390 LEPIDOPTERA. 



segment wider, whitish-ochreous, very finely edged with 

 darker browo, and, on each segment, it passes through a 

 narrow ellipse of dark brown freckles ; subdorsal stripe of 

 similar width, very little paler than the ground colour, but 

 with darker edges ; spiracular stripe broader, of the same 

 colour, defined by a paler edging above and below ; spiracles 

 brown delicately outlined with black ; under-surface and legs 

 slightly darker than the spiracular stripe, faintly freckled 

 with a still paler tint ; legs spotted with brown, prolegs 

 tipped with the same ; raised dots brown. The infant larva 

 is bluish-green with delicate paler grey lines and the skin- 

 folds tinged with ochreous ; head, with dorsal and anal plates, 

 black, but soon the head and dorsal plate become brown, the 

 general colour also pale brown and the longitudinal stripes 

 paler, something as in the adult larva. (Adapted from 

 Buckler.) 



July to April on grasses, especially Phalaris arundinacca, 

 but not refusing Triticmn repens, Aira Jicxuosa and other 

 grasses, especially those growing in wet places ; feeding at 

 night. It attains full growth usually in October or November, 

 then hybernates among grass roots, or under moss at the feet 

 of willow or poplar trees, or in a chamber among loose earth 

 at the edge of a ditch, but comes forth again in the spring, 

 yet apparently does not feed later than February. 



Pupa rather slender, moderately glossy, red-brown ; head- 

 cover darker and rather smooth and prominent ; limb-covers 

 sculptured all over with fine cross strife ; wing-covers also 

 abundantly sculptured with strias and minute pits ; segments 

 all more glossy, those of the back rather wrinkled and vaguely 

 sculptured, but those of the abdomen having a narrow 

 anterior band of fine punctures ; cremaster hardly noticeable, 

 a very short blunt knob, with a closely appressed pair of 

 slender hooked bristles, light brown. In a silken cocoon, if 

 possible under loose bark. Mr. J. Gardner states that the 

 larva will travel sometimes to a height of eight or nine feet 



