66 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Japan, but that form has also a more or less complete series of 

 ochreous-brown dots on the outer area. The metallic colour 

 is sometimes greenish in all forms. 



The caterpillar is pale green, with a darker green line along 

 the middle of the back, bordered on each side by an irregular 

 white line ; an oblique white streak on the sides of each ring 

 from 4-11 ; a stripe low down along the sides is white ; head, 

 yellowish tinged. It feeds on stinging nettle, probably on other 

 plants, and after hibernation attains full growth about May. 

 In favourable seasons caterpillars also occur in July and 

 August. The moth is out in June, July, and August, less 

 frequently in September, and may be found flying along the 

 sides of hedges and ditches, especially where flowering weeds are 

 plentiful, throughout the British Isles ; so far, however, it has 

 not been recorded from the Hebrides, Orkneys, or Shetlands. 



The Scarce Burnished Brass {Phisia chryson). 



The more or less square golden (sometimes green-tinged) 

 patch on the velvety purplish brown fore wings, distinguish this 

 species (Plate 24, Fig. i) from any other British Plusia. 



The caterpillar is green, with a darker line along the middle 

 of the back, and a fine white line on each side of it ; there is a 

 dark green stripe low down along the sides, edged below with 

 white, and oblique white lines run from it to the central line on 

 rings 3-11. It feeds on hemp-agrimony {Eupatorium can- 

 nabimim), hibernates when small, and completes its growth in 

 May or early June. 



The moth is out in July and August, and is said to be 

 occasionally seen, on sunny days, flying about, or resting on, 

 the flowers of the hemp-agrimony and other plants. Night, 

 however, is its more usual time of activity, and it may also be 

 found at the blossoms of the larval food plant, and at those of 

 honeysuckle, etc. 



