132 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



hibernates when nearly mature, but it resumes feeding in the 

 spring. The moth is out in June and July, and frequents moors 

 and mosses. Plentiful in Scotland and in the north of England, 

 its range extends through Wales and the west of England to 

 Devonshire, where it occurs on Exmoor and is common in 

 some parts of that extensive area. In Ireland, recorded by 

 Birchall as widely distributed ; Kane notes it from counties 

 Kerry, Waterford, and Galway. 

 The range abroad extends to Amurland and Japan. 



Bright Wave {Acidalia {Sterrhd) ochratci). 



At one time this ochreous brown species (Plate 50, Fig. 3) 

 was an inhabitant of the Essex coast, and was found commonly 

 at Southend among other places. Deal and other parts of the 

 Kentish coast are more frequently mentioned in connection with 

 later records of the species. In the present day it is far less 

 plentiful at Deal than formerly, but it is still to be found there. 

 Specimens have been taken in the Isle of Wight, and one has 

 been noted from Suffolk (Aldeburgh). 



The pale ochreous brown or greyish ochreous caterpillar 

 has three broken greyish lines on the back ; it tapers towards 

 the small head, and the skin of the body is closely wrinkled. 

 It feeds from August to May, or a little later, on the flowers of 

 hawk's-beard {Crepis), dandelion, coltsfoot, golden rod, etc., and 

 in confinement it seems to accept most kinds of flowers that are 

 offered, even when widely different. Thus, Mr. Conquest, in 

 1907, had some caterpillars which hatched during the first week 

 in August from eggs laid on July 25 ; these were at first supplied 

 with flowering sprays of yellow bedstraw {Galium veriim)^ and 

 later on with the flowers of golden rod {Solidago). Instead of 

 hibernating, which is no doubt the normal habit in the species, 

 some larvae reared from the e§% in confinement and subjected 



