266 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISEES. 



obscured or absent. The caterpillar (Plate 133, Fig. i) is bluish 

 grey, with a number of bristle-bearing black spots and minute 

 black dots ; a stripe along the back is yellow and interrupted ; 

 a yellow stripe low down along the sides. It feeds, from April 

 to June, on hawthorn, sloe, and wild crab ; also on the leaves 

 of apple, plum, and other fruit trees. Sometimes these cater- 

 pillars are to be seen on the hedges in numbers, and usually 

 seem to prefer the outer extremities of the longer shoots. The 

 pale purplish brown chrysalis is enclosed in a strong somewhat 

 oval cocoon, which is covered with fragments of litter, and often 

 attached to some object, such as a bit of stick, leaves, etc., on 

 the ground. The moth is out in October and November, but is 

 rarely seen, except occasionally at gas lamps, etc. Generally 

 common in the south and east of England, and widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the rest of the country to Cumberland. It 

 has occurred in a few Clydesdale localities, and has been 

 recorded by Renton as sometimes common in Roxburghshire. 

 Widely distributed in Ireland, but not often plentiful. 



The Green Brindled Dot ( Valeria olcagina). 



Nearly eighty years ago Stephens sunmied up all that was 

 known of this species in Britain. As there is nothing to add in 

 the way of later records, his remarks may be cjuoted. " \^ery 

 rare ; specimens have been found in Richmond Park, and one 

 was taken in the pupa state by Mr. Plastead some twenty or 

 thirty years ago in Battersea Fields ; others have occurred near 

 Bristol, and Mr. Donovan, I believe, captured one in South 

 Wales ; it has also been taken in Scotland. My specimens 

 were from the former locality, and I have been fortunate enough 

 to have had nearly a dozen examples at various periods." Most 

 of the later authors mention only the Welsh specimen, taken 

 at Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, July, 1800. A continental 

 specimen is shown on Plate 127, Fig. 5. 



