SERICORW.^—SEIUCORIS. 57 



on birch and other trees. The variations in the colour in the 

 larva seem in many instances to be influenced by their food ; 

 but have no bearing on the perfect insect — all the most 

 singular forms of the larva producing ordinary and typical 

 moths. 



Pupa shining, dark brown or black-brown. In ia silken 

 cocoon spun up anywhere except in the larval habitation. 



This is one of the most abundant species, occurring occa- 

 sionally even in London suburban gardens ; but in multi- 

 tudes in fields, hedges, open woodlands, on railway banks ; 

 and in marshes, fens, valleys and hills, throughout the United 

 Kingdom, usually in abundance, rarely or never sitting upon 

 tree-trunks but hiding among undergrowth of bushes and all 

 kinds of herbage ; everywhere bustling about with a buzzing 

 fiight at the least disturbance and keeping the attention of 

 the collector always on the alert to discover the various 

 scarcer species which are sheltered from notice b}'- its multi- 

 tudes. Common even on the mountains, and to be found on 

 hill-sides and in grassy places even in the Orkney and 

 Shetland Isles. Also plentiful throughout Europe and found 

 in Bithynia and Western China. 



5. S. urticana,Zr»&.— Expanse f to f inch (15-20 mm.). 

 Fore wings brownish white or reddish white with broad 

 jagged umbreous markings, the central band broad and un- 

 divided. 



Antenna3 notched, thickly ciliated, dark brown ; palpi and 

 head pale brown ; thorax black-brown, dusted with white ; 

 abdomen grey-brown. Fore wings broad, costa well arched, 

 apex squared, hind margin almost perpendicular ; reddish 

 white or brownish white, the markings umbreous, dark red- 

 brown, or black-brown ; basal blotch large, its margin nearly 

 erect but roughly angulated ; central band broad, erect, 

 notched outwardly and extended on the dorsal margin, but 



