130 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



September of the same year, they do not die off during the 

 winter or early spring, as do so many larvae of other hibernating 

 specieSo Enclosed in a suitable receptacle, such as a roomy 

 glass cylinder, with some twigs of privet plugged in a bottle of 

 water, the caterpillars may be left in any odd corner until spring, 

 when fresh twigs should be introduced from time to time. Other 

 food plants are dock, groundsel, dandelion, knotgrass, bedstraw, 

 etc. In colour the caterpillar is pale ochreous brown, with three 

 darker brown lines on the back, the central one broken on the 

 front rings, and the others edged above with whitish ; the 

 spiracles are black, and the stripe along the side pale drab. 



The moth affects hedgerows, banks, bushy places on rough 

 sloping ground, and sandhills by the sea. It flies in the even- 

 ing, and may be met with in July and August, sometimes in 

 September, in most English and Welsh counties, and in the 

 south of Ireland. It is local and somewhat rare in Northern 

 England, and seems not to occur in Scotland. 



Tawny Wave {Acidalia (Leptomeris) ruhiginatd). 



This attractive little moth (Plate 50, Figs, i, 2), known also 

 as 7-nb7'icata Fab., varies in colour from ochreous brown with 

 a purplish or reddish tinge, to purplish brown cr crimson; the 

 first line of the fore wings is curved, and the second is parallel 

 with the central shade. Sometimes the space between the last 

 two lines and between the first and second lines of the hind 

 wings is paler than the general colour. A dusky brown form 

 has been recorded from boggy heaths in Norfolk. 



The roughish caterpillar, which gradually tapers to the notched 

 head, is greyish inclining to yellowish or greenish ; three blackish 

 lines on the back, the central one widened on the middle rings, 

 and the others only distinct on the front rings ; a black-edged 

 pale line above the black spiracles, and a dusky stripe below 

 them (Barrett). It feeds from August to May on clover, trefoil. 



