170 THE ENtOiMOLOGlST. 



taken from the last week in July to the second week in 

 Angust in profusion, either at sugar or on the flowers of the 

 ragwort, even by day, on all our sandhills and heaths from 

 the North of Scotland to the south coast. 



A. triticl may be distinguished by the colours being more 

 sharply bright than in A. aquilina ; the ground colour of the 

 lore wings is grayish brown, — that is, the gray is more visible 

 than in A. aquilina, where it is suflused with a brownish tint, 

 having a strong inclination to ochreous. In A. tritici the 

 streak, from the base near the costa, is more sharply defined 

 and lighter in colour. The subterminal line in A. tritici is 

 much more distinct than that of A. aquilina; also the hind 

 margin of the reniform stigma is much better defined; 

 whereas in many specimens of A. aquilina it is scarcely 

 visible. 



A, tritici is much more variable than A. aquilina: it varies 

 from a strongly-marked, clean, black and white form, — very 

 like Agrotis obelisca, — to an almost unicolorous brownish 

 gray, without any distinct marking; while A. aquilina only 

 varies in intensity and depth of,colour. A. aquilina is larger, 

 and a generally stronger nioth. 



Let me advise all who have any doubt about the identity 

 of either species to rear each from its early larval state. 

 The larva of A. tritici may be found commonly during May 

 at the roots of the various species of stonecrop which abound 

 oh our coasts, especially Sedum acre, as well as at the roots 

 of grass and of almost any flowering plant; while that of A. 

 aquilina more frequently feeds upon the leaves than the 

 roots. The larvEe of both species leed at night. 



Ayrotis tritici. Aijrotis aquilina. 



The head of the laiiva The laiiva of Agrotis aqui- 



is shining ))ale brown, mar- lina is slightly larger than 



bled with darker brown ; the that of Agrotis tritici : the 



2nd segment has a dark brown head is light gray-brown, 



smooth plate ; along the back maibled with very dark brown ; 



is a broad gray-brown stripe, the back dingy brown; the 



ft)llowed by a narrower line dorsal line pale brown, which 



coiisiderabl}' paler, and a with the subdorsal line runs 



narrow lateral stripe on each through the blackish plate on 



side, also j^ale brown; the the Qnd segment; below this 



