192 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



base and the central band thereof blackish ; some Shetland 

 specimens closely approach this pretty variety. 



The caterpillar is green, with a brownish line along the 

 middle of the back, and a series of pinkish or purplish-red 

 oblique streaks which nearly meet at the central line and so 

 form V-shaped marks ; a whitish or yellowish stripe low down 

 along the sides, sometimes edged above with reddish. In some 

 examples the general colour is reddish brown. It feeds in April 

 and May, after hibernation, on bilberry, hng, and heath in a 

 wild state, but may be reared on knot-grass or sallow. 



The moth is out from June until early August, and may be 

 found resting, often in numbers, on rocks and stone walls in 

 mountain and moorland districts, from Herefordshire, north- 

 wards through England, North Wales, and over the whole of 

 Scotland, including the isles, and Ireland. Kane states that in 

 the latter country melanic forms, such as those from Yorks., 

 etc., are nowhere met with. 



Yellow-ringed Carpet {Eniephria flavic'mctatd). 



The general colour of the fore wings of British specimens of 

 this species (var. obscurata, Staud.) is slaty grey ; the basal, 

 central, and outer marginal cross bands are thickly sprinkled 

 with yellowish-brown, and it is this feature that at once separates 

 this species (Plate 80, Figs. 5, 6) from that last referred to. 



The bristly caterpillar is green, chocolate, or red brown, but 

 always of a dull shade ; on the back is a series of bl -ck V-shaped 

 marks, and a central dark, slender line ; the front part of each 

 V-mark filled up with pink or lilac, forming a triangle, the 

 apex of which is yell 'W ; a yellowish stripe low down along the 

 side (adapted from Fenn). It feeds in the sprin'j till April, 

 after hibernation, on saxifrage {Saxifras^a aizoides^ S. 

 hypnoid^s^ etc), and also on s'onecr p {>^ediini), and is most 

 partial to the flowers of these plants. 



