196 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



a dark V. It feeds on bedstraw in late June and July, and 

 there is a second brood in August and September. The figure 

 of the caterpillar on Plate 79, Fig. 3, is from a coloured drawing 

 by Mr. A. Sich. 



The moth is out in June, sometimes later in the north and 

 earlier in the south, where it occurs as a second generation in 

 August. It is chiefly found in chalk and limestone districts, and 

 may be easily put up from the herbage among which it secretes 

 itself during the day. In the seaboard counties of England, 

 from Kent to Cornwall, it is especially common on the coast, 

 but is also to be met with in suitable inland localities in these 

 counties, and also in Surrey, Middlesex, Herts, Bucks., and 

 Oxford. It is always rare on the eastern side, but on the west, 

 including Wales, it is more or less frequent from Somerset and 

 Wilts, to Westmorland. Not uncommon in Yorkshire, princi- 

 pally in the West Riding, and an odd specimen has been 

 recorded from Durham. Somewhat rare in Scotland, but it has 

 been noted in Berwick, Wigtown, Arran, Clydesdale, and Perth- 

 shire. In Ireland it is local, although often plentiful on the 

 coast. 



Abroad, the range extends to Eastern Siberia. 



Wood Carpet {Xa?ithorho'e {Epirrho'e) rivata). 



The broad, clear white borders of both edges of the dark 

 central band of the fore wings, coupled with the clearer white 

 of the hind wings, and the generally larger size of the moth, 

 should distinguish this species from its very close ally, X. sociataj 

 but it must be added that some forms of the latter species 

 approach the present one exceedingly close. (Plate 81, Figs. 4, 5.) 



The caterpillar is brown or olive-brown, dotted and freckled 

 with white ; three lines on the back, the central one black, the 

 others whitish, not seen on rings 5-8, which have dark V-shaped 



