l62 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Dark Umber (Scotosia rha7nfiafa). 



The blackish oblique band on the fore wings of this ochreous 

 brown species (Plate 60, Fig. 7 S > 8 $ ) is sometimes indicated 

 only by the blackish lines, the space between them being hardly 

 darker than the general colour. Sometimes all the wings are 

 suffused with blackish brown, and in such specimens the only 

 distinct marking is the whitish submarginal Hne. 



The caterpillar is green, with three lines along the back, the 

 central one dark green, and the others yellow ; the hind wings 

 are marked with purple, and a stripe of the same colour runs 

 along under the spiracles. In another form the general colour 

 is greyish with a reddish-brown stripe along the back, and 

 series of spots of the same colour along the sides. It may be 

 found in May and June, concealed between leaves that it has 

 fastened together to form a rttreat. 



The moth flies in late June and in July, and may be disturbed 

 in the daytime from buckthorn bushes. It is widely dis- 

 tributed, and often common in the South of England, but is rare 

 in the north ; and has also been recorded from South Wales. 



Note. — This species has been referred to transversata^ 

 Hufnagel, and as this is an earlier name it may have to be 

 adopted. According to Prout, both this and the preceding 

 species should be placed in the genus Philere7ne^ Hiibner. 



Small Phoenix {Eustroma silaceata). 



In its typical form (Plate 63, Fig. 3) the blackish band of 

 the fore wings is entire, but in ab. ins2clata, Haworth (Fig. 4), 

 this band is interrupted by two whitish lines along the mediae 

 veins, and so divided into three or four portions, the smaller 

 section placed between the lines ; occasionally, the dividing 

 lines assume stripe-like proportions, and the main portions are 



