3o6 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



fore wings is vds. punctina^ Haw., which sometimes has a row of 

 black dots on the outer margin. The caterpillar is greyish 

 ochreous above, greenish tinged beneath ; a brown stripe along 

 the middle of the back is intersected by a very fine white line ; 

 above the reddish black-edged spiracles is a brownish stripe ; 

 usual dots black ; head pale brown, shining, netted with brown 

 and lined with blackish. It feeds on grasses from August to May. 

 The moth is out in July and August ; rather later in the north. 

 Distribution abroad extends to Amurland and Japan. 



The Southern Wainscot {Leucania straminea). 



In its more usual form this species (Plate 147, Fig. 5) has 

 pale whity-brown or pale straw-coloured fore wings, and the 

 black dots forming the second line not infrequently absent, at 

 least as regards some of them. Var. rtifolinea, Tutt, has the 

 fore wings reddish ochreous, the rays whitish, and the shade 

 under the median nervure reddish. Var. nigrostriata, Tutt, has 

 the ground colour of the fore wings obscured by a thick powder- 

 ing of black scales. The hind wings in all forms are whitish, 

 sometimes greyish tinged. Generally there is a central black 

 dot, and a more or less complete series of black dots beyond it ; 

 but some, or all, of these dots may be absent. The caterpillar, 

 which feeds on the leaves of reeds, Phalaris, and other coarse 

 grasses from October to May, is ochreous with an orange tinge, 

 and dusted with grey ; three white lines on the back are 

 broadly shaded with bluish grey; on the sides are two grey 

 shaded white lines ; head shining brownish ochreous (Fenn). 

 The moth flies in July and August, sometimes earlier. 



Hammersmith Marshes, a once noted locality for this, the 

 Obscure Wainscot, and other good species, have long since been 

 built over ; but the present insect, and perhaps some of the 

 other ancient inhabitants of the said marshes, possibly still 

 occur along the banks of the Thames. Anyhow, it does lower 



