54 LEPIDOPTERA. 



black ; immediately below it is a broad stripe of orange- 

 yellow or greenisli-yellow extending the whole length of the 

 larva ; undersurface and legs pale greyish-brown, or pale 

 grey. In some instances the spiracles are yellowish or pale 

 orange, and the subspiracular stripe is whitish. When young 

 this larva is of a bright green, and shows little trace of the 

 markings. 



September to April or May. Stated to have, on the 

 Continent, a second generation of the larva in June and July, 

 but no confirmation of this appears to have been observed 

 here. On dock, chickweed, plaintain, groundsel, burdock, 

 Verhascuni, IJpilobiam, and herbaceous plants generally. 



Pupa apparently undescribed. 



The moth hides in the daytime, like its congeners, among 

 herbage close to the ground, or under auy convenient shelter. 

 It flies vigorously at dusk, coming freely to sugar, honeydew, 

 ivy-bloom, and the blossoms of nettle and ragwort, and is 

 very strongly attracted by light, flying commonly round street 

 lamps, or coming into windows, and sometimes most abun- 

 dantly around an electric light, also settling down to rest on 

 a lamp or auy neighbouring object. It frequents woods, 

 meadows, waysides, and gardens, more particularly in low- 

 lying and damp districts. Formerly it was plentiful in the 

 suburbs of London, but it has there become very much scarcer ; 

 otherwise it is pretty common throughout rhe south, east, 

 and west of England, including the Scilly Isles, and in many 

 parts plentiful ; also found more locally in the midland 

 counties, becoming scarce in North Staffordshire ; commoner 

 in Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Diirham, and found 

 in Cumberland. In Wales it is not scarce in Pembrokeshire, 

 and probably occurs in all suitable localities ; also apparently 

 throughout Scotland, though not very common in the \\efcteru 

 districts, and rare in Shetland. In Ireland, though widely 

 distributed, it appears to be far less common, but is recorded 

 from Dublin, King's County, Monaghan. West Meath, Kerry, 



