TRIFID.E. 297 



degrees. The most striking variety, however, and the best 

 known, is that which was at one time supposed to be a 

 distinct species, and known by the name of hilinea. In it 

 the thorax and whole surface of the fore wings are dark 

 brown or almost olive black, the middle transverse line 

 being obliterated, and the other two obscured or sometimes 

 paler. A still more extreme form taken in Scotland by ^fr. 

 Salvage has the fore wings shining dark grey-brown, without 

 any trace of the transverse lines. The hind wings vary, paler 

 or darker, in accordance with the others. 

 On the wing in June and July. 



Larva short and thick, very wrinkled, the head small and 

 retractile, and the anal segment very small ; the segmental 

 folds deeply cut. Head pale brown ; ground-colour variable, 

 sometimes dark grey ; then the dorsal line is pale grey 

 edged with black at the segmental folds ; the subdorsal line 

 is a series of pale grey wedges on the several segments, 

 the thin end of each wedge pointing forwards, its upper 

 side bordered by a short oblique black stripe, and its larger 

 end enclosing a black dot ; below this is a rather broad 

 dark brown stripe, and below that a narrow one of grey ; 

 spiracles black, each placed on a little swelling ; under- 

 surface pale grey. Or, the ground-colour is dirty reddish- 

 brown, with the dorsal line partaking of the same tint but 

 paler, edged with black as before, most distinctly at the 

 folds ; the subdorsal row of stripes of the same colour as 

 the dorsal line, but of uniform width and showing distinctly 

 only on the anterior part of each segment, where also appears 

 a pair of black dots ; spiracular stripe brown tinged with 

 ochreous. There is another variety of a dirty flesh-colour, 

 with the markings but faintly visible. (Rev. J. Hellins.) 



July to April on plantain and other low-growing plants, 

 feeding at night and gnawing off the plant quite at the 

 surface of the earth ; hiding during the day in the ground 

 at an inch or more beneath the surface, and so covered with 



