CM'.PHASID.TL—SCIAPHILA. 265 



front margin whicli is twice deeply carved and an<;ulated 

 between, also shaded off outside ; apical area clouded and 

 shaded with the same, and dotted with black ; uiDon these 

 markings are placed minute jet black dots of upraised scales ; 

 cilia pale umbreous. Hind wings and their cilia pale 

 smoky brown. Female similar, a little larger or smaller, 

 with the wings faintly more pointed. 



Underside of the fore wings pale umbreous ; of hind wings 

 smoky white. 



On the wing from the end of June till August. 



Larva. Herr Mann says that it has a black head and 

 dorsal plate, and white railed dots, and feeds on Chrysan- 

 themum. ^[r. A. Thurnall tells me that he reared several 

 specimens from coltsfoot (^Tussilacjo farfara). He says "I 

 found the larvfe in the first week in June spinning, or rather 

 puckering a portion of the underside of the leaves and some- 

 times turning over one of the lobes of a leaf." Other 

 entomologists are satisfied that it feeds upon thistle (C'arduus 

 arvensis). Other food plants recorded are comfrey (Sym- 

 phytum ojjjcianlr), InvJn roni/::ii and the flowers of Anthemis 

 arvensis. 



Pupa uudescribed. 



The moth sits during the day among low-growing herbage 

 in rough fields, fens, marsh3- places, and chalk-pits, and if 

 disturbed by the footstep starts briskly up to fly to a 

 similar hiding-place. At early dusk it flies vigorously of its 

 own accord, and continues on the wing during the night, 

 when it will visit a strong light if available. Not anywhere 

 abundant, yet to be found in almost every English county to 

 Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Durham, but I have no certain 

 record for Wales. In Scotland it has been taken in Fife 

 and in Perthshire ; aud in Ireland in Connemara and Cavan. 

 Abroad it inhabits Southern Europe, Austria-Hungary, 

 Bavaria, Silesia, Switzei'land, Asia Minor, and Japan. 



