The Scottish Naturalist. 191 



THE LEPIDOPTERA OP MONCREIPPE HILL.i 



By Sir THOMAS MONCREIFFE, Bart. 



{Contimied from page 152). 



Geometrina. 



Vaiilia macularia. — Common, particularly among wood sage, 

 at an elevation of 600 feet. Varies considerably in the distribu- 

 tion of the brown markings. I have one specimen which has an 

 entire brown band across the middle of the fore-wings, and which 

 is only once interrupted in the hind-wings. I fancy that the up- 

 per wings of the male are of a lighter shade of yellow than the 

 under. 



Ellopia fasciaria. — Frequent on pine-trunks from 500 feet up- 

 wards. 



Selenia illunaria. — Locally common some seasons. To be 

 taken flying at dusk — and with a lantern, among whitethorn, after 

 dark. 



Odoiitopera bidentata. — This is a most abundant species, and 

 varies a good deal in intensity of colour, some specimens being 

 excessively dark. I have one bred specimen, a great portion of 

 all four wings of which is quite transparent, looking, at first sight, 

 as if the scales had been rubbed off, but on close examination 

 with a lens it appears to be quite perfect. Comes freely to 

 light. 



Crocallis elingiiaria. — Not common, but appears to be gener- 

 ally distributed. 



Himera pennaria. — Local. The males come commonly to light 

 in the house ; the females are less frequent. I have not been able 

 to discover its breeding quarters here, for the same reason, pro- 

 bably, that the larvae of most of the oak feeders are difiicult to 

 obtain — viz., there being no copse or young oakwoods. 



Phigalia pilosaria. — Common, and generally distributed at all 

 elevations. Varies considerably in size and depth of shade. 

 Comes freely to light. I have taken this insect here soon after 

 the New Year. Some seasons it flies pretty freely about Cii- 

 pressiis in my shrubbery on the bright, still, moonlight nights. 



Amphidasis betiilai-ia. — Fairly common some seasons, but never 

 plentiful. We have occasional dark varieties, but not so dark as 

 they appear to be in some places. I reared an imperfect female 



1 At pages 147 and 151, No. 144, for *' Tethea rettisa" read " Tethea sub- 

 ticsa:'—!!. AL 



