TR/FID.E. 97 



On the wing in August and the beginning of September. 



Lakva moderately stout, cylindrical, but tapering very 

 slightly in front, and with the head smaller than the second 

 segment ; glossy pale brown, rather transparent, with two 

 dark brown curved stripes down the lobes, and the outer sides 

 slightly reticulated with the same ; body smooth and velvety, 

 pale brown or pale purplish-brown ; dorsal stripe pale 

 yellowish-brown, margined on both sides with a clouding of 

 darker brown; subdorsal stripe yellowish-brown, longitudi- 

 nally divided, and from the fourth segment inclusive containing 

 on each segment a longitudinal black streak thickened in 

 the middle, the portion of the subdorsal stripe bounding these 

 streaks on the underside is sometimes pale grey, in other 

 instances pale yellow ; a yellowish stripe lies along the upper 

 side of the spiracles, which are small and black ; undersurface 

 and legs rather pale purplish-brown. Very similar to the 

 larva of N. umhrosa, and when full grown not to be distin- 

 guished from it. 



September to April or May. On grasses, plantain, chick- 

 weed, dock, primrose and other low plants, and after hiber- 

 nation also on the young shoots of sallow, oak and other 

 trees ; feeding at night ; hiding by day at the roots of grass 

 and herbage, and under stones. It feeds up rather rapidly in 

 the spring, but is said to lie in cocoon for a month or even 

 two months before assuming the pupa state. 



Pupa of ordinary form, shining red-brown. In a cocoon 

 just under the surface of the earth, often at the foot of a 

 tree. 



The moth hides in the daytime among grass, herbage, 

 dense bushes, anywhere under sufficient shelter, but usually 

 close to the ground ; it flies at dusk and is very conspicuous 

 from the paleness of its hind wings. It comes to sugar in 

 woods in extraordinary multitudes, covering the patch of 

 sugar on every tree with its numbers ; over a hundred are 



VOL. IV. G 



