CHLOEPHORID/E. 143 



ochieous brown ; the three raised tufts are white, capped with 

 grey (Plate 73). 



This is the only really variable species among the five 

 occurring in this country. In some specimens the space 

 between the cross lines is largely filled in with dark grey, and 

 in other specimens the wings are almost entirely white, traces 

 of the cross lines being the only markings. 



Mr. Robert Adkin, who has reared this species from the egg, 

 kindly allowed me to select specimens from his fine series to 

 illustrate the range of aberration ; these are figured on Plate 73. 



Caterpillar brownish inclining to purplish, with an ochreous 

 line along the middle of the back and some brown V-shaped 

 black marks. Head blackish brown. It feeds in May, after 

 hibernation, on various clovers, preferring the blossoms, and 

 bird's-foot trefoil {Lotus corniculaius). 



The moth appears some time between mid-July and mid- 

 August. The late Mr. Tugwell, by keeping some larvae, reared 

 from the egg, in a warm room induced them to feed up instead 

 of hibernating, and they attained the moth state in December. 



This is another exceedingly local species in England. It 

 was first taken at Bembridge in the Isle of Wight in 1858, and 

 one or two specimens have since been obtained in that island. 

 Examples have also occurred on the cliffs near Hastings, and 

 at Folkestone ; and one has been recorded as taken in a light 

 trap at Woodbridge in Suffolk, July 21, 1904. The headquarters 

 for the species in this country are the Deal sand-hills, on the 

 Kentish coast, where it was discovered over a quarter of a 

 century ago, and probably occurs still. 



CHLOEPHORID^. 



Authors are not at all agreed as to the systematic position of 

 this family, and there seems to be some difterence of opinion as 

 to the species that properly belong to it. Sir George Hampson 



