248 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



that an occasional specimen may be found resting on the rocks, 

 the moths must be netted as they fly at dusk to the flowers of 

 Silene. Staudinger considers that var. barrettii is identical 

 with var. argillacea^ Hiibn. 



The Grey {Dianthcecia ccesid). 



The obscurely marked slate grey insect shown on Plate 124, 

 Fig. 5, was first found at Tramore, Ireland, and in the Isle of 

 Man about the same year (1866 or 1867). Kane mentions that 

 he has found the insect at Tramore, and also in eleven other 

 localities on the rocky coast line of the South of Ireland, from 

 Hook Point to Dingle Bay. Our form of the species, var. 

 vianani, Gregson, differs from the greyish blue continental type 

 in its darker coloration, and this is intensified in the south-west 

 corner of Ireland where specimens of a uniform bluish black 

 occur. 



The caterpillar is pale ochreous brown minutely freckled with 

 darker ; the lines on the back are blackish, but indistinct ; 

 usual dots margined with black; head pale brown, marked with 

 darker. It feeds on the buds, flowers, and seeds of campions 

 {Silene viaritiDia and S. iuflata) from June to August. The 

 moth flies in June, July, and early August, andmaybe taken, like 

 the last species, at the flowers of the campions growing on the 

 rocks in its seaside haunts. 



The Marbled Coronet {Dianthoecia conspersd). 



Three forms of this locally variable species are shown on 

 Plate 123. Fig. 6 represents the typical form occurring 

 generally in England, but in North Devonshire, on the coast, 

 specimens are found closely approaching the Isle of Lewis form 

 (Fig. 7), whilst others from that district agree in the blackish 

 ground colour with specimens from Ireland. A still darker 



