l$i THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Isles until 1885, when Mr. de V. Kane detected specimens in a 

 collection of insects made in Co. Cork, Ireland. It was next 

 heard of from Belfast, and then, in 1886, again, in Co. Cork, an 

 example of each sex was taken. The female specimen laid 

 eggs, and some of these were sent to Mr. Adkin, who not only 

 was successful in rearing the moths, but in 1889 obtained a 

 pairing between an almost white male 7'iistica and an ordinary 

 English female. Only four eggs were laid, and from these two 

 male moths resulted in May, 1890, both intermediate in colour 

 between the two forms. In all its early stages rustica is 

 identical with ordinary viendica. 



Male specimens with pale yellowish grey coloured wings 

 have been reared from eggs laid by a female captured at 

 Eltham, Kent, exhibiting a tendency to the rustica form. In 

 the Barnsley district, Yorkshire, the males are paler than usual, 

 but in the Sheffield area of the same county the males are 

 black. From North Durham chrysalids, I have a smoky 

 greyish form of the male. 



The caterpillar is brownish grey covered with yellowish 

 brown hairs arising from greyish-ringed pale brown warts ; a 

 paler line along the middle of the back, and some white dcts 

 forming a broken line below the black outlined spiracles. 

 Head pale chestnut brown, glossy. When newly hatched it is 

 whitish, tinged with yellow and semi-transparent ; the dots and 

 hairs are dark grey. After the first moult the colour is greyish 

 with black dots and blackish hairs. Head yellowish, brown 

 tinged. It feeds in July, sometimes earlier, and August, and 

 seems to thrive on the foliage of many kinds of low-growing 

 plants, such as dandelion, dock, plantain, chickweed, etc., and 

 also eats the leaves of birch and rose. Chrysalis, very dark 

 brown, almost black, glossy, but minutely pitted, giving a 

 roughened appearance ; enclosed in a close fitting cocoon 

 composed of silk and the caterpillar's hairs, with particles of 

 earth on the outside (Plate 79). The moth flies at night, and 



