122 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Eggs (Plate 47, Fig. la), laid in a batch on a dried leaf of 

 dandelion, were whitish at first, but turned reddish later. 



The elongated and somewhat flattened caterpillar (figured 

 on Plate 47, Fig. i, from a coloured drawing by Mr. Sich) is 

 ochreous, with brown lines on the back, the central one double, 

 and interrupted on the middle rings, upon which are oblique pale- 

 brown dashes. It feeds, from September to April, on beaked 

 parsley {Anthrisctis sylvestris\ burnet saxifrage {Pirnpmelld)^ 

 etc., and may be reared on withered leaves of dandelion and 

 other weeds. The moth is out in June and July, and in 

 northern localities in August. Generally distributed, and often 

 common. 



Treble Brown Spot {Acidalia {Ptychopoda) trigeminata). 



This species (Plate 46, Figs. 8, 11) is similar to the last, but 

 generally rather larger and somewhat paler ; the front edge of 

 the fore wings is marked with blackish or dark purplish grey, 

 and there is a band of the same colour on the outer marginal 

 area ; the inner edge of this band is formed by the second line, 

 and the outer edge is wavy, interrupted above the middle, and 

 sometimes below also. 



The rough and rather flattened caterpillar tapers towards the 

 head ; in colour it is dusky brown. The markings comprise 

 interrupted black lines and V-shaped blackish marks on the 

 back. Buckler states that this caterpillar may be distinguished 

 from those of its nearest allies by having a rather long, dingy 

 ochreous bristle from each of the raised dots ; these bristles, 

 which are of the same thickness throughout, curve forwards on 

 all rings to the ninth, and on the other three backwards. It 

 feeds, from September to April, on various low-growing plants, 

 ivy, birch, etc. If kept warm, it is said that whole broods will 

 attain the moth state m July or August ; this may happen some- 

 times, but in my experience only a few individuals have obliged 



