2o6 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



distance from the seashore, and so abundantly did it occur that 

 one evening's work yielded upwards of fifty specimens." 



The caterpillar is greyish or greenish grey, inclining to 

 brownish above, and with darker brown marks on the back ; 

 lines paler, edged sometimes with darker grey ; raised spots 

 blackish, rather glossy ; head brownish, marked with black, and 

 the plate on first ring is black with a central yellow line. It 

 feeds from August to May on various low plants growing in 

 rocky places by the sea. Will eat dandelion, plantain, and 

 knotgrass in confinement, also sliced carrot. 



The Coast Dart {Agrotis {Enxoa) cursoria). 



The specimens whose portraits will be found on Plate io6 are 

 more or less typical of the sexes of this most variable species. 

 The ground colour of the fore wings ranges from whitish 

 ochreous through all shades of brown up to dark reddish, and 

 from whitish grey through leaden grey to brown grey. The 

 markings, too, are exceedingly variable ; the cross lines are 

 often faint, sometimes entirely absent ; the stigmata are fre- 

 quently obscure, and occasionally the blackish lower part of the 

 reniform is the only indication of these marks. There is often 

 a white streak along the costa, and in some specimens this is 

 very conspicuous (Figs. 3 J, 4$). 



The caterpillar feeds from September to June on various 

 grasses growing on sandhills, and is said to eat wormwood and 

 violet. It is ochreous in colour, more or less tinged with green ; 

 the lines are pale grey, edged with darker grey ; spots brown, 

 and head ochreous brown. 



The moth is on the wing from late July to early September, 

 and is to be found on all the larger tracts of sandhills on the 

 east coast from Suffolk northwards, and on the coasts of Cheshire 

 and Lancashire. It is not common on our southern coasts, but 

 occurs in Dorsetshire and Devon. In Scotland it is obtained 



