236 LEPIDOPTERA. 



The Rev. J. Hellins points out that a great change takes 

 l)lace in the appearance of this larva at the last moult, i)re- 

 viously to which it is yellowish-white, witli the usual raised 

 dots very minute but dark ami distinct ; the head dark 

 brown ; the dorsal plate and also an anal ])late jialer brown, 

 but the lines hardly perceptible, lie also says that in the 

 adult larva the ground colour varies, being greyish-yellow, 

 greenish-grey, greyish-brown, or brown. 



Sejjtember and October, on i)((/-Ayi«(«/Li/i< (7 f.s (red eye-bright), 

 feeding on the unripe seeds, which it reaches by boring a 

 hole in the side of the pod, entering by the hole and hiding 

 in the seed-pod until the last seed is consumed, then moving 

 to another pod. According to Jlilliere it feeds, in the South 

 of France, on the seeds of Euphrasia lulca, which is not 

 known as a British plant. 



I'lTA short, very stout ; anal extremity furnished with a 

 minute bristle ; yellow, with a very slightly greenish tinge ; 

 the abdominal divisions reddish-brown. Jn a small oval 

 cocoon of earth lined with whitish silk ; at the surface of 

 the ground. 



In this condition through the winter ; and it has been 

 known to remain two or even three years in this state. 



The moth hides among its food plant and other short 

 herbage, close to the ground, and is not easy to arouse to 

 flight in the daytime, so that until the larva and its habits 

 were discovered this species was accounted somewhat rare. 

 Occasionally a specimen may be taken sitting upon a fence 

 or rail. It flies at dusk and after dark ; will come occa- 

 sionally to a strong light, and has been taken at night upon 

 flowers of ragwort, liut the large majority of specimens in 

 collections have been reared either from the egg or from 

 larvic found on the red eye-bright. This plant is common in 

 rough, poor pastures in chalk and limestone districts, and in 

 the grassy places at the sides of lanes ; and in such spots 

 the insect may be found in all the southern counties of 



