238 LEPIDOPTERA. 



broad, rounded, smoky-white or pale smoke-colour witli a 

 browner gloss ; nervures very faintly darker ; hind margin 

 edged with a yellow line ; cilia of the colour of the wing. 

 Female one-fourth smaller, with simple antenna?, short thick 

 pointed abdomen, and the fore wings one-third narrower, 

 rounded behind, and having the markings similar, but if 

 possible more obscure. 



Underside of the fore wings pale umbreous with a paler 

 silky sheen ; costal region dusted with dark brown and the 

 margin beyond the middle dotted with white : nervures 

 shaded with brownish-white ; hind wings also pale umbreous, 

 broadly dusted over the costal region and to the middle of 

 the wing with dai^k brown ; central spot lunate, smoky- 

 brown ; beyond it is a faint suggestion of a smoky-brown 

 transverse line. Body and legs umbreous. 



But little variable, except that in hill districts such as 

 Dartmoor and the hills of Wales and Scotland the colour 

 is darker, even black-brown, yet with the faint markings 

 blacker and decidedly more distinct; or on the other hand 

 the markings obscured by smoky-black colouring and almost 

 imperceptible. The only really striking variation that I 

 know of is in a specimen in the collection of the late Mr. F. 

 Bond which is of a very pale drab. 



On the wing in June and July, but in forward seasons in 

 the South of England as early as the end of May. 



Larva stout, velvety, very slightly attenuated at each 

 extremity, most so in front; head highly polished, rounded 

 in front, the crown notched ; shining dark brown ; general 

 colour rich dark brown, shading into orange-brown on the 

 back, and often with a slight violet tinge in certain lights ; 

 dorsal line darker brown enclosing on the second to fourth 

 segments a white line, and a white spot on the fifth and sixth ; 

 subdorsal line confined to a series of blackish, slightly oblique, 

 dashes intersected by an undulating pale brown thread ; 

 spiracular line inconspicuous, pale orange-brown ; the usual 



