THE NI MOTH. 71. 



will be noted, the silvery central Y-mark is differently formed. 

 Here it is made up of a curve somewhat like the letter U, and 

 an oval or round spot, the latter very close to and sometimes, 

 as in the example figured, united with the former. 



The caterpillar, which feeds on cabbage and other Cruciferse, 

 also on lettuce, tomato, etc., is green, inclining to yellowish 

 green and dotted with white ; three white lines along the back, 

 and a white stripe along the sides. It is said to be more 

 slender in form than the caterpillar of P. gamma. (Plate 28, 

 Fig. I.) 



The earliest British specimen was taken at flowers of red 

 valerian in a garden at Exeter, August, 1868. The next year a 

 specimen occurred, also in a garden, at Penzance. Then 

 followed captures in Dorset, one 1885, and one (Isle of Port- 

 land) 1888. Two caterpillars were found in the Isle of Portland 

 in 1894, and these produced moths in September of that year. 

 At least eight moths were secured at Penzance in 1894, and 

 specimens were subsequently reared from caterpillars found on 

 cabbages in the gardens around Lynwood. In May, 1896, one 

 example of the moth was taken by Mr. Percy Richards at 

 Norbiton, Surrey. The last recorded capture appears to be that 

 by Mr. Finzi of a female specimen at Tenby, South Wales, on 

 June 9, 1906. She deposited a few eggs in the collecting-box, 

 and the caterpillars that hatched from them were reared on 

 broccoli and lettuce, and produced moths, July 24-30. 



Plusia ni ranges through south-east and southern Europe, 

 to Asia Minor, North Africa, and the Canaries. In the Isle of 

 Capri it is said to be almost as common as P. garmna. 

 BrassiC(£, Riley (1870), is a well-known Plusia in America, 

 where it is classed among noxious insects. It is somewhat 

 larger and browner in colour than European ?zz, but in every 

 other respect it seems to agree so exactly that it can hardly be 

 considered specifically distinct. 



