BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



lines, especially the anterior; the posterior is 

 sinuated. There is a dark spot a little in front 

 of the middle, towards the hind margin, and in 

 front of it a lighter area as far as the tip, and 

 a fairly regular, somewhat faint submarginal 

 line. There is a deep black marginal line, 

 expanded into dots between the nervures, the 

 fringes are darkly banded on the nervures and 

 there is a white-centred orbicular stigma in 

 the central area. The hind wings are lighter, 

 without the anterior transverse line, but with 

 the other markings as on the fore wings. The 

 female is smaller than the male. The moth 

 is common in woods in Northern and Central 

 Europe in May and August. The larva is 

 light or dark brown, spotted with whitish, 

 with dark lozenge-shaped dorsal spots on the 

 fourth and fifth segments and light trapezoid 

 spots on segments 6 to g, a small excrescence 

 on the sides of the sixth segment and two 

 obtuse points on the square head. It lives on 

 various low plants. The pupa is blackish brown 

 and is subterranean. 



B. rhomboidaria, W. V. The Willow Beauty 

 is greyish brown with a sharply defined dark 

 central shade, and a slightly zigzag posterior 

 transverse line running across both fore and 

 hind wings, and forming a sharp angle on the 

 inner side near the costa. There is an obtusely 

 zigzag submarginal line shaded with darker, 

 especially towards the base, a cowl-shaped 

 marginal line, fringes somewhat lighter at 

 the base and a dark central dot on all the 

 wings. The anterior transverse line is very 

 indistinct on the fore wings and wanting on 

 the hind wings; the apex of the latter is dis- 

 tinctly lighter on the under side. It is common 

 in Central and Southern Europe in June and 

 again in September. The larva is slender, 

 somewhat thinner in front, with two elevations 

 behind the head, two dark warts on the sides 

 of segment 6, a light or dark greyish brown 

 triangular spot on the hinder half of each 

 segment from the fifth to the eleventh, two 

 yellow and black streaks on the front of each 

 segment and a distinct lateral line beside the 

 dorsal one. It feeds on sloe and fruit-trees 

 in Autumn and hibernates. The pupa is dark 

 brown with a fine terminal point and is formed 

 in the ground. The variety perfumaria, 

 Newm. is larger and darker, with the wings 



more distinctly streaked. It is not uncommon 

 in Britain. 



B. secundaria, Esp. is dirty white heavily 

 dusted with rusty brown. Fore wings with 

 two dark transverse lines bordered with lighter 

 on the sides remote from one another, and 

 with a central shade between. The posterior 

 transverse line is strongly dentated on the 

 nervures towards the hind margin, and has an 

 indistinct submarginal line parallel to it, edged 

 with darker, especially towards the base. In 

 the middle, towards the hind margin it is 

 expanded into spots. There is a sharp dark 

 cowl-like marginal line, and fringes dark on 

 the nervures. The hind wings are without 

 anterior transverse lines, the central shade is 

 indicated, especially on the inner margin, the 

 posterior transverse line is situated further 

 back, and there is a central dot on all the 

 wings. It is common in pine-woods in Ger- 

 many, Switzerland and Greece, and appears 

 in July. The larva is slender, smooth, tapering 

 in front, grey or brown with dark lozenge- 

 shaped spots on each segment from the fourth, 

 which are interrupted by the light dorsal line, 

 and are specially dark and spotted with white 

 on segments 8 and g, a yellowish lateral line 

 beside the dorsal spots and crosses on the 

 sides of the last segments. It lives on pine. 

 The pupa is slender, dark brown with a fine 

 terminal spine. It is subterranean. 



B. abietaria, W. V. The Satin Carpet 

 is greenish grey, heavily dusted with darker. 

 Fore wings with two dark transverse lines, a 

 central shade and a central dot; the posterior 

 transverse line is dentated on the nervures 

 towards the hind margin and is fused with 

 the central shade on the inner margin. There 

 is a lighter submarginal line somewhat ex- 

 panded in the middle, a dark marginal line and 

 chequered fringes. The hind wings are lighter 

 with only the posterior transverse line con- 

 tinued on them from the fore wings, and a 

 central dot, marginal and submarginal lines 

 and fringes as on the fore wings. Head and 

 thorax brown, abdomen lighter with blackish 

 incisions. It is found in fir woods in Central 

 Europe in April and again in June. The larva 

 tapers in front, with slight elevations, directed 

 backwards, on the 6th and following segments. 

 It is yellowish grey with a finely bordered 



