THE ANOMALOUS. 315 



and the central one is often broad. (Plate 151, Fig. i.) In var. 

 approxhnmis^ Haw., the cross lines fall nearer together on the 

 inner margin ; and in var. semi-fuscans, Haw,, the basal half is 

 greyish or reddish grey, and the outer half is sufifused with 

 brownish (Fig. 2). Then there is a somewhat rarer form, 

 with dark grey, brown, or blackish brown fore wings, with 

 the cross lines more or less distinct, as in Fig. 3 ; or with the 

 central one absent (var. bilinea^ Hiibn.) ; or all the lines may 

 be obscured by the dark colour. Kane states that var. obsaira^ 

 Tutt(= biliiiea, Haw.), is pretty common at Howth and other 

 places in Ireland, and, according to Barrett, it is not infrequent 

 in Wales. The caterpillar is greyish or dingy reddish brown ; 

 three pale lines on the back, the central one partly edged with 

 black, and the outer ones are broken and inwardly edged with 

 blackish marks ; the stripe along the black spiracles is ochreous 

 brown ; head brownish. From July to April on plantain and 

 other low plants. The moth is out in June and July. In 

 Scotland it is local and rare, but has been recorded from 

 Clydesdale, Arran, and once from Perthshire. Local but 

 widely distributed in Ireland. 



The Anomalous {Stilbia a?iomala). 



A local species, but sometimes not uncommon on heaths, or 

 in rocky places by the sea. It is found from Surrey westward 

 to Cornwall ; and from Staffordshire, in which county it has 

 been seen in abundance on Cannock Chase, it ranges into 

 Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Wales (North and 

 South), Lancashire, Yorkshire (commonly at Saltaire), Durham 

 (once), and Cumberland. Generally distributed in Scotland, 

 including the Orkneys. It occurs in the Isle of ]\Ian, and 

 seems to be pretty widely spread in Ireland, but found chiefly 

 on the coast. Abroad it seems to be only found in France and 

 in Central and Western Germany. In Southern Spain it is 



