BOARMID.-E— PAN AGRA. 3 



Larva rather over an inch long, cylindrical, and of 

 uniform size throughout, except that the segmental folds 

 look contracted and the head is rather flattened. Ground 

 colour olive-green, sometimes with a slight reddish tint ; at 

 first sight the whole larva seems to be covered with very 

 slender chocolate-brown longitudinal lines — I could count at 

 least twenty-four all round the body, but on examination 

 it is seen that these are arranged in pairs ; thus there is a 

 double dorsal and three double subdorsal lines, the lowest 

 being the darkest and thickest ; spiracles black ; below them 

 is a creamy-white line ; undersurface olive-grey ; striped 

 somewhat as the back, but the lines are more diffuse and not 

 so numerous ; segmental folds red. 



End of May, and June, on the common brake-fern {Ftcris 

 aquilina). It assimilates well with its food plant, resting 

 upon it at full length, and must be hard to detect. When 

 disturbed will twist into knots and jump about most angrily. 

 (Rev. J. Hellins.) Although so common, this larva seems 

 very seldom to be noticed. 



Pupa apparently undescribed — in the earth. The winter 

 is passed in this condition. 



The moth hides during the day among brake-fern, especially 

 in open woods and on heaths and commons, and is easily dis- 

 turbed from the last year's dead fronds, flying to a short 

 distance to settle again in a similar situation. At dusk it 

 flies of its own accord, and later at night may readily be 

 picked off the dead fern or neighbouring grass stems. Not 

 found in all places in which the brake-fern grows, but in 

 suitable localities, as above described, apparently occurring 

 throughout England and Wales, and in many parts abundant. 

 In Scotland found in Clydesdale and the Western districts 

 immediately north of the Sol way Firth, also rarely around 

 Edinburgh. In Perthshire, Sir Thomas Moncrieffe noticed 

 its sudden appearance on Moncrieffe Hill in 1871, in a 

 single patch of bracken (brake-fern). He had not seen it 



