2l6 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The moth is found in hedges, woods, and on heaths, in May 

 and June ; it may be occasionally beaten out of sallow bushes, 

 but flies in the early evening, and is then more readily obtained. 

 The species is widely distributed, but not generally common, in 

 England and Wales, and in Scotland to Perthshire and pro- 

 bably further north, as it is found in Orkney, where specimens 

 are numerous but rather small in size, and the caterpillars, 

 according to Mc Arthur, feed on heather as well as on sallow. 

 Decidedly uncommon in Ireland, but it has been met with, in 

 most instances singly, in Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath, Kerry, 

 Galway, and Sligo. 



Royal Mantle {Anticka cucullata). 



This species (Plate 88, Fig. i) is also known as smuata^ 

 Hiibner. The white fore wings have a blackish patch at the 

 base and a blackish mark on the front margins beyond the 

 middle ; the former is separated into two parts by a pale 

 reddish-brown band, and there is a reddish band, most distinct 

 on the front area, beyond the black mark ; in some specimens 

 these bands are greyish. 



The caterpillar is green, sometimes inclining to yellowish, 

 with two black or purplish stripes, enclosing a broader pale 

 yellow one, along the back ; head, green, freckled with black. 

 It feeds on the flowers of bedstraw {Galium inollugo^ and 

 G. verum), in July and August, or later in some seasons. 



The moth is out in late June and in July, and occasionally 

 may be disturbed from its food plant or the surrounding herbage. 

 About dusk it is on the wing, and later is attracted by light. It 

 seems to occur in most of the English counties from Kent to 

 Cornwall ; also in Berks., Oxon., Herts, and the eastern counties. 

 Always local, and except in the east, where it is found in the 

 Breck-sand area, most frequent in chalky locahties. Barrett 

 notes a specimen from Knowle, Warwickshire, and there are at 



