76 LEPIDOPTERA. 



there appears to be in that country a tendency to local 

 variation in this direction ; Mr. F. J. Hanbury has a similar 

 specimen with a large discal spot ; Mr. Sydney Webb one of 

 a more tawny tint of yellow-brown, the spot small, and the 

 hind wings tinged with orange, but equally devoid of trans- 

 verse lines. Mr. Webb has also a specimen having the 

 margins of the fore and hind wings strongly shaded with 

 smoky-black ; and I possess an example in which the fore 

 wings are wholly tawny-red, the central band a little darker, 

 and the hind wings and the thorax tinged with the same 

 colour. 



On the wing in July and August, in very forward seasons 

 as early as the end of June. 



Larva rather stout, attenuated in front ; on the twelfth 

 segment is a protuberance of a horseshoe shape ; anal pro- 

 legs sprawling ; head grey-brown, partly withdrawn into the 

 second segment, and with a squared front aspect ; variable 

 in colour and markings ; ground colour all shades between 

 pale ochreous and dark purplish-grey, conspicuously paler on 

 the back of the second, and frequently of the third, fourth, 

 and fifth segments, while the sides are darker ; the horse- 

 shoe-shaped protuberance on the twelfth is edged with black. 

 A grey dorsal diamond pattern, commencing at the termina- 

 tion of the pale anterior segments, is distinct in pale, but 

 nearly obsolete in dark specimens, being in the latter almost 

 absorbed in the ground colour; subdorsal lines, when 

 present, pale brown, edged on each side with black ; anal 

 extremity tipped beneath with whiter, occasionally forming 

 three white spots. (0. Fenn.) 



March to May on hawthorn, hazel, elm, blackthorn, apple, 

 beech, sallow, lilac, rose, raspberry, honeysuckle, and probably 

 on almost all deciduous trees and shrubs; feeding at night, 

 resting during the day in a stiff straight position, head 

 downwards and quite rigid, holding on by the prolegs, and 

 having the legs folded closely to the body. Its variations in 



