SERl CO RID ^— A NCR \ 'L OPERA . 115 



a faint brown shade as a stripe through the middle to the 

 apex, and slightly arched in its course. 



Antennse black-brown ; palpi grey ; head and thorax 

 brownish grey ; abdomen pale brown. Fore wings with the 

 costa decidedly arched, the apex hooked and acute, hind 

 margin retuse ; very pale grey-brown or grey-drab, with a 

 washed-out appearance ; costa faintly streaked with grey- 

 brown ; from the middle of the base a light brown shade 

 takes its course through the middle of the wing to the apex, 

 forming a faint arch over the middle of the dorsal margin 

 and a larger one over the anal angle ; between them is a 

 short brown-black horizontal streak ; cilia brownish white. 

 Hind wings smoky white with white cilia. Female similar. 



Underside of the fore wings leaden brown, of the hind 

 brownish white. 



Variation in this species is mainly local ; specimens frouv 

 the New Forest, Hants, have a distinct shade of pale grey ; 

 those from Surrey and the Eastern Counties have constantly 

 a browner tinge, while specimens from the north of Scotland 

 are whiter and have brighter markings. 



On the wing in May and June, and in a second, generation 

 from the end of July till September. 



Lakva apparently not described. Sorhagen states that it 

 feeds on &alix dfprcssa, S. repens, and S. fusca. 



The moth frequents open parts of fens, and boggy spots on 

 heaths when the dwarf sallows are plentiful. In my ow^n 

 experience it abounds among Salix fusca, and hides during 

 the day in the broad fiat patches of that plant, almost re- 

 fusing to allow itself to be roused to flight except in very 

 warm and sunny afternoons. Toward sunset, and after, it 

 flies most freely and abundantly, darting about the same 

 masses of sallow, and giving them a really lively appearance. 

 Abroad it seems to be regarded merely as a variety of 

 A. biarcuana which, it somewhat resembles — or rather looks 



