198 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



g-ale, heather, birch, sallow, etc., and may be found from July to 

 September. Two figures of it, from coloured drawings by Mr. 

 Alfred Sich, will be found on Plate 102. 



The Knot Grass {A crony cf a rumicis). 



The ordinary form of this moth is shown on Plate 103, 

 Figs. 6 J , 7 ? . The species varies greatly in the amount of dark 

 mottling and clouding on the fore wings ; sometimes this is 

 much reduced, and the pale grey ground colour is then clearly 

 seen ; more often these wings are entirely clouded over with 

 blackish or sooty brown, leaving only the white bracket-like 

 mark above the inner margin, and the submarginal cross line, 

 distinctly visible (var. salicis^ Curtis). The moth flies in June 

 and July, and sometimes in August and September. 



The hairy caterpillar, which is somewhat humped on rings 

 four and eleven, is figured in Plate 102, Fig. i. It is dark 

 brownish grey, marked on the back with a central series of 

 black patches in which are reddish spots, and a row of white 

 spots on each side ; below the white spiracles is a yellowish 

 wavy line with reddish warts upon it. Various low-growing 

 plants, such as plantain, dock, sorrel, and also hawthorn, sallow, 

 and bramble, afford it nourishment, and it is found in July^ 

 August, and September. 



Generally distributed throughout England and Wales, its 

 range extending into Scotland as far north as Morayshire ; also 

 in Ireland. The var. salicis occurs northwards from Shrop- 

 shire through northern England into Scotland, but is perhaps 

 most common in Ireland. 



The Coronet {CraniopJwra ligust?-i). 



This is also the Crown Moth of Moses Harris, both EngHsh 

 names referring to a fancied resemblance of the whitish or pale 



