302 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the year 1874, when a buff female, paired with a black male, 

 was captured at Heaton Park. From the eggs she deposited 

 caterpillars hatched, and in due course pupated, but the moths 

 reared from them were all either typical, or black. Some of 

 the female moths were, however, given to other collectors to pair 

 with black males with the result that buff specimens appeared 

 among the moths reared by seven collectors. Subsequently, 

 by breeding only from buff males and females 80 per cent, of 

 this form were said to be obtained. By the year 1880, however, 

 the race was extinct. In all the examples of the buff var. that 

 I have seen, including a pair in my own collection, the ground 

 colour is normal, but the usual black markings of the wings are 

 brownish buff ; I understand, however, that there are specimens 

 in which the ground colour is ochreous. The vapour of chlorine 

 will change an ordinary specimen to a buff var. ; and it is said 

 that caterpillars reared in an apartment where this vapour is 

 present will produce these buff varieties. Mr. Mansbridge has 

 recently described ab. ochrearia, and in this form the typical 

 black markings are present on an ochreous ground. The 

 specimen, a female, was captured at St. Annes, Lancashire, 

 June, 1891. 



Gynandrous examples have been obtained, and seven of these 

 abnormal forms occurred in a single brood reared from eggs by 

 Mr. A. Harrison. 



The caterpillar (Plate 128, Fig. 3, from a photo by Mr. H. Main) 

 is green, brownish green, or purplish brown ; in the green form, 

 which is minutely dotted with white, there is generally a faint 

 purplish line along the back, two purplish knobs on ring 8, and 

 a purplish patch enclosing two ochreous spots on ring 1 1 ; the 

 deeply notched head is ochreous, shaded with purplish ; the 

 last ring of the body is tinged with purplish, as also are the two 

 small points thereon. It feeds, from July to September, on 

 oak, birch, elm, beech, sallow, plum and other fruit trees ; also 

 on rose, bramble, etc. The moth is out in May and June, 



