222 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



margin to the second line ; below this is a short black dot ; 

 the reniform and orbicular marks are pale, the centre some- 

 times darker, and the claviform has a dark edge but is not 

 distinct ; the front of the thorax is broadly marked with black, 

 hence the English name. 



Only three British examples seem to be known ; two of these 

 were captured in the Isle of Wight, 1859 and 1876, and the 

 third occurred in the lighthouse at Cromer in 1875. The range 

 abroad is Central and Southern Europe, Western and Central 

 Asia and India. 



The Triple -spotted Clay (Nocfua ditrapezmm). 



The ground colour of the fore wings of this moth ranges from 

 pinkish brown through pale reddish brown to a purplish grey 

 brown. The specimen shown on Plate no. Fig. 9 J is of 

 the pinkish brown form from Tilgate Forest in Sussex. In 

 a series bred from caterpillars obtained at Hampstead, North- 

 west London, the bulk of the males are pale reddish brown, 

 and the females purplish brown ; one male, however, is as dark 

 as the females. Caterpillar, purplish brown, mottled above 

 with dark brown ; a thin white line, interrupted with black, 

 along the middle of the back, and a row of black marks on 

 each side ; on the sides are oblique blackish marks, with the 

 white spiracles showing distinct at their lower ends. Head 

 pale shining brown, the cheeks marked with darker brown. 

 Feeds on dandelion, dock, chickwced, primrose, and other low 

 plants ; also on bramble and sallow, and in the spring on the 

 young leaves of birch. September to May (Plate iii. Fig. 2). 



The moth flies, in and around woods, in July. It is local 

 and not alv/ays common, but has been found in the north-west 

 and south west districts of London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hamp- 

 shire, Dorsetshire, Devon, Wales (Swansea and Barmouth), 

 and Norfolk (Cromer). It occurs in Scotland (Perthshire), and 



