25 LEPIDOPTERA. 



f Rather a common species in bairen pastures and on hill 

 sides, sitting during the day among herbage ; but the male 

 is exceedingly lively in fine weather and flies most freely in 

 the sunshine if disturbed, in so livelj^ a manner indeed as to 

 give it the apjaearance of a day-flier. Its natural time of 

 flight, however, is at dusk and in the night, and it will come 

 readily to light. The female sits upon the food plants in the 

 sunshine as well as at night and is always sluggish. To be 

 found occasionally on grass lawns in the London suburbs, 

 and commonly throughout the southern, eastern and western 

 counties of England, but not recorded beyond Yorkshire, 

 Lancashire and Durham with the exception of Renfrew in 

 Scotland ; in Wales it is common in Pembrokeshire and 

 Glamorganshire, but I have no record for Ireland. 



Abroad it is common throughout Central and Southern 

 Europe and found in Sweden. 



4 O ericetana, Bent.; Wcshv.; trifoliana, E.-S. — 

 Expanse | to f inch (16-21 mm.). Fore wings rich dark 

 velvety brown or reddish-brown, with an ill-defined darker 

 velvety central cloud. 



Antenna ciliated, black-brown ; palpi, head, and thorax 

 umbreous; abdomen grey -brown. Fore wings moderately 

 broad, costa nearly straight, apex squarely angulated, hind 

 margin somewhat refuse ; soft warm umbreous or reddish- 

 brown ; basal blotch large but only faintly suggested, hardly 

 darker ; central band represented by a large, dark, velvety- 

 chocolate cloud, the lower portion of which is darker, and 

 throws off a fine undulating line to the base of the wing ; 

 toward the hind margin are one or two chocolate cross- 

 streaks. Hind wings smoky brown, with dull white cilia. 

 Female similar ; but often larger and darker. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky black ; costa and hind 

 margin pale brown. Hind wings leaden-brown. 



Northern specimens are paler in colour. 



On the wing from June till August. 



