BRITISH AXD EUROPEAX BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



M. tincta, Borkh. The Silvery Arches. 

 Fore wings greenish grey, varied with hght 

 grey and brown. The three stigmata are 

 surrounded with black, the orbicular being 

 the palest, and there is a rusty brown central 

 shade, especially visible between the stigmata. 

 The submarginal line in cell ib, 4, and 5 is 

 spotted with dark brown on both sides, espe- 

 ciall}- towards the base, and there are a few 

 brown dots on the nervures in the suffused 

 band. The submarginal line is dark, and broader 

 between the nervures. The fringes are silvery 

 grey, spotted with brown. The hind wings 

 have a central lunule, a paler curved line, and 

 dirty white fringes. The head and collar in 

 front and the tegulse in the middle are silvery 

 grev, otherwise they are brown with blackish 

 margins. It is common in Central and Northern 

 Europe from May to July. The larva is ochre- 

 yellow, marbled with blackish, with a whitish 

 dorsal line in front, which bisects a dark brown 

 square spot on each segment. There is a 

 black lateral line above the legs, and a short 

 dark oblique streak on each segment above 

 this. The young larva feeds in Autumn on 

 birch bushes and low plants. It hibernates 

 preferably in rotten birch stumps and is full 

 grown in May. 



RI. nebulosa, Hufn. The Grey Arches. Fore 

 wings light grey, slightly varied with brow-n, 

 darkest from the costa to the submarginal 

 line and between the stigmata. The two trans- 

 verse lines and the half line are bordered with 

 darker on both sides. The three stigmata, of 

 which the claviform is the darkest, are edged 

 with black and centred with brownish. The 

 submarginal line has dark spots on both sides, 

 and is streaked towards the base. The marginal 

 line is composed of black crescent-shaped 

 spots. The fringes are divided b\' shining 

 white nervures, and darkly spotted througli 

 the middle. The hind wings are light grey, 

 darker on the nervures and towards the hind 

 margin, with a central lunule and white fringes. 

 It is common in Central and Eastern Europe 

 in June and July. The larva is yellowisli 

 brown, thinly pubescent, darker on the sides. 

 with a longitudinal series of dark lozenge-shaped 

 spots along the back, dark oblique streaks along 

 the sides, and yellow spiracles. It feeds till May 

 on low plants and on birch, sallow, oak, etc. 



M. contigua, \\'. \'. The Beautiful Bro- 

 cade. Fore wings brownish grey, varied with 

 reddish and whitish. The tips of the wings, 

 the suffused band, and the hinder angle are 

 lightest, and there is a pale yellowish spot on 

 the costa between the half line and the black 

 streak at the base. The central area nearly 

 to the inner margin, the reniform stigma, 

 which is suffused with yellowish brown, and 

 the spot behind it, are darker brown. The 

 black triangular spots of the marginal line 

 are sharply defined, white, and zigzag towards 

 the base. The hind wings are light grey, 

 with a black interrupted marginal line and 

 whitish fringes. The head and thorax are 

 brownish grey and the abdomen grey, whilst 

 the brush-like tuft on the thorax and the anal 

 tuft of the male are somewhat darker. It is 

 widely distributed in Central and Northern 

 Europe in June, but is not as a rule abundant. 

 The larva is yellowish green when young, 

 afterwards becoming brownish, with yellowish 

 dorsal and lateral lines, which are partially 

 interrupted. It lives in Autumn on broom, 

 raspberry, and other low plants. 



M. thalassina, Borkh. The Pale-shouldered 

 Brocade is very similar to genista. Fore wings 

 rich coppery brown, with the central area but 

 little darker. The space behind the sharply 

 defined black beak-shaped claviform stigma is 

 not lighter than in front. The submarginal line 

 and the basal spot in front of the black streak 

 are whiter. It is common in Central Europe 

 from April to June. The larva is greenish 

 with interrupted red lines on both sides of the 

 back. It feeds in Autumn on low plants, 

 and on birch and barberry. 



M. suasa, \V. V. The Dog's Tooth Moth. 

 Fore wings liver-coloured, lighter in the male, 

 with narrow whitish markings, of which the sub- 

 marginal line is the whitest and most distinct. 

 The three stigmata are incompletely bordered 

 with black. There is a black streak at the 

 base, and the marginal line is made up of 

 black crescent-shaped spots. The fringes are 

 dark, chequered with lighter. Hind wings 

 light brown, with the central lunule, nervures, 

 and marginal area darker, and the collar with 

 a black transverse line. It is common in 

 Central and Northern Europe from May to 

 August. The larva tapers behind. The head 



