12 



|:.loyd's natural history. 



(Hiibner), which resemble it so closely as to be hardly distin- 

 guishable in the imago state, though the larvae differ consider- 

 ably. A. tridens (the Dark Dagger) is common in England, 

 though less so than A. psi. A. cuspis is not British, though it 

 is not rare in many parts of the Continent. 



THE COMMON DAGGER. ACRONYCTA PSI. 



Nodua psi, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. (ed. x.), i. p. 544, no. 96 

 (1758); id. Faun. Suec. p. 314, no. 1181 (1761); 

 Esper, Schmett. iv. (i), p. 242, Taf. 115, figs, i, 2 

 {1789?). 



Nodua tridens, Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. iv. fig. 4 (1799?). 



Acronyda psi, Treitschke, Schmett. Eur. v. (i), p. 30 (1825); 

 Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust. iii. p. 39 (1829) ; Kirby, 

 Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 149, pi. 32, figs. 7-7 a 

 (1880); Buckler, Larvae of Brit. Lepid. iv. pi. 56, figs. 

 2-2 b (1891); Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl. iii. p. 250, pi. 

 122, figs. 2-2 d (1896). 



The Common Dagger. 



The Common Dagger Moth expands about an inch and a 

 half. It is found in most parts of Europe, Northern Africa, 

 and Siberia. The head, and body are ashy-grey, with a broad 

 black line on the sides of the head and thorax. The fore- 



