26 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the wings a decidedly pointed tip, a character which will serve 

 to distinguish ligula from vacctJiii in nearly every instance. 



The caterpillar is reddish brown, freckled with paler ; the 

 three pale lines along the back are distinctly white on the plate 

 on ring i, the outer lines edged below with brownish ; spiracles 

 outlined in black, and the stripe along them is reddish 

 ochreous. It feeds in spring and early summer, at first on oak, 

 sallow, and hawthorn, and afterwards on low-growing weeds. 



The moth flies in October and November, and as it lives 

 through the winter is seen at sugar on any mild night, but it 

 does not seem to turn up at the sallow catkins in the spring. 

 The species is rather less generally distributed than the last, 

 but it is not uncommon in the southern and eastern counties, 

 and is found throughout England to the Tyne. Recorded from 

 very few localities in Ireland, and apparently not noticed in 

 Scotland. 



The Dotted Chestnut {OrrJwdia {Dasycampa) riibiginea). 



A pair of typical specimens are represented on Plate ii, 

 Figs. II and 12. A form of the species occurring in Somerset- 

 shire has the fore wings reddish brown, and the usual black 

 dots are largely absent (ab. unlcolor, Tutt). 



The caterpillar (Plate 6, Fig. 2) is purplish brown freckled 

 with blackish ; there are three obscure paler lines along the 

 back from ring 3, and a central series of black spots ; the head 

 is black, and the fine hairs of the body are yellowish brown. 

 It feeds, in May and June, on apple, plum, dandelion, etc. The 

 fact has been noted that, if supplied with apple until about half 

 grown, and afterwards with dandelion, it attains full size more 

 quickly than when kept to one kind of food only. 



The moth appears in October and November, retires during 

 the cold weather, and comes forth again in the spring. When 



