198 LEPIDOPTERA. 



greenish-white dorsal plate dotted with black ; remainder of 

 the dorsal surface dull pale purplish-grey, with deeper purple 

 lorsal and subdorsal lines, and a row of black spots at the 

 upper edge of the latter ; undersurface pale yellowish-white, 

 spiracular lines pale purple, spiracles black, legs and prolegs 

 tipped with purplish-grey. Sometimes the whole surface is 

 whitish. 



August, September, and October on birch, passing the day- 

 time between united leaves and feeding exposed at night, 

 when it Is easily beaten off. Holds tenaciously to its habita- 

 tion in the daytime, and is difficult to dislodge. 



Pupa rather stout, conical, reddish-brown, of delicate 

 texture ; spine rather short. 



Spun up between birch leaves or among rubbish on the 

 ground. In this state through the winter. 



The moth hides in bushes and trees in the daytime, and when 

 suddenly disturbed will sometimes fly a short distance. It flies 

 naturally at dusk, rather swiftly, and from the whiteness of its 

 hind wings is conspicuous, but its time of flight is very short 

 and it is by no means so readily attracted by sugar as its 

 congeners. Very local and almost confined to woods. Found 

 in various parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hants, Essex, and 

 Suffolk ; also in Herefordshire, and Wyre Forest, Worcester- 

 shire. In Yorkshire in several localities, the neighbourhood 

 of Sheffield especially, and I have seen two specimens which 

 were taken by Mr. George Dawson, in Cumberland ; but am 

 not aware of any certain record in Scotland. In Ireland it 

 has been taken, though rarely, at Killarney, Kenmare, and 

 Lough Gill, Co. Sligo. Not so widely distributed abroad as 

 the previous species, but found throughout the greater portion 

 of Central Europe, and in Southern and Eastern Russia. 



3. C. or, ^(7/i/f.— Expanse \\ to If inch. Stout, fore wings 

 pale purplish-grey with two cross bands composed of three 

 or four black lines each ; stigmata indisUnct, whitish ; hind 

 wings pale brownish-grey. 



