332 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



hawks'-beard, etc., and will thrive on knot-grass. There are two 

 broods, one feeding in the spring, after hibernation ; and the 

 other in June and July, sometimes later. The first generation 

 of moths flies in May and June, and the second in August and 

 early September. The species occurs in all the southern sea- 

 board counties of England from Kent to Cornwall, frequenting 

 the downs and rough fields near the coast ; also in the Sand- 

 breck district of the eastern counties. It occurs in South 

 Wales ; and odd specimens have been reported from Cheshire 

 (Delamere), and from Cumberland. 



The range abroad extends to North-west Africa and Asia 

 Minor. 



Grass Wave {Percoftia {Aspilates) strigillarid). 



A male and a female of this species are depicted on Plate 144, 

 Figs. 7 ^ and 8 9« There is variation in the amount of dark 

 speckling on the wings, and in the number and width of the 

 cross markings ; sometimes the first and second on the fore 

 wings are united throughout their length, or towards the inner 

 margin ; coupled with this there is sometimes considerable 

 increase in the width of the first cross marking of the hind 

 wings. A rare variety in Britain is ab. grisearia, Staudinger, 

 which is of an almost uniform greyish or greyish-brown colour, 

 with the markings obscured. 



The caterpillar is purplish grey, marked with paler and 

 darker ; two warts on the back of rings 7-10, the middle pair the 

 largest and most prominent. It feeds on ling, heath, broom, 

 and the flowers of gorse or furze, and is best obtained in the 

 spring after hibernation. 



The moth, which is out in June and July, occurs on most 

 of the heaths and moors throughout England ; apparently 

 commoner and more generally distributed in the south than in 

 the north ; but it seems to be rare on the eastern side of the 



