TRTFTD.^.. 33 



body pale umbreons or yellow-brown ; dorsal line of the 

 ground colour or yellower, edged on each side by a blackish 

 shaded line ; subdorsal line similar, or merely dusky ; below 

 it is a broad lateral dark brown stripe, and below the spiracles 

 another broad stripe of a pale yellowish ; spiracles blackish ; 

 usual raised dots faintly blackish ; legs and under surface pale 

 brown. When young the whole dorsal area, to the spiracles, 

 is of a purplish-chocolate, the spiracular stripe being bluish, 

 edged broadly below with yellow ; on the back is a series of 

 prostrate V-shaped blackish markings, the base of the V being 

 behind. 



September or October to June, on dock, chickweed, grass, 

 (xcdium, sallow, heather, heath, Crepis taraxifolia, and various 

 other low-growing plants. Mr. Porritt found it feeding upon 

 wild hyacinth. Hiding close to the ground in the daytime ; 

 feeding at night. 



Pupa rather short, stoutest in the middle, very glossy, yet 

 with a band of minute punctures on each abdominal segment ; 

 anal segment with two diverging spines mounted upon a 

 blunt short protuberance ; colour uniform deep chestnut 

 brown. In a fragile chamber in the earth. 



The moth is very rarely seen in the daytime ; doubtless it 

 hides among heather or herbage close to the ground. It flies 

 at dusk, and is strongly attracted by flowers — heather bloom, 

 ragwort, tansy, even garden flowers such as Phlox ; the sap of 

 a bleeding tree is also appreciated ; and in default of its 

 favourite flowers, sugar is not despised. This last taste 

 seems, however, to be local with the insect, since it is only in 

 Scotland that it is reported at sugar in any numbers, and in 

 the South of England this bait is usually ineffective. Light 

 is also occasionally found to attract it. Very widely distributed 

 on heaths and the edges of woods, also on hills and open 

 ground near the coast. Formerly to be found immediately 

 around London, at Wimbledon and West Wickham. Still at 

 Richmond Park, and commonly in Epping Forest, Essex, and 



vol.. IV. C 



