252 LEPIDOPTERA. 



white markings variegated with yellow and greenish-yellow, 

 or even orange-yellow. Those from Orkney are somewhat 

 similar, or with the white markings small but clear. 

 Although there are so many apparently local strains of 

 variation, all are intimately connected by intermediates, so 

 that, except in some degree in Shetland, it is impossible 

 definitely to separate the species into varieties. 



On the wing in June, in forward seasons sometimes at the 

 end of May, in late ones lasting into July. 



Larva moderately stout, faintly increasing in size from 

 the second to the tenth segment ; head smooth, pale wainscot- 

 brown, with four slender and rather darker lines down the 

 face ; body also wainscot-brown with a dorsal series of ten 

 darker V-shaped markings, the apices of the V's pointing 

 backward ; a very narrow pale dorsal stripe passes through 

 all these, intersecting each V at its apex ; there is also a 

 black dot on each side of each V near its apex ; it has two 

 lateral stripes rather darker than the ground colour, but still 

 very pale ; and below these a third stripe paler than the 

 ground colour, indeed almost white, which contains the 

 spiracles ; these are pink encircled with black ; undersurface 

 pale flesh colour, tinged more or less with yellow ; legs and 

 prolegs pale pink. (Newman.) 



July to September, on the seeds of Silene injlata, S. 

 maritima, S. nutans, Lychnis fios-cuculi and allied plants ; 

 when young hiding in the capsule, but when too large for 

 this, concealing itself by day on the ground or under the lower 

 leaves of the plant, crawling up to feed and plunging its head, 

 and its body as far as possible, into the capsule. 



Pupa of usual form, the characteristic knob at the end of 

 the wing cases conspicuously round and projecting; limb and 

 antenna covers rather well marked, and, with the wing covers, 

 sculptured in very fine lines ; dorsal and abdominal segments 

 very coarsely sculptured in rough pitting, the usual smooth 

 band at the hinder edge of each rather narrow ; anal segment 



