THE BUFF ERMINE. 15I 



been reared by Mr. Bacot. Chrysalis dark reddish brown, in a 

 cocoon similar to that of the last species. 



The moth, which emerges in June, is rarely seen away from 

 its favourite haunts, which are marshes and fens ; its English 

 name is therefore a very appropriate one. It is not often 

 observed in the daytime, but is on the wing early in the 

 evening, and later on is pretty sure to be attracted to any strong 

 light that may be set up in its neighbourhood. The best 

 localities for the species seem to be the fens of Norfolk and 

 Cambridge, but it used to be fairly plentiful in many suitable 

 parts of East Kent, and no doubt still occurs in some of the 

 marshes between Dartford and Gravesend : it is found in, 

 Sussex in the Lewes and Brighton districts, and has been 

 recorded from Kimmeridge in Dorsetshire, from near Burton- 

 on-Trent, from the Lancaster district, and from Pembrokeshire, 

 South Wales. In Scotland it is rare, and, with the exception of 

 one example reported as taken in an illuminated moth trap at 

 Clonbrock, May, 1896, not known to occur in Ireland. 



The distribution abroad extends over Central and Northern 

 Europe, through South Russia to Amurland. 



The Buff Ermine {Spilosoma lubricipeda). 



This species is now known by the hLnglish name of the 

 Buff Ermine, but the names bestowed upon it by some ancient 

 writers were perhaps hardly more suitable. Thus Wilkes in 

 1773 called it the "Spotted Buff Moth," and Harris five years 

 later dubbed it the " Cream-dot Stripe." The ground colour 

 is generally some shade of buff, in the paler specimens merging 

 into cream, and in the darker to yellowish ochre. In the matter 

 of black marking the range of variation is extensive. The 

 specimens figured on Plate ']'] illustrate something of this 

 variation, both as regards colouring and marking. The females 

 are, as a rule, paler than the males, but occasionally examples 



