:~-j2 LEPIDOPTERA. 



On the wing, very rarely in May and June, far more 

 frequently in July, August, September, and October. 



Larva large and stout, more than two inches long ; not 

 quite cylindrical but very slightly stoutest behind, and taper- 

 ing a little in front, the head being the smallest segment; 

 rounded and of a shining pale grey or pale brown, with a 

 blackish stripe down each lobe ; general colour of the upper 

 portion of the body reddish-grey or reddish-brown ; dorsal 

 line rather paler, narrow, dotted with whitish at the 

 incisions, passing between a series of short brown or blackish 

 shaded longitudinal lines, which sometimes are united so as 

 to form a chain of lozenge-shaped markings ; sub-dorsal line 

 slender, interrupted and undulating, dark brown ; spiracles 

 black, sometimes in a grey ring, or inside the curves of a 

 clender undulating pair of lateral greyish lines ; back portion 

 of the anal segment ornamented with a large pale yellowish 

 blotch, in which are two pairs of grey dots ; this blotch is 

 edged in front by a black cross-bar joining black streaks ; 

 under surface and legs pale grey, the space above the 

 abdominal prolegs sometimes having three grey dots, which 

 then are also found in the preceding and following 

 segments. When younger rather darker in colour, with the 

 head more yellow and the yellowish patch on the anal seg- 

 ment more triangular. 



June and July and again in September, October, and 

 November, in two generations ; but there is strong reason to 

 believe that the winter in these islands is fatal to the vast 

 majority of its later larva3 and its pupae. On plantain, 

 clover, dock, grass, spinach, cabbage, rape, and apparently 

 on almost any low-growing herbaceous plant, even to the 

 marigolds in the gardens. Mr. W. E. Nicholson states that 

 the very young larvre feed at all times most ravenously, but 

 after the second moult they feed mainly at night, hiding 

 themselves during the day on the underside of the leaves of 

 their food plants ; and that from the time when they are 



