trifida:. 93 



other examples more suffused behind, but generally these 

 streaks give more depth of colouring at the anterior part of 

 each segment; on the sides filling the space down to the 

 spiracles are two longitudinal broad stripes of equal width 

 throughout, the upper pale ochreous, sometimes with a few 

 scattered brown freckles, the lower dark brown, containing an 

 oblique dash of darker brown atoms ; spiracles small, dirty 

 white, outlined with black ; subspiracular stripe clear pale 

 ochreous, a little attenuated at each end ; undersurface and 

 legs deeper ochreous, the latter dotted and tipped with dark 

 brown. 



Very like the larva of N. xantliographa. The colour varies 

 in each brood, some of the larvfe being yellowish, some 

 brownish, and others of a greyish-brown ; but in the details 

 of their markings they are very constant. 



The young larva when hatched has a pale brown head and 

 greenish-grey body, paler and pellucid at the segmental 

 divisions. In a week it has a suffusion of opaque brown over 

 the back and sides, giving it a velvety brownish-green look, 

 and the lines appear somewhat paler except along the 

 spiracles, where is a darker stripe of the ground colour. So 

 long as this colouring continues, it is readily distinguishable 

 from that of N. xanthographa ; but as it grows the mature 

 and more imitative colouring is assumed, (Condensed from 

 Mr. Buckler.) 



August to May, on dock, plantain, bramble, strawberiy, 

 wild hyacinth, Scrophularia, Galinm, mollugo, Vinca major, 

 and herbaceous plants generally ; feeding through the winter 

 whenever the weather is mild. 



Pupa half an inch long, stout, smooth, rather shining, dark 

 brown. In moss or in the earth, with hardly any indication 

 of a cocoon. 



The moth conceals itself among herbage during the day 

 like its allies, flies freely at dusk, is not very fond of sugar, 

 but is strongly attracted by the flowers of rush, ragwort, and 



