BOA RMID.^—A SPILA TES. 43 



head, where the others are less conspicuous and paler; 

 spiracles dark brown. (E. Newman.) 



September till April or May, and a second generation in 

 June and July ; on Crepis taraxifolia, Daucus carota, Plantago 

 coronoptis, and in confinement on various low plants, asPohj' 

 (junum aviculare, Lotus., SUeiie, Scabious, Lucerne, and it has 

 even been reared upon hound"s-tongue {Cynoglosmm ojficinale). 

 It feeds at night, and remains by day at rest upon the leaves 

 of its food-plant. If touched or disturbed it tucks in its head 

 and coils the front portion of its body, and in this condition 

 —as pointed out by Professor Poulton— bears a remarkable 

 resemblance to a small blanched snail-shell. 



Pupa rather slender and much attenuated at the anal ex- 

 tremity ; beautifully variegated in two colours, wainscot- 

 brown as the ground colour, and dark umbreous approaching 

 to black for the ornamentation ; this is disposed in oblique 

 stripes on the wing-cases, leg-cases, and antenna-cases, in 

 rings on the abdominal segments, and in diversified markings 

 on the thorax and back. (E. Newman.) In a slight cocoon 

 among leaves or rubbish. 



The moth usually sits among herbage in rough fields, but 

 the male will fiy of its own accord in hot sunshine, and, unless 

 the weather is cold, is always easily disturbed, though in 

 cloudy weather only to fly to another patch of weeds. I have 

 always found it fond of hiding among millefoil (Achillea), 

 but this mav be only for protection. It flies naturally at 

 dusk, as does the female, for a very short time, but sits mostly 

 upon grass-stems at night and in the dawn of the morning, 

 and both sexes are readily attracted by light, even a hand- 

 lantern proving a temptation. Evidently partial to coast 

 districts, though not necessarily to the immediate vicinity of 

 the sea, but to be found in the fields and on the hills of such 

 districts, and sometimes commonly. It also is one of the 

 species which especially frequent the ancient sea-sands, now 

 far inland, of which there is an extensive tract in Norfolk, 



