NOTODONTID^. m 



with a close dusting of whitish or bluish-grey scales be- 

 tween the nervures, gradually to the dorsal margin, at the 

 base of which, and also at the anal angle, is a blotch of greyish- 

 white devoid of the reddish colour; usual transverse lines 

 very faint, the first indicated by a yellow spot on the costa, 

 from which passes an irregular thread of dark colouring 

 hardly visible except on the nervures, to before the prominent 

 tuft ; second line indicated by a larger, triangular, yellow 

 spot, beyond the middle of the costa, from which a similar 

 faint line of dots on the nervures and angulated, hardly 

 visible, lines between them, passes obliquely back to the 

 prominent tuft ; nervures generally indicated by brownish 

 lines and a few faint yellow dots ; hind margin strongly 

 scalloped with brown crescents, the tips of which interrupt 

 the cilia at the nervures ; cilia in the hollows of the crescents 

 pale yellowish. Hind wings rather paler reddish brown, 

 palest toward the base, shading to a purplish blotch at the 

 anal angle ; this blotch is divided by a whitish bar, which is 

 continued as a faint pale line across the wing ; hind margin 

 with brown scallops, enclosing yellowish cilia, as in the fore 

 wings. Female with antennae merely dentated and fringed 

 with very short bristles, very slightly larger and stouter, but 

 extremely similar. 



Underside of all the wings bright chestnut at the margins, 

 shading to pale reddish-grey in the middle ; beyond the 

 middle of the fore wings is a bright yellow spot, from which a 

 slender undulating pale line passes across the middle of all 

 the wings ; cilia scalloped, brown, edged with bright white in 

 the hollows ; body and legs dark foxy-red. 



Not variable. This is perhaps the most softly coloured 

 and shaded of all our native moths. 



On the wing from the middle of April to the middle of 

 May. 



Larva stout, with polished surface, tapering considerably 

 to each extremity ; slightly projecting at the sides and having 



