TRIFID^E. 29 



of deep, full green ; snbspiracular inflated stripe whitish ; 

 undersurface and legs faintly darker green than the back ; 

 folds of the segmental divisions apparently white ; spiracles 

 black ; usual raised dots also black, those on the back smaller 

 than the rest, but all distinctly visible, and each furnished 

 with a fine white hair; anterior legs spotted with black. 

 (W. Buckler.) 



May, June, and the beginning of July ; but I can find no 

 indication of the time at which the egg is hatched. On the 

 seeds in the panicle of Dactijlis glomerata and other grasses, 

 Triticum and Avcna for instance. Mr. W. Holland also 

 appears to have reared it from larvae found feeding on mullein 

 ( Verhascum). 



Pupa shining red-brown. Not further described. In the 

 earth. 



The moth sits often in the daytime upon composite flowers, 

 such as thistle, knapweed, and teazle. It is rather partial 

 to the greater knapweed (Centaurea scahiosa), and sometimes 

 sits on the underside of the involucrum, where the scales 

 beneath the blossom so accurately resemble the moth that it 

 is well concealed. Occasionally in very hot weather it is 

 seen to fly in the sunshine, but in dull weather it often 

 sits on the upper leaves or hides on the ground among the 

 lower leaves of plants. At night it frequents the flowers 

 already named and also the ragwort, and has been taken 

 on the flower spikes of marram-grass (AmmopMla arundi- 

 nacca. It also comes willingly to light and to sugar. Its 

 principal haunts are chalk hills and the edges of cornfields 

 in chalk districts ; but it occurs more sparingly on sandy 

 coasts. Sometimes found rather commonly in Kent and 

 Sussex, and in smaller numbers in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, 

 Gloucestershire, Berks, Oxfordshire, Bucks, Essex; rather 

 widely distributed over the chalky districts of Herts, Cambs, 

 Suffolk and Norfolk ; and has been taken, though very rarely, 

 in Warwickshire and Yorkshire. In Wales the only capture 



