THE HOARY FOOTMAN. 1 85 



vary a good deal in the matter of colour, the extremes being 

 yellow and dark grey. (Plate 99, Figs. 3, 4.) 



Buckler describes the caterpillar as brown on the back, with 

 a central thick black line, and two dark brown lines ; sides 

 paler brown, with a dusty white line along the spiracles ; the 

 warts (tubercles) with short brown hairs, and the head black. 

 August to June. 



This extremely local little moth was unknown as an inhabitant 

 of Britain until 1847, when it was described as L. pygnucola^ 

 by Doubleday in the Zoologist for that year, and noted as 

 having been found among rushes on the coast of Kent. Two 

 years later the insect was again referred to, and it was then 

 stated to be confined to a " space of about four hundred 

 yards in extent, on the coast of Deal." It then became known 

 as the "Deal Footman." During the past fifty or sixty years 

 large numbers have no doubt been removed from this localit\', 

 which is the only British one it is known to occur in. It is 

 still to be found there, although said to be less common than 

 formerly. Usually netted at dusk, or seen later resting on the 

 stems of the marram grass ; occasionally it visits the " sugar." 



Some present-day entomologists still incline to the opinion 

 that the moth is a distinct species, and not a local race of 

 lutarella^ which is found throughout Central and Eastern 

 Europe ; ranging to South Scandinavia, Finland, and east- 

 ward to Siberia and Amurland. The var. pygincEola has been 

 obtained in Holland. 



The Hoary Footman {Lithosia caniola). 



Fore wings silky whitish grey with a yellowish streak 

 along the front edge ; the hind wings are whitish with a faint 

 yellowish tinge. Some of the specimens are entirely whitish 

 (var. ladcola^ Boisd.). July and August, sometimes earlier. 

 (Plate 99, Figs, i, 2.') 



