TRIFID^. 207 



narrowed off obliquely behind ; head rather narrower than 

 the following segments, smooth, rather flattened and thrown 

 forward, yellowish-brown or reddish-brown ; second segment 

 with a broad smooth dorsal-plate coloured as the head ; body 

 smooth and velvety, varying from green to slate colour or 

 blue-grey, darkest on the back, and with faintly divergent 

 paler dashes above the spiracles, which are white ringed 

 with black ; dorsal line edged on each side by more purplish, 

 grey slender threads, otherwise almost devoid of markings ; 

 undersurface and prolegs rather paler ; legs grey or brownish. 

 The younger larva is more bluish in tint, with faint, slender, 

 white dorsal and subdorsal lines, and a pale yellowish spira- 

 cular stripe. 



June, July, and probably as a partial second generation in 

 September, on plantain, dandelion, and other low plants 

 growing in sand ; probably also on Atriplex, Chenopodmrn, 

 and Crucifercc; but of secret habits and very little known. 

 It has been found on Sisymhrium Sophia, which does not 

 usually grow in its haunts, close to the sea margin. In 

 confinement it will readily feed on knotgrass and lettuce. 

 Hiding in the sand, under herbage, in the daytime, and 

 feeding at night. 



Pupa red-brown ; not further described. 



The moth hides by day among herbage on the ground, or 

 more especially among the roots of herbage which are ex- 

 posed in tangled confusion, where the wind has worked away 

 the side of a coast sandhill, leaving an overhanging ledge. 

 Here it hides very closely, but is easily shaken out, when it 

 falls down on the loose sand and is readily secured. But if 

 the sun is out and at all hot, there is no such sluggish be- 

 haviour, but the moth instantly on being shaken out gathers 

 itself together, and dashes off with great swiftness of wing 

 to another shelter. At such a time catching it is no easy 

 task. At night it flies about the sandhills and their immedi- 

 ate surroundings, and may be attracted by sugar or evea 



