THE bird's wing. 281 



is enclosed in a tender earthen cocoon, is reddish, blackish 

 between the rings, and the last ring, wliich is blunt at apex, is 

 furnished with four hooks. The moth is out in June and July. 

 A common species in the eastern and southern counties of 

 England, but less frequent or rare in the Midlands and north- 

 wards to Roxburgh in Scotland. Local and not numerous in 

 Ireland. Range abroad extends to Amurland. 



The Slender Brindle {Xylophasia scolopacma). 



This is another species with reddish brown clouded, pale 

 ochreous brown fore wings. The ground colour may be whiter 

 or redder than in the specimens shown on Plate 135, Figs. 7, 8. 

 The caterpillar (Plate 130, Fig. i) is dusky green above and 

 whitish green beneath, the green shading into blackish along 

 the sides ; a fine whitish line along the middle of the back ; 

 usual dots black ; head honey-brown and glossy, the jaws and a 

 spot on each cheek black. It feeds on llie juicy lower part of 

 the stems of grasses, such as Triticum^ but will also cat the 

 leaves. In the spring, and till June, probably after hibernation. 

 The moth is out in July and August, and as an uncommon 

 event may be seen at rest on a tree trunk or paling. Stephens 

 (1829) refers to its occurrence in the London district, and it still 

 appears in woods around Highgate. It seems to be most 

 plentiful in the woods of South Yorkshire, and in the Sherwood 

 district of Nottinghamshire ; but it has been found more or less 

 frequently in several of the southern counties of England, and 

 also in some northern ones. Its range abroad extends to 

 Amurland and Japan. 



The Bird's Wing {Dipterygia scahriuscula). 



The curious wing-like marks on the blackish fore wings of 

 this moth (Plate 137, Figs, i 5 , 2 $ ) are its chief features. The 



