go LEPIDOPTERA 



colour, Mr. Buckler's figures range from pale brown to dark 

 grey-brown, almost slate colour. 



September or October to March or April, and a second 

 generation in July and the beginning of August ; on dock, 

 lettuce, chickweed, grass, heather, and probably low-growing 

 plants generally. 



Pupa smooth, shining red, in a slight cocoon among leaves 

 or rubbish at the surface of the earth, or beneath it. 



The moth hides itself in the daytime very closely at the 

 roots of grass and low plants, but flies vigorously at dusk 

 and is much addicted to composite flowers, especially rag- 

 wort and tansy ; also to rush blossom, bramble blossom, and 

 other flowers ; and strongly attracted by sugar, honeydew, 

 and by light, being sometimes plentiful at suburban gas- 

 lamps. It has also a curious fancy for sitting at night upon 

 the leaves of tall masses of reed, and is generally much 

 addicted to fens, marshes, damp woods, and meadows. 

 Abundant in such situations throughout the South, East, and 

 West of England, including the Scilly Isles ; also in many 

 parts of the Midland counties, and occurring in smaller 

 numbers throughout the Northern counties. Common in 

 Wales — very so in Pembrokeshire. Found in almost every 

 province of Scotland — even common in Ross-shire and 

 extending to the Orkneys, but not recorded from the 

 Hebrides and apparently absent from Shetland. In Perth- 

 shire it has been found to ascend the hills to 600 feet above 

 the sea-level. In Ireland it is rather local, but plentiful 

 where it occurs — found near Dublin, in Louth, Wicklow, 

 Cavan, Monaghan, Galway, Sligo, Tyrone, Armagh, and 

 Antrim. On the Continent it appears to be confined to 

 more southern districts, since it is found throughout the 

 greater part of Central Europe, and also in the Ural 

 Mountain district. In North America — under the name of 

 N. rosaria — it is recorded from British Columbia, California, 

 and Colorado ; and if, as seems probable, N. rubi/era, Grote, 



