28o THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



to Eng-land. Its British history is as follows : — a specimen 

 taken at Deal, by Mr. Harding, October, 1867 ; one at Inverurie 

 in Scotland, by Mr. Tait, September, 1871 ; and one at sugar 

 by Mr. T. A. Lofthouse at Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, Sep- 

 tember 26, 1903. Also recorded from Norwich, September, 1905, 

 and from Methley, Yorks, August, 1910. (Plate 153, Fig. 6.) 



The Dark Arches {Xylophasia monoglypha). 



The five portraits of this moth on Plate 136 will give some 

 idea of the various forms it assumes. The blackish specimen is 

 referable to var. infuscata, White, and an extreme aberration of 

 this form has been named cethiops^ Tutt. The caterpillar is 

 greyisli, inclining to brownish or reddish ; usual dots blackish ; 

 head and plate on first ring of body dark brownish, and shining. 

 August to September, feeding on grasses and devouring the 

 stems near the base. The moth is out from June to August, 

 sometimes in October and November. It occurs in all parts of 

 the British Isles and is often abundant. 



The Clouded Brindle {Xylophasia hepatica). 



The most frequent form of this species (Plate 135) has the 

 fore wings pale brows, with well-defined black markings, but 

 without distinct cross lines. When the wings are more clouded 

 and suffused with reddish or purplish brown the paler ground 

 colour shows up as cross lines, and these are more or less 

 edged with blackish (var. characterea, Hiibner). The caterpillar 

 (Plate 130, Fig. 2) is dingy brown with shining black dots ; 

 three pale ochreous lines along the back, the central one most 

 distinct ; head black and shining ; plate on first ring of the 

 body black crossed by white lines, another on the last ring 

 is blackish. Feeds from August to April on grasses, but will 

 also eat various low plants. The chrysalis (Fig. 2a) which 



