ARCTIID.E. 237 



having only faint indications of the black longitudinal 

 stripes, which indeed are often obsolete ; hind wings paler 

 yellow than in the male, with the markings of a dull black ; 

 antennae simple. Underside rich yellow, with the central 

 spot in each of the wings indicated by a pair of black dots ; 

 a row of black spots or streaks near the hind margins, those 

 of the fore wings often prolonged into black lines on the 

 nervures; base of the fore wings somewhat clouded with 

 long black dashes ; abdomen deep yellow ; legs blackish 

 above, yellow beneath. Occasionally a variety of the male 

 takes the paler colour of the female. 

 June and July. 



Larva dark brown, with an orange streak on the back 

 and a white one on the sides, reddish-brown warts covered 

 with foxy-red hairs, and reddish-brown prolegs. (Kirby.) 



Hoffman describes it as black-brown, with an orange- 

 yellow dorsal stripe ; on each side two rows of red-brown 

 spots with fox-red hairs ; and above the feet, on each side, a 

 whitish longitudinal line ; head black-brown. 



August to May, hybernating in a web-like nest on the 

 ground among low plants ; feeding upon Fcstuca duriiiscula, 

 Hicraciiim pilosella, Artemcsia, Plantago, Callmia, and other 

 plants. 



Pupa red-brown ; in a greyish-white loose cocoon. 



The moth is said to frequent warm, dry places, especially 

 heaths, but is so exceedingly rare in this country that little 

 is known of its habits. Stephens (1829) recorded that he 

 had seen two indigenous examples, both males, and taken in 

 1815 near Windsor ; and that one specimen had been taken 

 by Mr. Donovan in the Isle of Anglesea. One specimen, 

 labelled " taken at Windsor," is in Dr. Mason's collection. 



In the year 1859 the capture of one specimen in Essex, 

 and of another in North Wales, was announced and appar- 

 ently confirmed, one of the specimens being exhibited at a 



