12 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



brown to dark blackish grey. The typical form {lunosa^ 

 Haworth) has the ground colour pale, or bright, reddish (Figs. 

 I and 3) ; the markings are well defined, and the wing rays 

 are sometimes pale ochreous, or whitish. Four modifications 

 of this form have been named ; one of these has pale veins, but 

 the general colour is red brown (ab. brjinnea, Tutt) ; in another 

 (Fig. 2) the colour is ochreous brown, the veins pale, and the 

 other markings distinct (ab. humilis, Humph, and Westw.). 

 Of the greyish forms, var. agrotoides, Guenee, is the darkest 

 (Fig. 4)- 



The caterpillar is brownish, inclining to greenish beneath ; 

 there are three whitish lines along the back, the outer edged 

 below with blackish ; a thin whitish line along the sides is 

 shaded above with blackish. It feeds on meadow grass {Poa 

 annua), and other kinds of grass, from October to May. The 

 moth appears in September and October, sometimes at the end 

 of August. It is partial to light and to sugar, and where the 

 latter is smeared over the foliage of trees and bushes it seems 

 better attended by this, and other autumnal moths, than when 

 painted on tree-trunks in the usual manner. 



The species seems to be pretty generally distributed through- 

 out Southern and Western England, and in some seasons it is 

 very common. Eastward and through the Midlands it is per- 

 haps less frequent ; in the northern counties it is scarce on thte 

 east, but locally common on the west. It occurs in Wales ; also 

 in Scotland up to Perthshire. According to Kane, it is widely 

 distributed in Ireland, but most common on the coast. 



Abroad, it appears to be confined to France and Spain, 

 although it has been recorded from North-west Africa. 



The Red-line Quaker {Amathes {Orthosia) lota). 



In its typical form this species is of a leaden-grey coloration 

 on the fore wings, but these wings sometimes have a reddish 



