TRIFID.E. 117 



lines, sometimes broadly so, and the nervures yellowish or 

 whitish ; others of a very rich red-brown, and some of pale 

 brown ground colour with markings sharply red-brown and 

 black. Another variation, noticed in the North of Scotland 

 by the late Dr. F. Buchanan White, shows great instability 

 in the orbicular stigma, which ranges from circular to an 

 elongated pear-shape. A specimen in Mr. A. Home's 

 collection, and taken in Perthshire, is almost devoid of 

 the red colouring, and is grey-brown, and very much like 

 Mamestra brassiccc. 



It is curious that in the south of Yorkshire, whence so many 

 dark forms are obtained, and specimens of the present species 

 occur quite as black as any of the ordinary Scottish, one 

 captured near Huddersfield by Mr. G. T. Porritt, and in his 

 collection, is of the Southern type, yet of a richer purple- 

 brown, and having the subterminal line thickened and spread 

 into a beautiful zig-zagged yellow stripe. 



In Ireland the range of colour is from rich chocolate-brown 

 to black-brown. 



On the wing usually in June and July, but in forward 

 seasons at the end of May, and in Scotland sometimes 

 abundantly at that season. 



Larva velvety, rather elongate, tapering slightly toward 

 the head, which is rounded and highly polished ; twelfth 

 segment a little raised. Head shining pale brown finely 

 reticulated with darker ; body pale sage-green strongly 

 tinged with ochreous and dusted with greyish-brown ; dorsal 

 line threadlike, white, interrupted on each segment, and 

 edged with greyish-brown ; a series of outlines of greyish- 

 brown dorsal diamonds reaching to the brown margin of the 

 spiracular stripe, form a network on the back and sides ; 

 spiracular stripe whitish ochreous ; spiracles whitish, indis- 

 tinct ; undersurf ace dull greenish ; legs and prolegs greenish 

 tipped with pink. 



A variety is bright green, broadly and transversely barred 



