304 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



to hatch from the egg in the autumn. The moth flies in July 

 and August, and is fond of the flowers of grasses growing in its 

 marshy haunts. It is common in the Norfolk and Cambridge 

 fens, and is found in suitable locations in Huntingdon, Northamp- 

 ton, Lincoln, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and South Lancashire, also 

 in Berkshire, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent. 



The Common Wainscot {Lciicania j)aUcns). 



This common, often abundant species (Plate 147, Figs, i, 2) 

 is pretty generally distributed over the British Isles. The 

 typical coloration is pale ochreous ; ab. araiata, Stephens, is 

 pale brownish ochreous ; ab. ectypa^ Hiibn. = nifesccns, Haworth, 

 is reddish ; and ab. suffusa, vStephens, is also reddish, but 

 powdered with blackish scales between the veins, and chiefly 

 so under the median nervure. The hind wings in all forms are 

 white in both sexes ; but sometimes slightly tinged with greyish 

 on the outer margin in the female. The caterpillar (Plate 152, 

 Fig. i) which feeds on grasses from August to May, is pale 

 whity-brown freckled above with pinkish brown ; three whitish 

 lines along the back, the central one narrowly edged on each 

 side, and the others on the inner side only, with blackish ; a 

 greyish stripe along the sides with two pinkish brown lines 

 above it ; dots, minute, black ; head freckled with dark brown. 

 Distribution abroad extends to Amurland. 



Mathew's Wainscot {Lcucania fmicolor). 



This species (Plate 149, Figs, i, 2) has been mainly found 

 on the coasts of North-east Essex and South-east Suffolk, but 

 it has also been taken at Hemley in Suftblk, and has been 

 recorded from near Southend in Essex, and Rochester in Kent. 

 In 1906 six specimens were captured in the Isle of Sheppey. 

 So far as is known at present this is its range in England, and 



