SERICORIDAL—ORTHOT/ENIA. 27 



Lakva iindescribed. I reared a moth from roots oi Stachys 

 along with 0. antiquana, but the larva was not observed. 



Mr. Atmore informs me that it feeds in roots of Mentha 

 arvensis ; Stange says in those of Ficris ; others in those of 

 grass and clover. The balance of evidence seems to be in 

 favour of the mint {Mentha). 



The moth hides during the day among short herbage, 

 close to the ground, and is rather sluggish ; but at sunset 

 begins to be active, and very soon after flies freely about 

 mint, clover, and other low-growing plants ; and from its 

 rather slow and buzzing flight is easily caught. Not usually 

 a common species, but probably, from its unwillingness to 

 fly much by day, often overlooked. Recorded as occurring 

 in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, Cornwall, 

 Wilts, Berks, Oxfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk — some- 

 times commonly — Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Here- 

 fordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, 

 Durham, and Westmoreland. In Wales I found it in plenty 

 in Pembrokeshire in the clover fields ; in Scotland the Eev. 

 Canon Cruttwell discovered it four years ago ahundantly on 

 a slope at the foot of Ben Lawers, Perthshire, and Sir 

 Thomas Moncriefl" had, long before, found it at Moncrieft' 

 Hill. In Ireland the only record that I have is that of Mr. 

 Donovan at Cork. Abroad its range is through Central 

 Europe, Italy, Dalmatia, Livonia, Sweden, and Bithynia. 



5. O. purpurana, Haiu. — Expanse | to f inch (IS- 

 IS mm.). Fore wings purple-pink, or purple-drab, frosted 

 with white, but without markings. 



Antennse light brown ; palpi, head, and thorax light 

 purplish-pink ; abdomen silvery grey. Fore wings rather 

 elongated, even in width ; costa very gently arched ; apex 

 bluntly angulated ; hind margin slightly oblique ; dull pink 

 or purple-pink, without markings, but with a general fine 

 frosting of white atoms, and a series of minute white dots on 



