A CI DA T. ITD.f:—A CIDA LI A. 41 



are followed by a pair of blackish dots and fainter dashes ; 

 the ninth segment is the palest, and the hinder ones are 

 much darker, all the lines being there strongly marked. 



August till June, hybernating when half grown ; but when 

 a second generation of the moths appeared within the year, 

 the larva' fed at the end of July and in August, and a second 

 generation from October onwards ; on bramble and knotgrass, 

 but the natural food in the wild state is not known ; probably 

 some plant growing among heather, if not the heather itself. 



Pupa a little flattened, and rather squared in front, eyes and 

 mouth-covers rather conspicuous ; limb and antenna-covers 

 compact, exceedingly glossy, and almost without cross- 

 wrinkling ; wing-covers smooth and unsculptured, but having 

 the nervures conspicuously ridged, extremely glossy ; dorsal 

 and abdominal segments smooth, hardly in any degree show- 

 ing punctured sculpture, the edges of the segments rather 

 roughened ; spiracles very distinct, and the last pair forming 

 distinct elevations ; cremaster and anal structure singularly 

 formed, as distinct rounded elevations on the anal segment 

 and extending almost round it, finishing with a very flat 

 short projection on which are two minute curled bristles ; 

 other more minute bristles are scattered around ; reddi.sh- 

 brown,the segments darker, and the cremaster black-brown ; 

 wing-covers tinged with green. In a very slight cocoon of 

 a few threads, among rubbish, or in the earth. 



The moth occurs almost always among heather, though 

 generally where scattered trees, bushes, and long grass aftbrd 

 additional protection. Usually it sits among these during 

 the day, quietly, near to the ground ; but I have known it to 

 resort to small dead fir trees, and even, on one occasion, to 

 be only discoverable by beating such trees. In its northern 

 distribution, and in its variety circdlata, it frequents the 

 more boggy heaths known as " mosses," but even here, so far 

 aa can now be ascertained, the shelter of trees is appreciated. 

 By the drainage and cultivation of the "mosses" of 



