230 LEPIDOI'TERA. 



brown or black discal spot and dorsal blotches ; in other 

 cases almost without markings ; but usually the hinder area 

 is decorated with two or three rows of black or brown dots 

 of uplifted scales. Hind wings shining smoky white, with 

 similar cilia. Female rather stouter and a little smaller, 

 nsnally more ornate — rich red, with white cloudings in 

 broken stripes. 



Underside of the fore wings sliiniug pale leaden-brown. 

 Hind wings leaden-white, extremely variable, as suggested 

 nbove, and in some degree liable to racial forms. Specimens 

 from the Hebrides are of a light pink colour ; those from the 

 mainland of Scotland often very bright from mixture of 

 snow-white clouding ; those of the South of England tend 

 mo-e to unicolorous purple-red. 



On the wing from September to November, and after 

 hybernation in March and April, in one generation. 



Larva active, cylindrical, rather slender ; yellowish-green 

 with a green dorsal vessel ; head yellowish-brown, dorsal and 

 anal plates bright green. 



June till August on heather {CuUuna rulgarU), occasion- 

 ally on Empetniin nigrum and the different species of Erica, 

 drawing together terminal shoots and forming a silken 

 chamber among them. 



Pupa dark brown ; in a slight cocoon in the larval habi- 

 tation, or among moss or rubbish on the ground ; in this 

 case in an earthen cocoon. 



The moth is of sedentarj^ and obscure habits. It hides 

 through the day among heather, and even, especially in 

 winter, may be found sitting on the dry ground under these 

 plants, but after hybernation is more lively, and will come 

 out and sit on the tops of the heather in the afternoon sun- 

 shine, when it bears a wonderful resemblance to a dried 

 shoot of the previous summer's bloom. At this time the 

 male flies a little in the sunshine. 



