22 LEPWOPTERA. 



bearing a bristle. After ten days, of au opaque brownisli- 

 grey, having a stripe of cream colour above the legs ; as it 

 grows the dorsal and subdorsal lines become visible as faint 

 slender lines edged with darker, and thesub-spiracular stripe 

 still pale ; after a time it is stouter and shows the dorsal 

 white stripe running uninterruptedly through brownish grey 

 ovals darker than the ground, and the pale stripe above the 

 legs edged with white on its upper side ; gradually the ovals 

 become diamond-shaped, the subdorsal line is a little less 

 white, with a series of oblong black dashes along its upper 

 margin, and before the last moult the white stripes become 

 ochreous-yellow. At all stages it is a more ornamental lai'va 

 than those of the other species of the genus. (W. Buckler). 



August or September to April on grasses and low-growing 

 plants, especially Dactylis glomerata, Triticum repcns, Phalaris 

 arundiThocea, Ranunculus acris, and R. repens, Potentilla repcns, 

 Primula vcris, and Stdlaria media, feeding mainly at night, 

 and continuing to feed on mild nights throughout the winter. 

 The Rev. H. Williams tells me that it may be swept up when 

 feeding on grasses on warm evenings in January and Feb- 

 ruary ; also that when the grass is much sodden with mois- 

 ture it will crawl up and stretch itself on a grass-blade in the 

 afternoon as though to dry itself. It is full fed earlier than 

 its allies and does not, like them, appear to attack the open- 

 ing buds of trees and bushes. 



Pupa rather short and stout, with the skin thin and mode- 

 rately polished ; wing and limb cases closely pressed down ; 

 abdomen regularly tapering to a point on which are the two 

 parallel spikes, very close together ; ]3oiuts of the palpi in a 

 rather raised tubercle in front of the head, blackish, as are 

 the edges of the wing covers, the spiracles, and the anal 

 points, the general colour being bright red-brown. Under- 

 ground, in a very weak, friable, earthen chamber. 



The moth hides in the daytime among herbage on the 

 ground, or under overhanging ledges on dry banks. If dis- 



