342 LEPIDOPTERA. 



On the wing in July and August. 



Larva stout, cylindrical, only tapering off at the extreme 

 ends. Head rounded, smaller than the following segment ; 

 semitransparent, pale brown, with darker streaks on the 

 inner edges of the lobes ; body pale purplish-brown or 

 ochreous-brown, smooth and soft to the touch, and with 

 but few fine hairs ; dorsal line double, broken into a series 

 of pairs of dark streaks, one pair on the front portion of 

 each segment except the second, third and fourth, which 

 are tinged with rather darker colour than the rest of the 

 body ; subdorsal line also double, darker brown, very slender ; 

 spiracular line similar, but placed in a darker shade ; usual 

 dots and spiracles hardly perceptible ; under-surface and 

 legs pale brown or grey. 



September to April or May on various grasses. Poo, 

 Nardus, Aim., &c., apparently preferring those growing in 

 dry and stony places. It feeds on mild nights throughout 

 the winter, and may be swept up when so feeding, almost 

 full grown, in January and February. It seems to be most 

 frequent on chalk hills. In the daytime it hides among 

 the grass roots. 



Pupa apparently undescribed. 



The moth hides usually in the daytime among grass and 

 herbage close to the ground, but may occasionally be found 

 sitting on a paling ; it flies at dusk and is strongly attracted 

 by sugar or the bleeding sap of a tree, and may more rarely 

 be taken at a gas-lamp. Not usually very common — Guenee 

 says that the larva is tender, and that few reach the perfect 

 state — but it is apparently distributed over the whole of 

 England and Wales, and fairly plentiful in the North-West 

 counties ; also found in the South of Scotland and on the 

 East coast so far north as Moray, but otherwise scarce and 

 local in that country. In Ireland it has been taken near 



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