ORANGE MOTH. 281 



8 9), is brownish on the basal and outer marginal areas of 

 the fore wings, and nearly the whole of the hind wings. The 

 typical ground colour appears on the fore wings as a central 

 band, but as a rule this does not quite reach the inner margin. 

 Ah. pickettarta^ Prout, is a modification of the corylaria form, 

 in which the typical ground appears on the front margin above 

 the brownish basal patch, and also along the outer margin, 

 thus narrowing the brownish border on that area ; in one male 

 specimen the right pair of wings were corylaria and the left 

 ^2i\r pickettaria. Another modification has the basal and outer 

 marginal areas "a nondescript grey shade in the male and 

 a golden brown in the female" {2^. pallidaria, Prout). Ab. 

 spangbergi^ Lampa, is of the typical form, but is without the 

 dark freckles. Other aberrations have been named, and at 

 least one g^'nandrous specimen is known. The eggs, which 

 are laid in June, hatch in about twelve days. The caterpillars 

 feed slowly until September or October, and then hibernate ; 

 but it has been noted that when reared in confinement, and 

 supplied with privet, they nibble the stems during the winter. 

 Occasionally, a caterpillar will feed up and assume the moth 

 state in the autumn, but the usual habit is to complete growth 

 in the spring, enter the chrysalis state in May, and appear as 

 moths about the end of that month, if in captivity, or in June 

 and July in the open. Various food -plants have been given, 

 among which are hawthorn, sloe, plum, birch, lilac, privet, 

 and honeysuckle. The caterpillar is figured on Plate 118, 

 Fig. 2. 



The male flies in the early evening, but the female not until 

 later. The species frequents woods, and may be disturbed by 

 day from among the bracken and other undergrowth. It is 

 more or less common in many woods throughout the southern 

 half of England, and its range extends northwards to York- 

 shire. In Ireland, it has occurred locally in counties Waterford, 

 Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, and Galway. It has been 



