates 100, 101_ - _Dendrolimus pini_, 106 - Devonshire Wainscot, 310. _Plates 147, 148_ - Dew Moth, 177. _Plate 95_ - _Diacrisia sanio_, 158. _Plates 82, 83_ - _Dianthoecia albimacula_, 249, _Plate 124_; - _barrettii_, 247, _Plate 123_; - _capsophila_, 251, _Plate 124_; - _capsincola_, 250, _Plates 124, 130_; - _carpophaga_, 251, _Plate 124_; - _caesia_, 248, _Plate 123_; - _compta_, 250, _Plate 124_; - _conspersa_, 248, _Plate 123_; - _cucubali_, 251, _Plate 124_; - _irregularis_, 252, _Plate 125_; - _luteago_, 247, _Plate 123_ - _Diaphora mendica_, 153. _Plates 75, 78, 79_ - _Dicranura vinula_, 62. _Plates 24, 25_ - _Dilina tiliae_, 17. _Plates 2, 3_ - Dingy Footman, 181. _Plates 97, 98_ - Disc, 5 - _Diloba caeruleocephala_, 265. _Plates 127, 133_ - _Diphtera orion_, 189. _Plates 100, 101_ - _Dipterygia scabriuscula_, 281. _Plate 137_ - Dog's Tooth, 242. _Plate 121_ - Dorsum, 5 - Dot, 239. _Plates 120, 129_ - Dotted Clay, 220. _Plate 114_ - Dotted Footman, 187. _Plates 98, 99_ - Dotted Rustic, 214. _Plate 107_ - Double Dart, 218. _Plates 110, 111_ - Double Line, 314. _Plates 150, 152_ - Double Lobed, 274. _Plate 132_ - Double-spot Brocade, 289. _Plate 141_ - Double Square-spot, 223. _Plate 113_ - _Drepana binaria_, 135. _Plates 70, 71_; - _cultraria_, 135, _Plates 70, 71_; - _falcataria_, 133, _Plates 68, 69_; - _harpagula_, 134, _Plates 68, 69_; - _lacertinaria_, 136, _Plates, 69, 71_ - _Drepanidae_, 132 - Drinker, 8, 123. _Plates 60, 61_ - _Drymonia chaonia_, 68, _Plates 28, 29_; - _trimacula_, 67, _Plate 28_ - Dumeril's Luperina, 268 - Dusky Brocade, 272. _Plate 131_ - Dusky Marbled Brown, 66. _Plate 28_ - Dusky Sallow, 263. _Plate 126_ - - Ear Moth, 294. _Plate 143_ - _Earias chlorana_, 144. _Plate 73_ - Egg, 1 - Elephant, 49. _Plates 17, 19_ - Emperor Moth, 131. _Plates 66, 67_ - _Endromididae_, 129 - _Endromis versicolor_, 129. _Plates 64, 65_ - _Endrosa irrorella_, 177. _Plate 95_ - _Epia irregularis_, 252 - _Epicnaptera ilicifolia_, 125. _Plates 62, 63_ - _Epineuronia popularis_, 255. _Plate 127_ - _Epipsilia ashworthii_, 216, _Plate 110_; - _hyperborea_, 215, _Plate 108_ - _Epunda lichenea_, 285. _Plates 133, 137_ - _Eremobia ochroleuca_, 263. _Plate 126_ - _Eriogaster lanestris_, 114. _Plates 50, 53_ - _Eriopyga turca_, 314. _Plates 150, 152_ - _Eumichtis adusta_, 260, _Plate 121_; - _protea_, 261, _Plate 122_; - _satura_, 260, _Plate 121_ - _Eumorpha elpenor_, 49. _Plates 17, 19_ - _Euplexia lucipara_, 291. _Plate 141_ - _Euproctis chrysorrhoea_, 99. _Plates 42, 43_ - _Euretagrotis agathina_, 214. _Plate 107_ - _Eurois occulta_, 236, _Plate 117_; - _prasina_, 235, _Plate 117_ - _Euxoa cinerea_, 204, _Plate 105_; - _corticea_, 203, _Plates 105, 109_; - _cursoria_, 206, _Plate 106_; - _lunigera_, 205, _Plate 105_; - _nigricans_, 207, _Plate 106_; - _obelisca_, 208, _Plate 106_; - _puta_, 204, _Plate 104_; - _segetum_, 201, _Plate 104_; - _tritici_, 207, _Plate 106_; - _vestigialis_, 202, _Plate 104_ - Eyed Hawk-moth, 14, 22. _Plates 6, 7_ - _Exarnis augur_, 218. _Plates 110, 111_ - - Feathered Brindle, 284. _Plate 137_ - Feathered Ear, 257. _Plate 128_ - Feathered Footman, 167. _Plate 90_ - Feathered Gothic, 255. _Plate 127_ - Feathered Ranunculus, 285. _Plates 133, 137_ - _Feltia exclamationis_, 208. _Plate 104_ - Fen Wainscot, 303. _Plate 145_ - Fenn's Wainscot, 308. _Plates 144, 148_ - Field Work, 8 - Figure of Eight Moth, 265. _Plates 127, 133_ - Figure of Eighty, 88. _Plate 36_ - Flame, 229. _Plate 132_ - Flame Brocade, 290. _Plate 141_ - Flame Shoulder, 228. _Plates 110, 111_ - Flame Wainscot, 300. _Plate 145_ - Flounced Rustic, 267. _Plate 128_ - Footman Moths, 173. _Plates 90-99_ - Four-dotted Footman, 178. _Plate 95_ - Four-spotted Footman, 179. _Plates 94, 95_ - Fox Moth, 121. _Plates 58, 59_ - Frenulum, 4 - Frosted Green, 93. _Plates 38, 39_ - Frosted Orange, 295. _Plate 144_ - - Garden Dart, 207. _Plate 106_ - Garden Tiger, 160. _Plates 82, 84, 85_ - _Gastropacha quercifolia_, 126. _Plates 62, 63_ - _Geometridae_, 7 - Gipsy, 103. _Plate 46_ - Glaucous Shears, 245. _Plate 122_ - _Gluphisia crenata_, 66. _Plate 28_ - Goat-moth, 6 - _Gortyna micacea_, 294, _Plate 143_; - _nictitans_, 294, _Plate 143_; - _petasitis_, 295, _Plate 143_ - Gothic, 293. _Plates 139, 142_ - _Grammesia trigrammica_, 314. _Plate 151_ - Grass Eggar, 119. _Plates 56, 57_ - Great Brocade, 236. _Plate 117_ - Great Prominent, 74. _Plates 30, 31_ - Green Arches, 235. _Plate 117_ - Green-brindled Crescent, 289. _Plate 141_ - Green Brindled Dot, 266. _Plate 127_ - Green Silver Lines, 145. _Plates 72, 73_ - Grey, 248. _Plate 123_ - Grey Arches, 238. _Plate 119_ - Grey Chi, 286. _Plate 138_ - Grey Dagger, 192. _Plates 100, 101_ - Ground Lackey, 109. _Plates 48, 49_ - - _Habrosyne derasa_, 85. _Plate 36_ - _Hadena adusta_, 260; - _protea_, 261, _Plate 122_; - _satura_, 260 - _Hama abjecta_, 270, _Plate 131_; - _furva_, 271, _Plate 131_; - _sordida_, 271, _Plate 131_ - _Hapalia praecox_, 211. _Plate 107_ - Hawk-Moths, 6, 17. _Plates 1-21_ - Haworth's Minor, 269. _Plate 128_ - Heart and Club, 203. _Plates 105, 109_ - Heart and Dart, 208. _Plate 105_ - Heath Rustic, 214. _Plates 107, 109_ - Hebrew Character, 326. _Plates 155, 156_ - _Hecatera chrysozona_, 253, _Plate 125_; - _serena_, 254, _Plate 125_ - Hedge Rustic, 256. _Plate 128_ - _Heliophobus hispidus_, 267. _Plates 127, 133_ - _Helotropha leucostigma_, 293. _Plate 143_ - _Hemaris fuciformis_, 53, _Plates 20, 21_; - _tityus_, 55, _Plates 20, 21_ - _Hepialidae_, 7 - _Heterogenea limacodes_, 6 - _Heterocera_, 1 - _Hippotion celerio_, 43. _Plates 1, 16_ - _Hipocrita jacobaeae_, 171. _Plates 92, 93_ - Hoary Footman, 185. _Plates 98, 99_ - Hook-tips, 132 - Humming-bird Hawk-moth, 51. _Plate 21_ - _Hydrilla palustris_, 321. _Plate 153_ - _Hydroecia micacea_, 294, _Plate 143_; - _nictitans_, 294, _Plate 143_; - _petasitis_, 295, _Plate 143_ - _Hyles euphorbiae_, 36. _Plates 1, 14, 15_ - _Hyloicus pinastri_, 34. _Plates 11, 12_ - _Hylophila bicolorana_, 146, _Plates 72, 73_; - _prasinana_, 145, _Plates 72, 73_ - _Hyppa rectilinea_, 265. _Plate 126_ - - Imago, 1 - Ingrailed Clay, 224. _Plates 112, 113_ - Iron Prominent, 72. _Plates 30, 31_ - - Jersey Tiger, 164. _Plates 88, 89_ - Jugum, 4 - - Kent Black Arches, 141. _Plate 73_ - Kentish Glory, 129. _Plates 64, 65_ - Knot Grass, 198. _Plates 102, 103_ - - Lackey, 167. _Plates 48, 49_ - _Laelia coenosa_, 101. _Plates 44, 45_ - Lappet, 126. _Plates 62, 63_ - Large Dark Prominent, 73. _Plate 31_ - Large Marbled Tortrix, 146. _Plate 72_ - Large Nutmeg, 271. _Plate 131_ - Large Ranunculus, 286. _Plate 138_ - Large Wainscot, 303. _Plate 145_ - Large Yellow Underwing, 232. _Plates 115, 118_ - _Lasiocampa quercus_, 115, _Plates 52, 54, 55_; - _trifolii_, 119, _Plates 56, 57_ - _Lasiocampidae_, 106 - Lead-coloured Drab, 326. _Plate 157_ - Least Black Arches, 141. _Plate 73_ - Least Minor, 277. _Plate 134_ - Least Yellow Underwing, 234. _Plate 116_ - Lesser Broad-border, 234. _Plates 116, 118_ - Lesser Lutestring, 91. _Plate 39_ - Lesser Satin Moth, 89. _Plate 39_ - Lesser Swallow Prominent, 70. _Plates 28, 29_ - Lesser Yellow Underwing, 230. _Plates 115, 118_ - _Leucania albipuncta_, 312, _Plate 149_; - _brevilinea_, 308, _Plates 144, 148_; - _comma_, 309, _Plate 147_; - _conigera_, 313, _Plate 150_; - _favicolor_, 304, _Plate 149_; - _impudens_, 307, _Plate 147_; - _impura_, 305, _Plate 147_; - _lithargyria_, 312, _Plates 150, 152_; - _littoralis_, 308, _Plates 150, 152_; - _loreyi_, 311, _Plate 149_; - _obsoleta_, 307, _Plate 147_; - _pallens_, 304, _Plates 147, 152_; - _putrescens_, 310, _Plates 147, 148_; - _turca_, 314, _Plates 150, 152_; - _straminea_, 306, _Plate 147_; - _unipuncta_, 310, _Plate 149_; - _vitellina_, 311. _Plate 149_ - _Leucodonta bicoloria_, 75. _Plates 32, 33_ - _Leucoma v-nigrum_, 94 - Light Arches, 279. _Plate 135_ - Light Brocade, 241. _Plate 121_ - Light Feathered Rustic, 204. _Plate 105_ - Light Knot Grass, 196. _Plate 103_ - Lime Hawk-moth, 17. _Plates 2, 3_ - Lines of Wings, 5 - _Lithosia caniola_, 185, _Plates 98, 99_; - _complana_, 183, _Plates 96, 97_; - _deplana_, 180, _Plates 96, 97_; - _griseola_, 181, _Plates 97, 98_; - _lurideola_, 182, _Plates 96, 97_; - _lutarella_, 184, _Plate 99_; - _sericea_, 184, _Plate 97_; - _sororcula_, 187, _Plate 99_ - _Lithosiinae_, 173 - Lobster, 64. _Plates 26, 27_ - _Lophopteryx camelina_, 77, _Plates 32, 33_; - _cuculla_, 76, _Plates 32, 33_ - Lunar Marbled Brown, 68. _Plates 28, 29_ - Lunar Yellow Underwing, 231. _Plate 115_ - _Luperina dumerilii_, 268; - _testacea_, 267, _Plate 128_ - Lychnis, 250. _Plates 124, 130_ - _Lycophotia ripae_, 210. _Plate 106_; - _strigula_, 210. _Plates 107, 109_ - _Lymantria dispar_, 103, _Plate 46_; - _monacha_, 105, _Plates 46, 47_ - _Lymantriidae_, 94 - Lyme Grass, 302. _Plate 146_ - - _Macrogaster castaneae_, 6 - Macro-lepidoptera, 6 - _Macroglossa stellatarum_, 52. _Plate 21_ - _Macrothylacia rubi_, 121. _Plates 58, 59_ - _Malacosoma neustria_, 107, _Plates 48, 49_; - _castrensis_, 109, _Plates 48, 49_ - _Mamestra advena_, 237, _Plate 117_; - _albicolon_, 240, _Plate 120_; - _contigua_, 243, _Plate 121_; - _dentina_, 246, _Plate 122_; - _dissimilis_, 242, _Plate 121_; - _genistae_, 241, _Plate 121_; - _glauca_, 245, _Plate 122_; - _nebulosa_, 238, _Plate 119_; - _oleracea_, 241, _Plates 120, 129_; - _peregrina_, 246, _Plate 122_; - _persicariae_, 239, _Plates 120, 129_; - _pisi_, 244, _Plates 122, 129_; - _thalassina_, 243, _Plate 121_; - _tincta_, 237, _Plate 117_; - _trifolii_, 245, _Plate 122_ - _Manduca atropos_, 24. _Plates 8, 9, 11_ - Maple Prominent, 76. _Plates 32, 33_ - Marbled Beauty, 200. _Plate 103_ - Marbled Brown, 67. _Plate 28_ - Marbled Coronet, 248. _Plate 123_ - Marbled Green, 200. _Plate 103_ - Marbled Minor, 275. _Plate 134_ - Marsh Dagger, 194. _Plate 100_ - Marsh Moth, 321. _Plate 153_ - Mathew's Wainscot, 304. _Plate 149_ - _Meliana flammea_, 300. _Plate 145_ - Mere Wainscot, 301. _Plate 146_ - Merveille du jour, 290. _Plate 141_ - _Metopsilus porcellus_, 48. _Plates 18, 19_ - _Miana bicoloria_, 277, _Plate 134_; - _fasciuncula_, 275, _Plate 134_; - _literosa_, 276, _Plate 134_; - _strigilis_, 275, _Plate 134_ - Micro-lepidoptera, 6 - _Micropterygidae_, 7 - Middle-barred Minor, 275. _Plate 134_ - Miller, 191. _Plate 100_ - _Miltochrista miniata_, 176. _Plate 95_ - _Mimas tiliae_, 17. _Plates 2, 3_ - Minor Shoulder-knot, 263. _Plate 125_ - _Miselia bimaculosa_, 289, _Plate 141_; - _oxyacanthae_, 289, _Plate 141_ - _Mormo maura_, 292. _Plate 142_ - Mottled Rustic, 316. _Plate 151_ - Mouse, 324. _Plates 154, 156_ - Muslin, 153. _Plates 75, 78, 79_ - Muslin Footman, 174. _Plates 94, 95_ - - _Naenia typica_, 293. _Plates 139, 142_ - Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, 55. _Plates 20, 21_ - Neglected or Grey Rustic, 219. _Plates 109, 110_ - _Neuria reticulata_, 254. _Plate 126_ - _Noctuidae_, 7, 189. _Plates 100-159_ - _Noctua augur_, 218, _Plates 110, 111_; - _baja_, 220; - _brunnea_, 224, _Plates 112, 113_; - _castanea_, 219, _Plates 109, 110_; - _c-nigrum_, 221, _Plate 110_; - _dahlii_, 225, _Plate 114_; - _depuncta_, 220, _Plate 110_; - _ditrapezium_, 222, _Plates 110, 111_; - _flammatra_, 221; - _glareosa_, 218, _Plate 110_; - _plecta_, 228, _Plates 110, 111_; - _primulae_, 224, _Plates 112, 113_; - _rubi_, 226, _Plate 114_; - _sobrina_, 227, _Plate 114_; - _stigmatica_, 223, _Plate 113_; - _subrosea_, 217, _Plate 108_; - _triangulum_, 223, _Plate 113_; - _umbrosa_, 227, _Plate 114_; - _xanthographa_, 228, _Plates 112, 114_ - _Nolidae_, 139. _Plates 72, 73_ - _Nola albula_, 141, _Plate 73_; - _centonalis_, 142, _Plate 73_; - _confusalis_, 141, _Plate 73_; - _cucullatella_, 139, _Plates 72, 73_; - _strigula_, 140, _Plate 73_ - _Nonagria cannae_, 296, _Plates 144, 148_; - _dissoluta_, 298, _Plates 144, 148_; - _geminipuncta_, 297, _Plates 144, 148_; - _sparganii_, 296, _Plates 144, 148_; - _typhae_, 297, _Plates 144, 148_ - _Notodonta dromedarius_, 72, _Plates 30, 31_; - _phoebe_, 72, _Plate 31_; - _torva_, 73, _Plate 31_; - _trepida_, 74, _Plates 30, 31_; - _tritophus_, 72, 73, _Plate 31_; - _ziczac_, 70, _Plates 30, 31_ - Northern Arches, 262. _Plate 123_ - Northern Dart, 215. _Plate 108_ - Northern Drab, 331. _Plate 157_ - Northern Eggar, 116. _Plate 54_ - Northern Footman, 184. _Plate 97_ - Northern Rustic, 213. _Plate 107_ - _Notodontidae_, 56 - _Nudaria mundana_, 174, _Plates 94, 95_ - Nutmeg, 245. _Plate 122_ - Nut-tree Tussock, 190. _Plates 100, 101_ - - Oak Eggar, 115. _Plates 52, 55_ - Oak Hook-tip, 135. _Plates 70, 71_ - Obscure Wainscot, 307. _Plate 147_ - _Ochria ochracea_, 295. _Plate 144_ - _Ochropleura plecta_, 228. _Plates 110, 111_ - _Odontosia carmelita_, 78. _Plates 32, 33_ - _Oeonestis quadra_, 179. _Plates 94, 95_ - _Ogygia obscura_, 215, _Plate 107_ - Old Lady, 292. _Plate 142_ - Oleander Hawk-moth, 45. _Plates 1, 16_ - Orache Moth, 264. _Plate 126_ - Orange Footman, 187. _Plate 99_ - _Orgyia antiqua_, 96, _Plates 40, 41_; - _gonostigma_, 94, _Plates 40, 41_ - - _Pachetra leucophaea_, 257. _Plate 128_ - _Pachnobia Leucographa_, 325, _Plate 155_; - _rubricosa_, 326, _Plates 155, 159_ - Palaearctic Fauna, 7 - Pale Footman, 181. _Plate 97_ - Pale Mottled Willow, 318. _Plate 151_ - Pale Oak Eggar, 111. _Plates 50, 51_ - Pale Prominent, 80. _Plates 32, 33_ - Pale-shouldered Brocade, 243. _Plate 121_ - Pale Shining Brown, 237. _Plate 117_ - Pale Tussock, 7, 98. _Plates 40, 41_ - _Palimpsestis duplaris_, 89, _Plate 39_; - _fluctuosa_, 90, _Plate 39_; - _octogessima_, 88, _Plate 36_; - _or_, 88, _Plate 36_ - _Panolis griseo-variegata_, 324. _Plate 155_; - _piniperda_, 324. _Plate 155_ - _Parasemia plantaginis_, 157. _Plates 80, 81_ - Peach Blossom, 86. _Plates 36, 37_ - Pearly Underwing, 212. _Plate 104_ - Pebble Hook-tip 133. _Plates 68, 69_ - Pebble Prominent, 70. _Plates 30, 31_ - _Pelosia muscerda_, 187. _Plates 98, 99_ - _Peridroma saucia_, 212. _Plate 104_ - _Petilampa arcuosa_, 320. _Plate 134_ - _Phalera bucephala_, 81. Plates 35, 37 - _Pheosia tremula_, 69, _Plates 28, 29_; - _dictaeoides_, 70, _Plates 28, 29_ - _Phlogophora meticulosa_, 291. _Plate 141_ - _Phothedes captiuncula_, 277. _Plate 134_ - _Phragmatobia fuliginosa_, 155. _Plates 80, 81_ - _Phryxus livornica_, 41 - Pigmy Footman, 184. _Plate 99_ - Pine Beauty, 324. _Plate 155_ - Pine Hawk, 34. _Plates 11, 12_ - Plain Clay, 220. _Plate 110_ - Plumed Prominent, 79. _Plate 33_ - Pod-lover, 252. _Plate 124_ - _Poecilocampa populi_, 113. _Plates 50, 53_ - _Polia chi_, 286, _Plate 138_; - _flavicincta_, 286, _Plate 138_; - _xanthomista_, 287, _Plates 139, 140_ - _Polyploca flavicornis_, 92, _Plates 38, 39_; - _ridens_, 93, _Plates 38, 39_ - Poplar Grey, 193. _Plates 100, 101_ - Poplar Hawk-moth, 20. _Plates 4, 5_ - Poplar Kitten, 59. _Plates 22, 23_ - Poplar Lutestring, 88. _Plate 36_ - _Porthesia similis_, 100. _Plates 42, 43_ - Portland Moth, 211. _Plate 107_ - Powdered Quaker, 331. _Plate 158_ - Powdered Wainscot, 199. _Plate 103_ - Proboscis, 2 - Privet Hawk, 15, 33. _Plates 12, 13_ - _Prodenia littoralis_, 264 - Prominents, 56 - _Psychina_, 7 - _Pterostoma palpina_, 80. _Plates 32, 33_ - _Ptilophora plumigera_, 79, _Plate 33_ - Pupa-digging, 16 - Purple Clay, 11, 224. _Plates 112, 113_ - Purple Cloud, 282. _Plate 137_ - Puss Moth, 62. _Plates 24, 25_ - _Pygaera anachoreta_, 83, _Plate 35_; - _curtula_, 82, _Plates 34, 35_; - _pigra_, 84, _Plates 34, 35_ - _Pyralidina_, 7 - - Rannoch Sprawler, 288. _Plate 140_ - Red Chestnut, 326. _Plates 155, 159_ - Reed Tussock, 101. _Plates 44, 45_ - " Wainscot, 296. _Plates 144, 148_ - Reddish Buff, 321. _Plate 153_ - " Light Arches, 279. _Plate 135_ - Red-necked Footman, 173. _Plates 92, 93_ - Retinaculum, 4 - Rosy Footman, 176. _Plate 95_ - " Marsh Moth, 217. _Plate 108_ - " Minor, 276. _Plate 134_ - " Rustic, 294. _Plate 143_ - Round-winged Muslin, 175. _Plate 95_ - Ruby Tiger, 155. _Plates 80, 81_ - _Rusina tenebrosa_, 322. _Plate 153_ - Rustic, 317. _Plate 151_ - " Shoulder-knot 272. _Plate 134_ - - Sallow Kitten, 61. _Plates 22, 23_ - Sand Dart, 210. _Plate 106_ - _Sarrothripinae_, 146 - _Sarrothripa revayana_, 146. _Plate 72_ - Satin Carpet, 90. _Plate 39_ - _Saturnia pavonia_, 131. _Plates 66, 67_ - Saxon, 265. _Plate 126_ - Scalloped Hook-tip, 136. _Plates 69, 71_ - Scarce Black Arches, 142. _Plate 73_ - " Chocolate-tip, 83. _Plate 35_ - " Dagger, 196. _Plates 102, 103_ - " Footman, 183. _Plates 96, 97_ - " Hook-tip, 134. _Plates 68, 69_ - " Merveille du jour, 9, 189. _Plates 100, 101_ - " Prominent, 78. _Plates 32, 33_ - " Silver Lines, 146. _Plates 72, 73_ - " Vapourer, 94. _Plates 40, 41_ - Scarlet Tiger, 166. _Plates 88, 89_ - _Segetia xanthographa_, 228. _Plates 112, 114_ - _Senta maritima_, 299. _Plate 145_ - _Sesiidae_, 6 - Setaceous Hebrew Character, 221 _Plate 110_ - Shears, 246. _Plate 122_ - Shore Wainscot, 308. _Plates 150, 152_ - Short-cloaked Moth, 139. _Plates 72, 73_ - Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 309. _Plate 147_ - Shuttle-shaped Dart, 204. _Plate 104_ - _Sideridis albipuncta_, 312, _Plate 149_; - _lithargyria_, 312, _Plates 150, 152_; - _vitellina_, 311, _Plate 149_ - Silky Wainscot, 299. _Plate 145_ - Silver Cloud, 258. _Plate 128_ - Silvery Arches, 237. _Plate 117_ - Silver-striped Hawk, 48. _Plates 1, 16_ - Six-striped Rustic, 227. _Plate 114_ - Slender Bridle, 281. _Plate 135_ - Small Angle Shades, 291. _Plate 141_ - " Black Arches, 140. _Plate 73_ - " Chocolate-tip, 84. _Plates 34, 35_ - " Clouded Brindle, 273. _Plate 132_ - " Dotted Buff, 320. _Plate 134_ - " Eggar, 114. _Plates 50, 53_ - " Elephant, 48. _Plates 18, 19_ - " Lappet, 125. _Plates 62, 63_ - " Mottled Willow, 319. _Plates 151, 152_ - " Quaker, 328. _Plates 158, 159_ - " Ranunculus, 253. _Plate 125_ - " Rufous, 299. _Plate 145_ - " Square Spot, 226. _Plate 114_ - " Wainscot, 300. _Plate 145_ - _Smerinthus ocellatus_, 22, _Plates 6, 7_; - _populi_, 20, _Plates 4, 5_ - Smoky Wainscot, 305. _Plate 147_ - Southern Wainscot, 306. _Plate 147_ - Speckled Footman, 168. _Plates 90, 91_ - _Sphingidae_, 6, 17 - _Sphinx convolvuli_, 28, _Plates 9, 10, 11_; - _ligustri_, 33, _Plates 12, 13_ - _Spilosoma lubricipeda_, 151, _Plates 76, 77_; - _menthastri_, 149, _Plates 74, 75, 78_; - _urticae_, 150, _Plate 75_ - Sprawler, 288. _Plate 138_ - Spurge Hawk, 36. _Plates 1, 14, 15_ - Square-spot Dart, 208. _Plate 106_ - " " Rustic, 228. _Plates 112, 114_ - Square-spotted Clay, 223. _Plate 113_ - _Stauropus fagi_, 64. _Plates 26, 27_ - Stigmata, 5, 6 - _Stilbia anomala_, 315. _Plates 151, 152_ - _Stilpnotia salicis_, 112. _Plates 43, 44_ - Stout Dart, 215. _Plate 107_ - Stranger, 246. _Plate 122_ - Straw Underwing, 269. _Plate 128_ - Striped Hawk, 41. _Plate 15_ - Striped Wainscot, 307. _Plate 147_ - "Sugaring," 11 - Swallow Prominent, 69. _Plates 28, 29_ - Sweet-gale Moth, 197. _Plate 103_ - Swifts, 4, 7 - Sycamore, 192. _Plates 100, 102_ - _Synia musculosa_, 302. _Plate 146_ - - _Tapinostola bondii_, 301, _Plate 146_; - _elymi_, 302, _Plate 146_; - _extrema_, 301, _Plate, 146_; - _fulva_, 300, _Plate 145_; - _hellmanni_, 301, _Plate 146_ - Tawny Shears, 251. _Plate 124_ - _Tholera cespitis_, 256. _Plate 128_ - Three Humped, 72. _Plate 31_ - _Thyatiridae_, 85 - _Thyatira batis_, 86. _Plates 36, 37_ - Tiger Moths, 148 - _Taeniocampa gothica_, 326, _Plate 155_; - _gracilis_, 331, _Plate 158_; - _incerta_, 330, _Plate 157_; - _miniosa_, 327, _Plate 158_; - _munda_, 330, _Plates 158, 159_; - _opima_, 331, _Plate 157_; - _populeti_, 329, _Plate 157_; - _pulverulenta_, 328, _Plates 158, 159_; - _stabilis_, 328, _Plate 158_ - Tongue, 2 - _Tortricina_, 7 - _Trachea atriplicis_, 264. _Plate 126_ - Treble Lines, 314. _Plate 151_ - Tree-lichen Beauty, 201 - _Trichiura crataegi_, 111. _Plates 50, 51_ - _Trigonophora flammea_, 290. _Plate 141_ - _Trifinae_, 201 - _Triphaena comes_, 230, _Plates 115, 118_; - _fimbria_, 233, _Plates 116, 118_; - _ianthina_, 234, _Plates 116, 118_; - _interjecta_, 234, _Plate 116_; - _orbona_, 230, 231, _Plates 115, 118_; - _pronuba_, 232, _Plates 115, 118_; - _subsequa_, 231, _Plate 115_ - Triple-spotted Clay, 222. _Plates 110, 111_ - True Lover's Knot, 210. _Plate 107_ - _Trypanus cossus_, 6 - _Trypanidae_, 6 - Turnip Moth, 201. _Plate 104_ - Tussock Moths, 94 - Twin-spotted, 297. _Plates 114, 148_ - " Quaker, 330. _Plates 158, 159_ - - Uncertain, 317. _Plate 151_ - Union Rustic, 273. _Plate 132_ - - _Valeria oleagina_, 266. _Plate 127_ - Vapourer, 96. _Plates 40, 41_ - Varied Coronet, 250. _Plate 124_ - Vine's Rustic, 318. _Plate 151_ - Viper's Bugloss, 252. _Plate 125_ - - Water Ermine, 150. _Plate 75_ - Webb's Wainscot, 296. _Plates 144, 148_ - White Colon, 240. _Plate 120_ - " Ermine, 149. _Plates 74, 75, 78_ - White-line Dart, 207. _Plate 106_ - White-marked, 325. _Plate 155_ - White-point, 312. _Plate 149_ - White Prominent, 75. _Plates 32, 33_ - " Satin Moth, 102. _Plates 43, 44_ - " Speck or American Wainscot, 310. _Plate 149_ - " Spot, 249. _Plate 124_ - Wings, 3 - Wing Areas and Lines, 4; - cells, 6 - Wood Tiger, 157. _Plates 80, 81_ - - _Xylomania conspicillaris_, 258. _Plate 128_ - _Xylophasia hepatica_, 280, _Plates 130, 135_; - _lithoxylea_, 279, _Plate 135_; - _monoglypha_, 280, _Plate 136_; - _rurea_, 278, _Plates 130, 135_; - _scolopacina_, 281, _Plate 135_; - _sublustris_, 279, _Plate 135_; - _zollikoferi_, 279, _Plate 153_ - Yellow Horned, 92. _Plates 38, 39_ - Yellow-tail, 100. _Plates 42, 43_ - Yoke, 4 - - _Zeuzera pyrina_, 6 - _Zygaenidae_, 6 - -MOTHS.--SERIES I. - - OLD EDITION. NEW EDITION. - For Sphinx convolvuli read Herse (Sphinx) convolvuli - " Arsilonche albovenosa " Simyra (Arsilonche) albovenosa - " Bryophila glandifera " Bryophila muralis (glandifera) - " Agrotis (Hapalia) praecox " Agrotis (Lycophotia) praecox - " Agrotis (Peridroma) saucia " Agrotis (Lycophotia) saucia - " Agrotis (Spaelotis) lucernea " Agrotis (Episilia) lucernea - " Agrotis (Pachnobia) simulans " Agrotis (Episilia) simulans - " Agrotis (Ogygia) obscura " Agrotis ravida (obscura) - " Noctua sobrina " Noctua (Mythimna) sobrina - " Epineuronia popularis " Tholera (Epineuronia) popularis - " Charaeas graminis " Cerapteryx (Charaeas) graminis - " Hyppa rectilinea " Lithomoea (Hyppa) rectilinea - " Hama abjecta " Hama oblonga (abjecta) - " Apamea gemina " Apamea obscura (gemina) - " Trigonophora flammea " Rhizotype flammea - " Mormo maura " Mania maura - " Nonagria cannae " Nonagria algae (cannae) - " Synia musculosa " Oria (Synia) musculosa - " Grammesia trigrammica " Meristis (Grammesia) trigrammica - " Caradrina exigua " Laphygma exigua - -SPECIAL INDEX. - - _abjecta_ (_Hama_), 270 - _aceris_ (_Acronycta_), 192 - _Acronyctinae_, 189 - _adusta_ (_Eumichtis_), 260 - _advena_ (_Aplecta_), 237 - _aestiva_ (_Drepana_), 136 - _aethiops_ (_Miana_), 275 - _agathina_ (_Agrotis_), 214 - _albicolon_ (_Mamestra_), 240 - _albida_ (_Arsilonche_), 199 - _albimacula_ (_Dianthoecia_), 249 - _albipuncta_ (_Leucania_), 312 - _algae_ (_Bryophila_), 201 - _algae_ (_Nonagria_), 296 - _albovenosa_ (_Arsilonche_), 199 - _albula_ (_Nola_), 141 - _alni_ (_Acronycta_), 193 - _alopecurus_ (_Xylophasia_), 278 - _alpinum_ (_Diphtera_), 190 - _alsines_ (_Caradrina_), 317 - _ambigua_ (_Caradrina_), 318 - _anachoreta_ (_Pygaera_), 82, 83 - _anceps_ (_Hama_), 271 - _anomola_ (_Stilbia_), 315 - _antiqua_ (_Orgyia_), 96 - _approximans_ (_Meristis_), 315 - _aprilina_ (_Agriopis_), 294 - _aqulina_ (_Agrotis_), 207 - _Arctiidae_, 148 - _arcuosa_ (_Petilampa_), 320 - _argentea_ (_Palimpsestis_), 90 - _argillacea_ (_Dianthoecia_), 241 - _ariae_ (_Trichiura_), 113 - _arundineta_ (_Nonagria_), 298 - _ashworthii_ (_Agrotis_), 216 - _assimilis_ (_Crymodes_), 262 - _atriplicis_ (_Trachea_), 264 - _atropos_ (_Acherontia_), 24 - _augur_ (_Noctua_), 218 - _auricoma_ (_Acronycta_), 196 - _australis_ (_Aporophyla_), 284 - - _baja_ (_Noctua_), 220 - _barrettii_ (_Dianthoecia_), 247 - _basilinea_ (_Trachea_), 272 - _batis_ (_Thyatira_), 86 - _bicolorana_ (_Hylophila_), 146 - _bicoloria_ (_Leucodonta_), 75 - _bicoloria_ (_Miana_), 277 - _bicuspis_ (_Cerura_), 58 - _bidens_ (_Acronycta_), 196 - _bifida_ (_Cerura_), 59 - _bilinea_ (_Meristis_), 315 - _bimaculosa_ (_Miselia_), 289 - _binaria_ (_Drepana_), 135 - _bipunctata_ (_Senta_), 299 - _bombyliformis_ (_Hemaris_), 55 - _bondii_ (_Tapinostola_), 301 - _borealis_ (_Phragmatobia_), 155 - _bradyporina_ (_Acronycta_), 191 - _brassicae_ (_Barathra_), 239 - _brevilinea_ (_Leucania_), 308 - _brunnea_ (_Noctua_), 224 - _bucephala_ (_Phalera_), 81 - - _caeruleocephala_ (_Diloba_), 265 - _caia_ (_Arctia_), 160 - _caliginosa_ (_Acosmetia_), 321 - _callunae_ (_Lasiocampa_), 116 - _camelina_ (_Lophopteryx_), 77 - _cana_ (_Miana_), 276 - _candelarum_ (_Agrotis_), 216 - _candelisequa_ (_Acronycta_), 192 - _candida_ (_Stilpnotia_), 103 - _caniola_ (_Lithosia_), 185 - _cannae_ (_Nonagria_), 296 - _capsincola_ (_Dianthoecia_), 250 - _capsophila_ (_Dianthoecia_), 251 - _captiuncula_ (_Phothedes_), 277 - _capucina_ (_Miselia_), 289 - _carmelita_ (_Odentosia_), 78 - _carpophaga_ (_Dianthoecia_), 251 - _castanea_ (_Noctua_), 219 - _celerio_ (_Chaerocampa_), 43 - _celerio_ (_Hippotion_), 43 - _centonalis_ (_Nola_), 142 - _cespitis_ (_Tholera_), 256 - _chaonia_ (_Drymonia_), 68 - _characterea_ (_Xylophasia_), 280 - _chi_ (_Polia_), 286 - _Chloephoridae_, 143 - _chlorana_ (_Earias_), 144 - _chrysorrhoea_ (_Euproctis_), 99 - _chrysozona_ (_Hecatera_), 253 - _cinerea_ (_Agrotis_), 204 - _c-nigrum_ (_Noctua_), 221 - _coenosa_ (_Laelia_), 101 - _combusta_ (_Xylophasia_), 278 - _comes_ (_Triphaena_), 230 - _comma_ (_Leucania_), 309 - _complana_ (_Lithosia_), 183 - _compta_ (_Dianthoecia_), 250 - _conflua_ (_Noctua_), 224 - _confusalis_ (_Nola_), 141 - _conigera_ (_Leucania_), 313 - _connexa_ (_Apamea_), 273 - _consequa_ (_Triphaena_), 231 - _conspersa_ (_Dianthoecia_), 248 - _conspicilaris_ (_Xylomania_), 258 - _contigua_ (_Mamestra_), 243 - _convolvuli_ (_Herse_), 28 - _convolvuli_ (_Sphinx_), 28 - _corticea_ (_Agrotis_), 203, 209 - _coryli_ (_Demas_), 190 - _crataegi_ (_Trichiura_), 112 - _crenata_ (_Chaonia_), 66 - _crenata_ (_Gluphisia_), 66 - _cribrum_ (_Coscinia_), 168 - _crinanensis_ (_Hydroecia_), App. - _cucubali_ (_Dianthoecia_), 251 - _cuculla_ (_Lophopteryx_), 76 - _cucullatella_ (_Nola_), 139 - _cultraria_ (_Drepana_), 135 - _cursoria_ (_Agrotis_), 206 - _curtisii_ (_Triphaena_), 231 - _curtula_ (_Pygaera_), 82, 84 - _Cymatophoridae_, 85 - - _dahlii_ (_Noctua_), 225 - _dentina_ (_Mamestra_), 246 - _deplana_ (_Lithosia_), 180 - _depuncta_ (_Noctua_), 220 - _derasa_ (_Habrosyne_), 85 - _deschangei_ (_Spilosoma_), 152 - _desillii_ (_Agrotis_), 210 - _dictaeoides_ (_Pheosia_), 70 - _didyma_ (_Apamea_), 274 - _diluta_ (_Asphalia_), 91 - _dimidiata_ (_Pheosia_), 70 - _dispar_ (_Lymantria_), 103 - _dissimilis_ (_Mamestra_), 242 - _dissoluta_ (_Nonagria_), 297 - _ditrapezium_ (_Noctua_), 222 - _dodonides_ (_Drymonia_), 68 - _dominula_ (_Callimorpha_), 166 - _Drepanidae_, 131 - _dromedarius_ (_Notodonta_), 70 - _dumerilli_ (_Luperina_), 268 - _duplaris_ (_Palimpsestis_), 89 - - _eboraci_ (_Spilosoma_), 152 - _ectypa_ (_Leucania_), 304 - _edda_ (_Noctua_), 219 - _elpenor_ (_Chaerocampa_), 49 - _elpenor_ (_Eumorpha_), 49 - _elpenorcellus_ (_Metopsilus_), 48 - _elymi_ (_Tapinostola_), 302 - _Endromididae_, 129 - _eremita_ (_Lymantria_), 105 - _erythrostigma_ (_Hydroecia_), 294 - _euphorbiae_ (_Acronycta_), 197 - _euphorbiae_ (_Deilephila_), 36 - _euphorbiae_ (_Hyles_), 36 - _exclamationis_ (_Agrotis_), 208 - _exigua_ (_Laphygma_), 319 - _extrema_ (_Tapinostola_), 301 - _exulis_ (_Crymodes_), 262 - - _fagi_ (_Stauropus_), 64 - _falcataria_ (_Drepana_), 133 - _familiaris_ (_Lasiocampa_), 116 - _fascelina_ (_Dasychira_), 97 - _fasciata_ (_Macrothylacia_), 121 - _fasciata_ (_Spilosoma_), 152 - _fasciuncula_ (_Miana_), 275 - _fasciuncula_ (_Oligia_), 275 - _favicolor_ (_Leucania_), 304 - _festiva_ (_Noctua_), 224 - _fibrosa_ (_Helotropha_), 293 - _ficklini_ (_Dianthoecia_), 247 - _fimbria_ (_Triphaena_), 233 - _finmarchia_ (_Polyploca_), 92 - _flammea_ (_Meliana_), 300 - _flammea_ (_Rhizotype_), 290 - _flammatra_ (_Noctua_), 221 - _flava_ (_Lithosia_), 181 - _flavago_ (_Ochria_), 295 - _flavicincta_ (_Polia_), 286 - _flavicornis_ (_Polyploca_), 192 - _flavida_ (_Arsilonche_), 199 - _fluctuosa_ (_Palimpsestis_), 90 - _fraterna_ (_Nonagria_), 297 - _fuciformis_ (_Hemaris_), 53 - _fuliginosa_ (_Phragmatobia_), 155 - _fulva_ (_Tapinostola_), 300 - _furcula_ (_Cerura_), 61 - _furuncula_ (_Miana_), 277 - _furva_ (_Hama_), 271 - - _gaelica_ (_Palimpsestis_), 89 - _galii_ (_Celerio_), 38 - _galii_ (_Deilephila_), 38 - _gemina_ (_Apamea_), 272 - _geminipuncta_ (_Nonagria_), 297 - _genistae_ (_Mamestra_), 241 - _glandifera_ (_Bryophila_), 200 - _glareosa_ (_Noctua_), 218 - _glauca_ (_Mamestra_), 245 - _glaucata_ (_Cilix_), 138 - _gonostigma_ (_Orgyia_), 94 - _gothica_ (_Taeniocampa_), 326 - _gothicina_ (_Taeniocampa_), 326 - _gracillis_ (_Taeniocampa_), 331 - _graminis_ (_Cerapteryx_), 256 - _graminis_ (_Charaeas_), 256 - _griseo-variegata_ (_Panolis_), 324 - _griseola_ (_Lithosia_), 181 - _gueneei_ (_Luperina_), 268 - - _harpagula_ (_Drepana_), 134 - _haworthii_ (_Celaena_), 269 - _hebridicola_ (_Agrotis_), 214 - _hellmanni_ (_Tapinostola_), 301 - _helvetina_ (_Agrotis_), 218 - _hepatica_ (_Xylophasia_), 280 - _hera_ (_Callimorpha_), 164 - _hethlandica_ (_Dianthoecia_), 249 - _hibernica_ (_Celaena_), 270 - _hibernicus_ (_Cerapteryx_), 257 - _hispidus_ (_Heliophobus_), 267 - _hoegei_ (_Gastropacha_), 127 - _hospita_ (_Parasemia_), 157 - _hybridus_ (_Smerinthus_), 22 - _hyperborea_ (_Agrotis_), 215 - _Hypsidae_, 167 - - _ianthina_ (_Triphaena_), 234 - _ilicanus_ (_Sarrothripa_), 147 - _ilicifolia_ (_Epicnaptera_), 125 - _immaculata_ (_Taeniocampa_), 330 - _impar_ (_Bryophila_), 200 - _impudens_ (_Leucania_), 307 - _impura_ (_Leucania_), 305 - _incerta_ (_Taeniocampa_), 330 - _infuscata_ (_Acronycta_), 192 - _infuscata_ (_Xylophasia_), 280 - _innuba_ (_Triphaena_), 232 - _interjecta_ (_Triphaena_), 234 - _intermedia_ (_Celerio_), 41 - _inversa_ (_Smerinthus_), 22 - _irregularis_ (_Dianthoecia_, 252 - _irrorella_ (_Endrosa_), 177 - - _jacobaeae_ (_Hipocrita_), 171 - - _l-album_ (_Arctornis_), 94 - _lacertinaria_ (_Drepana_), 136 - _lacteola_ (_Lithosia_), 185 - _lanestris_ (_Eriogaster_), 114 - _lapponica_ (_Pterostoma_), 80 - _Lasiocampidae_, 106 - _latruncula_ (_Miana_), 275 - _leucographa_ (_Pachnobia_), 325 - _leuconota_ (_Hecatera_), 254 - _leucophaea_ (_Pachetra_), 257 - _leucostigma_ (_Helotropha_), 293 - _lichenea_ (_Epunda_), 285 - _ligustri_ (_Craniophora_), 198 - _ligustri_ (_Sphinx_), 33 - _lineata_ (_Deilephila_), 41 - _literosa_ (_Miana_), 276 - _lithargyria_ (_Leucania_), 312 - _Lithosiinae_, 173 - _lithoxylea_ (_Xylophasia_), 279 - _littoralis_ (_Leucania_), 308 - _littorali_s (_Prodenia_), 264 - _livornica_ (_Deilephila_), 41 - _livornica_ (_Phryxus_), 41 - _loreyi_ (_Leucania_), 311 - _lubricipeda_ (_Spilosoma_), 151 - _lucernea_ (_Agrotis_), 213 - _lucipara_ (_Euplexia_), 291 - _luneburgensis_ (_Aporophyla_), 282 - _lunigera_ (_Agrotis_), 205 - _lurideola_ (_Lithosia_), 182 - _luteago_ (_Dianthoecia_), 247 - _lutescens_ (_Callimorpha_), 164 - _lutulenta_ (_Aporophyla_), 282 - _Lymantriidae,_ 94 - - _maillardi_ (_Crymodes_), 262 - _margaritosa_ (_Agrotis_), 212 - _marginata_ (_Lasiocampa_), 116 - _maritima_ (_Senta_), 299 - _matura_ (_Cerigo_), 269 - _maura_ (_Mania_), 292 - _megacephala_ (_Acronycta_), 193 - _melaleuca_ (_Xylomania_), 259 - _melanocephala_ (_Acronycta_), 191 - _mendica_ _(Diaphora_), 153 - _menthastri_ (_Spilosoma_), 149 - _menyanthidis_ (_Acronycta_), 196 - _mesomella_ (_Cybosia_), 178 - _meticulosa_ (_Phlogophora_), 291 - _micacea_ (_Hydroecia_), 294 - _miniata_ (_Miltochrista_), 176 - _miniosa_ (_Taeniocampa_), 327 - _molybdeola_ (_Lithosia_), 184 - _monacha_ (_Lymantria_), 105 - _monoglypha_ (_Xylophasia_), 280 - _montivaga_ (_Acronycta_), 197 - _mori_ (_Bombyx_), 106 - _morpheus_ (_Caradrina_), 316 - _morrisii_ (_Petilampa_), 320 - _munda_ (_Taeniocampa_), 330 - _mundana_ (_Nudaria_), 174 - _muralis_ (_Bryophila_), 200 - _muscerda_ (_Pelosia_), 187 - _musculosa_ (_Oria_), 302 - _myricae_ (_Acronycta_), 197 - - _nana_ (_Taeniocampa_), 328 - _nebeculosa_ (_Brachionycha_), 288 - _nebulosa_ (_Aplecta_), 238 - _neglecta_ (_Noctua_), 219 - _nerii_ (_Daphnis_), 45 - _nerii_ (_Chaerocampa_), 45 - _neurica_ (_Nonagria_), 298 - _neustria_ (_Malacosoma_), 107, 111 - _nictitans_ (_Hydroecia_), 294 - _nigra_ (_Aporophyla_), 282 - _nigricans_ (_Agrotis_), 207 - _nigricans_ (_Nonagria_), 297 - _nigristriata_ (_Senta_), 299 - _nigrocincta_ (_Polia_), 287 - _nigrocostata_ (_Senta_), 299 - _Noctuidae_, 189 - _Nolidae_, 139 - _Notodontidae_, 56 - _nubilata_ (_Asphalia_), 91 - - _obelisca_ (_Agrotis_), 208 - _oblonga_ (_Hama_), 270 - _obscura_ (_Apamea_), 272 - _obscura_ (_Bombycia_), 263 - _obsoleta_ (_Leucania_), 307 - _occulta_ (_Euoris_), 236 - _ocellatus_ (_Smerinthus_), 22 - _ochrea_ (_Dianthoecia_), 249 - _ochreola_ (_Lithosia_), 180 - _ochroleuca_ (_Eremobia_), 263 - _octogessima_ (_Palimpsestis_), 88, 89 - _oculea_ (_Apamea_), 274 - _oleagina_ (_Valeria_), 266 - _oleracea_ (_Mamestra_), 241 - _olivacea_ (_Lasiocampa_), 116 - _olivacea_ (_Polia_), 286 - _olivaceo-fasciata_ (_Lasiocampa_), 126 - _ophiogramma_ (_Apamea_), 274 - _opima_ (_Taeniocampa_), 320 - _or_ (_Palimpsestis_), 88 - _orbona_ (_Triphaena_), 230 - _orion_ (_Diphtera_), 189 - _oxyacanthae_ (_Miselia_), 289 - - _pabulatricula_ (_Apamea_), 273 - _pallens_ (_Leucania_), 304 - _pallida_ (_Aplecta_), 238 - _pallida_ (_Trichiura_), 112 - _palpina_ (_Pterostoma_), 80 - _paludis_ (_Hydroecia_), 294 - _palustris_ (_Hydrilla_), 321 - _papyrata_ (_Spilosoma_), 150 - _pascuea_ (_Aporophyla_), 284 - _passetii_ (_Eurois_), 236 - _pavonia_ (_Saturnia_), 131 - _peregrina_ (_Mamestra_), 246 - _perfusca_ (_Noctua_), 226 - _perla_ (_Bryophila_), 200 - _persicariae_ (_Mamestra_), 239 - _petasitis_ (_Hydroecia_), 295 - _phoebe_ (_Notodonta_), 72 - _phragmitidis_ (_Calamia_), 303 - _pigra_ (_Pygaera_), 84 - _pinastri_ (_Hyloicus_), 34 - _pini_ (_Dendrolimus_), 106 - _pini_ (_Eutricha_), 106 - _piniperda_ (_Panolis_), 324 - _pisi_ (_Mamestra_), 244 - _plaga_ (_Agrotis_), 209 - _plantaginis_ (_Parasemia_), 157 - _plecta_ (_Noctua_), 228 - _plumigera_ (_Ptilophora_), 79 - _polyodon_ (_Cloantha_), 282 - _Polyplocidae_, 95 - _popularis_ (_Tholera_), 255 - _populeti_ (_Taeniocampa_), 329 - _populi_ (_Amorpha_), 20 - _populi_ (_Poecilocampa_), 113 - _populi_ (_Smerinthus_), 20, 22 - _porcellus_ (_Chaerocampa_), 48 - _porcellus_ (_Metopsilus_), 48 - _potatoria_ (_Cosmotriche_), 123 - _praecox_ (_Agrotis_), 211 - _prasina_ (_Euoris_), 235 - _prasinana_ (_Hylophila_), 145 - _primulae_ (_Noctua_), 224 - _pronuba_ (_Triphaena_), 232 - _protea_ (_Eumichtis_), 264 - _psi_ (_Acronycta_), 195 - _pudibunda_ (_Dasychira_), 98 - _pudorina_ (_Leucania_), 307 - _pulchella_ (_Deiopeia_), 169 - _pulverulenta_ (_Taeniocampa_), 328 - _punctina_ (_Leucania_), 306 - _puta_ (_Agrotis_), 204 - _putrescens_ (_Leucania_), 310 - _putris_ (_Axylia_), 229 - _pygmaeola_ (_Lithosia_), 184, 185 - _pyramidea_ (_Amphipyra_), 323 - - _quadra_ (_Oeonestis_), 179 - _quadripunctaria_ (_Callimorpha_), 164 - _quadripunctata_ (_Caradrina_), 318 - _quercifolia_ (_Gastropacha_), 126 - _quercus_ (_Lasiocampa_), 115 - - _radiata_ (_Spilosoma_), 152 - _radiola_ (_Agrotis_), 205 - _ramosana_ (_Sarrothripa_), 147 - _ravida_ (_Agrotis_), 215 - _rectilinea_ (_Hyppa_), 265 - _remissa_ (_Apamea_), 272 - _renigera_ (_Agrotis_), 213 - _reticulata_ (_Neuria_), 254 - _revayana_ (_Sarrothripa_), 144, 146 - _rhomboidea_ (_Noctua_), 223 - _ridens_ (_Polyploca_), 93 - _ripae_ (_Agrotis_), 210 - _roboris_ (_Aplecta_), 238 - _roboris_ (_Lasiocampa_), 116 - _rosea_ (_Agrotis_), 214, 218 - _rossica_ (_Callimorpha_), 166 - _rubi_ (_Macrothylacia_), 121 - _rubi_ (_Noctua_), 226 - _rubricollis_ (_Atolmis_), 173 - _rubricosa_ (_Pachnobia_), 326 - _rufa_ (_Coenobia_), 299 - _rufa_ (_Taeniocampa_), 326 - _rufescens_ (_Taeniocampa_), 332 - _rumicis_ (_Acronycta_), 198 - _runica_ (_Diphtera_), 190 - _rurea_ (_Xylophasia_), 278 - _russula_ (_Diacrisia_), 158 - _rustica_ (_Diaphora_), 153 - - _salicis_ (_Acronycta_), 198 - _salicis_ (_Stilpnotia_), 102 - _sanio_ (_Diacrisia_), 158 - _Sarrothripinae_, 146 - _satura_ (_Eumichtis_), 260 - _Saturniidae_, 131 - _saucia_ (_Agrotis_), 212 - _scabriuncula_ (_Dipterygia_), 281 - _schaufussi_ (_Malacosoma_), 111 - _scincula_ (_Drepana_), 137 - _scolopacina_ (_Xylophasia_), 281 - _scotica_ (_Acronycta_), 196 - _scotica_ (_Palimpsestis_), 89 - _scotica_ (_Polyploca_), 92 - _secalis_ (_Apamea_), 274 - _sedi_ (_Aporophyla_), 283 - _segetum_ (_Agrotis_), 201 (_segetis_) - _semivirga_ (_Acronycta_), 191 - _semivirgata_ (_Hyppa_), 265 - _senex_ (_Comacla_), 175 - _serena_ (_Hecatera_), 254 - _sericea_ (_Lithosia_), 184 - _sexstrigata_ (_Noctua_), 227 (_umbrosa_) - _signata_ (_Endrosa_), 177 - _similis_ (_Porthesia_), 100 - _simulans_ (_Agrotis_), 214 - _sinelinea_ (_Leucania_), 308 - _sobrina_ (_Noctua_), 227 - _sororcula_ (_Lithosia_), 187 - _sparganii_ (_Nonagria_), 296 - _Sphingidae_, 17 - _sphinx_ (_Brachionycha_), 288 - _spinula_ (_Cilix_), 132 - _stabilis_ (_Taeniocampa_), 328 - _steinerti_ (_Acronycta_), 193 - _stellatarum_ (_Macroglossa_), 52 - _stigmatica_ (_Noctua_), 223 - _straminea_ (_Leucania_), 181 - _striata_ (_Coscina_), 167 - _strigilis_ (_Miana_), 274 - _strigosa_ (_Acronycta_), 194 - _strigula_ (_Agrotis_), 210 - _strigula_ (_Nola_), 140 - _suasa_ (_Mamestra_), 242 - _subfusca_ (_Noctua_), 203 - _subsequa_ (_Triphaena_), 231 - _sublustris_ (_Xylophasia_), 278 - _subrosea_ (_Noctua_), 217 - _suffusa_ (_Polia_), 286 - _sundevalli_ (_Craniophora_), 199 - _superstes_ (_Caradrina_), 317 - - _taraxaci_ (_Caradrina_), 317 - _tenebrosa_ (_Rusina_), 322 - _templi_ (_Dasypolia_), 285 - _testacea_ (_Luperina_), 267 - _thalassina_ (_Mamestra_), 243 - _thompsoni_ (_Aplecta_), 238 - _thulei_ (_Noctua_), 224 - _Thyatiridae_, 85 - _tincta_ (_Aplecta_), 236 - _tiliae_ (_Dilina_), 17 - _tiliae_ (_Mimas_), 17 - _tityus_ (_Hemaris_), 55 - _torva_ (_Notodonta_), 73 - _tragopogonis_ (_Amphipyra_), 324 - _tremula_ (_Pheosia_), 69 - _trepida_ (_Notodonta_), 74 - _triangulum_ (_Noctua_), 223 - _tricuspis_ (_Cerapteryx_), 256 - _tridens_ (_Acronycta_), 195 - _trifolii_ (_Lasiocampa_), 119 - _trifolii_ (_Mamestra_), 245 - _trifolii_ (_Pachygastria_), 107 - _trigrammica_ (_Meristis_), 314 - _trimacula_ (_Drymonia_), 67 - _tritici_ (_Agrotis_), 207, 208 - _tritophus_ (_Notodonta_), 72, 73 - _trux_ (_Agrotis_), 205 - _turca_ (_Leucania_), 314 - _typhae_ (_Nonagria_), 297 - _typica_ (_Naenia_), 293 - - _ulmifolia_ (_Gastropacha_), 126 - _umbrosa_ (_Noctua_), 227 - _unanimis_ (_Apamea_), 273 - _unicolor_ (_Lithosia_), 180 - _unipuncta_ (_Leucania_), 310 - _urticae_ (_Spilosoma_), 150 - - _variegata_ (_Ptilophora_), 79 - _versicolor_ (_Endromis_), 129 - _vestigialis_ (_Agrotis_), 202 - _villica_ (_Arctia_), 162 - _viminalis_ (_Bombycia_), 263 - _vinula_ (_Dicranura_), 62 - _vitellina_ (_Leucania_), 311 - _v-nigrum_ (_Leucoma_), 94 - - _walkeri_ (_Spilosoma_), 149 - _wismariensis_ (_Senta_), 299 - _w-latinum_ (_Mamestra_), 241 - - _xanthographa_ (_Noctua_), 228 - _xanthomista_ (_Polia_), 287 - - _ypsilon_ (_Agrotis_), 209 - - _zatima_ (_Spilosoma_), 152 - _ziczac_ (_Notodonta_), 70 - _zollikoferi_ (_Xylophasia_), 279 - -A LIST OF THE FAMILIES OF BRITISH MOTHS described in this volume. - - SPHINGIDAE, 17-55 - NOTODONTIDAE, 56-84 - THYATIRIDAE, 85-93 - LYMANTRIIDAE, 94-105 - LASIOCAMPIDAE, 106-128 - ENDROMIDIDAE, 129, 130 - SATURNIIDAE, 131, 132 - DREPANIDAE, 132-138 - NOLIDAE, 139-142 - CHLOEPHORIDAE, 143-146 - SARROTHRIPINAE, 146 - ARCTIIDAE, 148-188 - ARCTIINAE, 148-172 - LITHOSIINAE, 173-188 - NOCTUIDAE, 189-331 - ACRONYCTINAE, 189-201 - TRIFINAE, 201-331 - - * * * * * - - -A LIST OF THE VOLUMES IN THE WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND SERIES - - * * * * * - -WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND BLOSSOMS A Pocket Guide to British Wild Flowers, for -the Country Rambler. (First and Second Series.) With clear Descriptions of -760 Species. By EDWARD STEP, F.L.S. And Coloured Figures of 257 Species by -MABEL E. STEP. - -WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND TREES A Pocket Guide to the British Sylva. By EDWARD -STEP, F.L.S. With 175 Plates from Water-colour Drawings by MABEL E. STEP -and Photographs by HENRY IRVING and the Author. - -WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND FERNS A Pocket Guide to the British Ferns, Horsetails -and Club-Mosses. By EDWARD STEP, F.L.S. With Coloured Figures of every -Species by MABEL E. STEP. And 67 Photographs by the Author. - -THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES A Pocket Guide for the Country -Rambler. With clear Descriptions and Life Histories of all the Species. By -RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. With 450 Coloured Figures photographed from Nature, -and numerous Black and White Drawings. - -THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES (First and Second Series). A Complete Pocket -Guide to all the Species included in the Groups formerly known as -Macro-lepidoptera. By RICHARD SOUTH, F.E.S. With upwards of 1500 Coloured -Figures photographed from Nature, and numerous Black and White Drawings. - -THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES AND THEIR EGGS (First and Second Series). A -Complete Pocket Guide with descriptive text. By T. A. COWARD, M.B.O.U., -F.Z.S., F.E.S. With 455 accurately Coloured Illustrations by ARCHIBALD -THORBURN and others, and 134 Photographic Reproductions by RICHARD KEARTON, -F.Z.S., Miss E. L. TURNER, M.B.O.U., and others. - - * * * * * - -AT ALL BOOKSELLERS. _Full Prospectuses on application to the Publishers_-- -FREDERICK WARNE AND CO., LTD. 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