1984.] 239 



across the anterior segments, head pale brown, dorsal plate pale brown, 

 with blackish dots or a black bar, anal plate green with black spots. 

 In tops of Latliyrus, twisting and drawing together the terminal leaves, 

 also in Genista tinctoria, end of May." " Pupa black-brown." 



alternella,'^\W. (Schiff. ?). — Fore-wings 5 lines by 2^ ; a broad- 

 winged species, with moderately arched costa, blunt apex, and a 

 decidedly squared appearance. Occasionally a female is found of 

 remarkably large size. The costa in this sex is more arched. 



Wilkinson's description is fairly good, but his dimensions are too 

 small. This fine species is generally found on rough ground among 

 the herbage, and flies readily before dusk. It seems only to shelter 

 on tree trunks casually from stress of weather. I have not yet 

 obtained the larva. Mr. W. H. Grigg, of Bristol, has reared one 

 . specimen from a larva found on Conyza squarrosa. Mr. Harold 

 Huston finds the moth rather commonly near Chatteris, where Car- 

 duus arvensis is abundant, and suggests this as its food-plant ; and, 

 some years ago, Mr, E. Meyrick (who has been lately doing splendid 

 work at the antipodes) wrote me that it was common near Cambridge, 

 and "very evidently attached to thistles, Carduus arvensis), in fact, I 

 took several where it must have fed on that plant." 



It used to occur in old chalk-pits and on other rough ground at 

 Norwich, where I thought it attached to Centaurea. 



Hofmann says, "according to Mann, with black head and neck- 

 shield, and white warts ; in spring, on Chrysanthemum.'''' 



Wocke calls this species chrysantheana, Dup., ignoring alternella, 

 Schiff. (which, probably, is not very certain), and quoting alternella, 

 "Wilk., as a synonym. He does not include it in the large group which 

 he lumps together as Wahlhomiana. 



octomaculana, Haw., Curt. — Eore-wing 5 lines by 2\, a very 

 square looking species, easily distinguishable as well as by its shape as 

 by its beautifully clear white ground-colour, with distinct blackish- 

 grey markings, and dark grey hind-wings. It is one of the least 

 variable species in the genus. 



Some years ago, Mr. J. Dunsmore, then residing at Paisley (now, 

 I hope, doing good work in the United States), took much pains to 

 supply me plentifully with larvae as well as images of this lovely 

 species. He wrote : — " It is one of our commonest hill-insects, and 

 may usually be picked off old stone walls without trouble, and in any 

 numbers. Its larva feeds like that of ictericana, in rolled leaves of 

 plantain and knapweed, leaving a way of speedy escape at top or 



