192 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



south of England, more frequently in the north, the ground 

 colour and hairs are yellow, and there are more or less distinct 

 reddish brown bands on the back and sides. It may be found 

 from July to September, or even later, on birch or alder, rarely 

 on oak and poplar. The moth occurs in May and June, as a 

 rule. In 1904 I took a freshly emerged specimen on July 23, 

 at Byfleet in Surrey, and some half-grown caterpillars were 

 obtained on the same day, and very near the same spot. The 

 species is found in woods, and on heaths and mosses, where 

 birch or alder flourishes, from Devonshire in England to 

 Sutherlandshire in Scotland. It is not common anywhere in 

 our islands, but is perhaps most frequently met with in the south 

 and east of England. In Ireland it appears to have been found 

 only in the southern counties. 



y^^^ .M^^he Sycamore {Acrofivcfa aceris). 



ju^^^^ The dark mottled grey moth on Plate 100, Fig. 5, is not 

 much given to variation, but occasionally brownish suffused 

 forms occur (var. aifidclisegna, Esp. = iiifiiscata^ Haworth). 



The caterpillar (Plate 102, Fig. 3) feeds in August and 

 September upon sycamore, maple, and sometimes chestnut. 

 It has some black-edged white marks along the middle of the 

 back ; the pointed tufts of long hairs are yellow or reddish. 

 When it is at rest on the underside of a leaf, or coils in a ring 

 on being disturbed, the hair tufts gave the creature a somewhat 

 prickly appearance. The moth is out in June and July. 



The species is more or less common pretty well through the 

 southern and eastern counties, and fairly so in and around 

 London. Its range extends to Warwickshire and Hereford- 

 shire ; but it is scarce in both counties. The Irish localities 

 for it are Glaring Bridge and Ahascragh, Co. Galway ; (ilandore 

 and Timologue, Co. Cork ; Elnniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. 



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