THE RED SWORD-GRASS. 35 



northern counties of the latter, its range extends to the 

 Orkneys. 



Abroad, it is found throughout Europe (except the most 

 northern parts) ; Asia to Japan ; and the Canaries. 



The Red Sword-grass {Calocampa vetustd). 



In this species the ground colour of the fore wings varies from 

 whity brown to ochreous brown with a slight reddish tinge. A 

 greyish shade spreads from the base along the median vein to 

 below the reniform stigma in the paler and more typical 

 specimens ; the inner area is dark brown, but widely broken 

 below the reniform by the grey suffusion. The specimens 

 figured on Plate 14 (Figs, i 5> - ? ) ^^^ from Sligo, Ireland, and 

 are referable to var. bruiinea^ Tutt. The inner area in this 

 form is red-brown, or inclining to blackish brown. 



The caterpillar is green, with three yellow lines along the 

 back, and a reddish orange stripe along the area of the 

 spiracles ; a series of black-circled white dots on each side of the 

 central line ; in the form figured (from a skin) on Plate 8, Fig. 3, 

 the lines on the back are white, and the spaces between them 

 black, dotted with white ; the stripe along the reddish spiracles 

 also white, edged above with black ; head, shining light reddish 

 brown. It feeds, from May to July, on various low herbage, 

 such as dock, persicaria, knotgrass, etc., also sedges and yellow 

 flag. 



The moth appears in September and October, and again in 

 March and April, but seems to have been noted at various 

 times both earlier and later. Mathew records that a female 

 captured at sugar on June 11. deposited 36 eggs during the 

 following week. These were laid in a chip box, and the cater- 

 pillars hatched out on June 24, fed up quickly on knotgrass, 

 attained full growth by July 24, and pupated about that date. 



