THE YELLOW-LINE QUAKER. 13 



tinge (ab. rufa^ Tutt). In others the ground colour is blackish 

 (ab. suffusa^ Tutt), and a rarer form (ab. pallida, Tutt) has the 

 fore wings whitish grey with a distinct black reniform stigma, 

 and red submarginal line. (Plate 7, Figs. 5, 6.) 



The caterpillar is ochreous brown, sometimes tinged with 

 reddish or purplish brown on the sides ; of three whitish lines 

 along the back, the central one is composed of spots, and the 

 outer ones are not well defined, except on the dark first and last 

 rings ; the line along the sides is reddish. Head, glossy, pale 

 reddish brown, marked with darker brown. It feeds on willow 

 and sallow, and may be found among the foliage from April to 

 June, and especially the topmost leaves of a twig, which it 

 spins together with silk to form a retreat during the day. 

 (Plate 5, Fig. 2.) 



The moth comes freely to sugar in September and October, 

 sometimes even later. It may be found pretty freely also at 

 ivy bloom, and at the flowers of Tritoma. Although apparently 

 commoner in the south, it is generally distributed throughout 

 England, Wales, and Scotland up to Perthshire and Aberdeen. 

 In Ireland it is widely distributed, but local. 



The Yellow-line Quaker {Amathes {Orthosia) 

 macilenta)^ 



The typical coloration of this species (Plate 7, Figs. 7 and 8) 

 is pale ochreous brown, inclining to reddish in some specimens ; 

 the lower part of the reniform stigma black. Sometimes, the 

 black spot is absent (ab. obsoleta, Tutt). Another form has the 

 ground colour pale yellowish brown, and this, with the black 

 lower portion of the reniform present, is ab. st7'aminea, Tutt, 

 while specimens of the same tint, but minus the black spot, are 

 referable to ab. obsoleta-strammea of the same author. 



The caterpillar is reddish brown with white dots, and three 

 white lines on the back ; the line along the spiracles is whitish 



