236 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The moth, which frequents woods, flies in June, but has been 

 reared, as a second generation, late in the year. The species 

 seems to be pretty generally distributed over England and 

 Ireland, and is often common, especially in the south and east 

 of the former country. From the Midlands northwards it 

 appears to be less common, and its range more restricted. In 

 Scotland it has been recorded from Roxburghshire (common at 

 sugar in 1898), the Clyde district, and, Barrett adds, Perthshire. 



The Great Brocade {Eurois ocailta). 



On Plate 117, Fig. 3 represents the typical grey form of 

 this species, and Fig, 4 the black var. passetii, Thierry-Mieg. 

 Intermediates occur connecting the melanic form with the type, 

 and sometimes specimens are found of a paler hue than the 

 type. Bred specimens occasionally have a rosy tinge, and this 

 is then usually most in evidence between the first and second 

 cross lines. The caterpillar is brown, with three ochreous lines 

 on the back, the outer with dark oblique dashes on each ring ; 

 a whitish stripe along the spiracles is blotched with reddish, and 

 edged above with black. It feeds in the autumn on dock, 

 plantain, primrose, dandelion, etc., and in the spring on bramble, 

 bilberry, sallow, heather, and birch, among other things. Usually 

 it hibernates when small, but when kept indoors, and fairly 

 warm, it can be induced to complete growth, and attain the 

 moth state in October or later, sometimes even earlier. In the 

 open the moth flies from the end of June to August. 



Scotland appears to be the British home of the species, and 

 it is found in most woods throughout that country, including 

 the isles, but it is rare in the Shetlands. It occurs in Durham 

 (rare), and in Yorkshire was not uncommon at Everingham in 

 1897, and several were obtained at Middlesbrough in 1900. 

 Further south its occurrence is even more casual, and the most 

 recent captures I have any note of are, two specimens in 



