412 LEPIDOI'TERA. 



spiracular region uot difrering from tlie ground colour, but 

 liaving the wedge-shaped blotches, not onlj- above the 

 spiracles, but similar ones below them: in some specimens 

 the spiracular stripe itself being interrupted by the partial 

 union of these pairs of blotches ; anal liap and anal prolegs 

 blackish-green or purplish-brown. The lirst and second forms 

 are hard to distinguisli from the seeds of its food-plants, 

 (llev. J. Hellins.) 



July and August; on SUiitnUrii' ni su^ihia (tlixweed) and 

 Eri/simi'iii r]u'iriiiitliiii(h^ : feeding on the seed-jjods ; but in 

 confinement it will eat those of E. tilliKrui, S. otjiciaalc, and 

 C((pscl/u hii isa-pastori'i, plants which are far more plentiful 

 than the two first mentioned, yet a])parently are never 

 frequented by the insect out of doors. 



Pli'A with a small ]U'(ijection in front of the head, and 

 another on the back ; win,; nervures rather strongly marked, 

 semitransparent. dull green; general surface scul}>tured and 

 punctured, dull ]iale brown ; cremaster finished off with two 

 spreading points. The winter, and sometimes more than one 

 winter, is passed in this state. 



The moth is exceedingly sluggish and difficult to arouse 

 in the daytime ; it hides among its two favoured food plants 

 and the surrounding herbage in open sandy fields, and may 

 be found Hying in the same sjiots late in the evening, usually 

 not before the latest dusk, or else, if on the wing a little 

 earlier, Hying hastily from one spot to another — not Huttering 

 briskly about — but iiu-lined tn dart out ol' sight. Late at 

 night, if the weather is warm it flies more generally and 

 higher, and often makes its way to a street-lamp or other 

 light, if in sight. It is one of our most local species, being 

 found with us only in the sandy district known as the 

 " 13reck-sands.'' situated in Norfolk and Suttblk, especially 

 about Thetford, Urandou, .Merton and 'J'uddenham. Here it 

 seems to have been diseovered about ]S(i", but it is only 

 since 18G4 that it has become well known in this country. 



