SQUARE SPOT. 315 



southwards to Kent and Cornwall, and eastward to Norfolk 

 and Sufiolk. In the New Forest, Hampshire, where it is often 

 plentiful, it may be seen on the boles of trees, but is more easily- 

 obtained after dark when it comes to the sugar patch. 



Square Spot {Tep/wosia co?iso7iaria). 



Two examples of this species will be found on Plate 137, Figs- 

 3 $ , 4 $ . There is variation in the greyish or brownish speck- 

 ling of the wings, and this in some typical examples is so 

 sparse that the wings appear to be almost white with brownish 

 basal band and brownish markings on the outer area ; the 

 most conspicuous of the latter being the middle square spot 

 between the second and submarginal lines, more or less distinct 

 in all forms, to which the English name refers. In other speci- 

 nrens the wings are, especially the front pair, densely covered 

 with the dark speckling. Some Surrey specimens, chiefly from 

 the Leith Hill district, have an ochreous tinge ; and quite 

 recently a black form of the species has occurred in a wood near 

 Maidstone, in West Kent. The last phase of aberration seems 

 to be unknown in any other part of Britain, and also, I believe, 

 elsewhere. 



The ^gg (Plate 138, Fig. 2) is yellowish green when laid ; later 

 it becomes yellow, and orange red markings appear, chiefly at 

 one end. 



The somewhat wrinkled caterpillar is ochreous brown above, 

 inclining to greyish between the rings ; an ochreous line along 

 the middle of the back is only clearly defined on the front 

 rings \ the under side is greenish ochreous, and sometimes this 

 colour extends to the upper side also ; the head, which is 

 notched on the crown, is pale ochreous, more or less marked 

 with brown. It feeds at night, in June and July, on birch, 

 beech, oak, pine, etc. 



