JULY HIGHFLYER. 213 



is ab. hzberJiica, Prout (Fig. 5), and the other approaches the 

 dark ab. isolaia, Kane (Fig. 6). 



The eggs, which are laid loosely, are yellowish or pale straw 

 colour (Plate 84, Fig. 3^). Caterpillar, stoutish, green inclining 

 to yellowish ; three lines on the back, the central one dark green, 

 and the others yellowish, as also are the ring divisions ; a pale 

 wavy line low down along the sides. In some examples the 

 general colour is pale greyish-brown, inclining to reddish brown. 

 It feeds on grass, dock, chickweed, and various low-growing 

 plants, from August to May, and is often abundant in 

 hay meadows (Fig. 3, Plate 84, is from a coloured drawing by 

 Mr. A. Sich). The moth ^.ccurs throughout the summer, and 

 is very plentiful (often a pest) in almost every hedgerow and 

 most bushy places. 



%»^ i^i' July Highflyer {Hydriomena furcata). . 



\^ l^ . . . A 



. Some idea of the variable character of this species {sordtdatdy 'Vj 



r» 



Fab., and elutata^ Hiibner) may be formed from the selection 



of half a dozen examples shown on Plate 86. The typical form .1^- 



has the fore wings greyish, with dark bands as in Fig. i, and a . 



modification without the dark bands seems to be ab. cifio'eata, "^ 

 Prout. In the form sordidata^ Fabricius, the general colour 

 of the fore wings is greenish, and the bands are dark ; ab. 

 obliterata^ Prout, is of the same colour, but the bands are 

 absent. Ab. fiisco-undata^ Donovan, has the general colour 

 reddish, with dark bands ; without dark bands it becomes 

 testaceata, Prout. Blackish or sooty forms are referable to 

 infuscata, Staud. (Fig. 4). Frequently in the green forms, and 

 less often in the reddish, there is a broad whitish central stripe, 

 and a narrow one on the basal area ; in the green form again 

 the basal and central areas are occasionally crossed by red 

 bands, and this is one of the prettiest forms of the species and, 

 so far as I know, occurs only in the large sallow-feeding race ; 



