TRIFID^E. 137 



and Mr. J. Gardner possesses one in which the fore wings are 

 of a curious unicolorous slate-brown, except that the portions 

 usually pale are shining slate-grey. 



On the wing at the end of May and in June, and occa- 

 sion ally as a second generation at the end of August. 



Larva elongate, tapering considerably in front, first pair 

 of prolegs ill-developed and not used in walking; twelfth 

 segment swollen, and having two dorsal points united by a 

 curved line ; fifth, sixth, and seventh segments arched ; head 

 large, rounded, dull green, slightly polished, a grey dash in 

 the middle of each lobe, and a whitish projection on each side 

 of the mouth ; body furnished with a few scattered short 

 hairs ; colour pale green, with a series of dark green > -shaped 

 dorsal markings, of which the apex is behind, most distinct 

 from the fifth to the twelfth segments ; these markings are 

 broadly edged on both sides with white ; dorsal line green, 

 contained in a white loop inside each of the above markings ; 

 subdorsal line, and a line below it, whitish, threadlike and 

 indistinct, except on the four anterior segments ; spiracular 

 stripe conspicuous, white, bordered above with dark green, 

 and joined to the white edging of the dorsal markings by 

 vertical white dashes ; a row of oblique dark green dashes 

 lies upon the sides and prolegs beneath the spiracles ; under- 

 surface yellowish-green irrorated with grey or darker green, 

 and furnished with a rather paler central stripe ; legs dark 

 brown ringed with paler brown. It loops in walking. (C. 

 Fenn.) 



July, sometimes August and September, on stinging nettle 

 ( Urtica dioiea), feeding at night ; resting during the day on 

 the underside of the leaves, to which it so closely assimilates 

 in colour as to be difficult of detection. Hofmann says that 

 it is rather gregarious. 



Pupa of the usual noctua form, except that the tip of the 

 tongue-case is raised and forms a knob in front of the 

 abdomen, the points of the wing-covers running into it; the 



