250 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



1889 it has been obtained, not uncommonly, at Seaton on the 

 South Devon coast. The caterpillar, which is somewhat 

 similar to that of the last species, feeds in July and August on 

 the seeds of the Nottingham catchfly {Silenc ni/ians)^ but will 

 thrive on those of other kinds of catchfly, campion, or even 

 sweet-william and garden pinks. The moth flies in May and 

 June. 



The Varied Coronet {Dianthmda compta). 



In Europe this species has a less northerly range than 

 D. conspcrsa^ and its eastward range extends to Japan. The 

 caterpillar feeds on the seeds of Dianthus. 



In his list of the lepidoptera of Ireland (£";//. Mo. Mag.., 

 1866), Birchall remarks : "A pair of this well-known species, 

 taken in Ireland by Mr. Tardy, are in the collection of Trinity 

 College, but I am unable to indicate the exact locality of their 

 capture." This is probably all the evidence we have of the 

 occurrence of this species in the British Isles. The specimen 

 represented on Plate 124, Fig. 2, is from the Continent. 



The Lychnis {DiantJuvcia capsincola). 



Except that the brown ground colour is sometimes of a 

 reddish shade, or greyish in tone, there is not much to notice in 

 the variation of this species. Occasionally the outlines of the 

 reniform and orbicular marks are usually white and distinct, 

 and now and then the black markings are intensified. Two 

 specimens are shown on Plate 1 24, Figs. 3 5 ? 4 ? • '^^e caterpillar 

 is brownish ochreous freckled with darker, and with a pale 

 central line and a series of dusky V-shaped marks on the back ; 

 a paler stripe along the whitish spiracles ; head pale reddish 

 brown, marked with darker brown. It feeds in July, sometimes 

 in September, on campion, ragged robin, catchfly, and sweet- 

 william and pinks. Fig. 3, Plate 130, is from a coloured drawing 



