340 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The moth, which is out in late June and in July, occurs in 

 woods and plantations ; also said to be found in meadows, and 

 on rough waste ground, as well as in marshes and salterns. 

 The distribution is much as in the last species, but it is plentiful 

 in East Yorkshire, and the range extends to Cumberland and 

 Northumberland. 



Six-spot Burnet [Zygczna filipendula). 



This species (Plate 147, Figs. 3-5) is the most generally 

 common of our Burnets. Perhaps the most frequent form 

 of variation in the spots of the fore wings is that in which 

 the outer pair run together, and so form a blotch ; but union 

 of the middle pair is not an uncommon occurrence. In ab. 

 cytisi^ Hiibner, the three pairs of spots are each united, so that 

 the fore wings have three separate blotches, and when these 

 are of a dull scarlet instead of the usual crimson, ab. ramburi^ 

 Lederer, is represented. Occasionally, the spots are united, 

 as in ab. cytisi, and the blotches thus formed are connected 

 by reddish streaks in various modifications leading up to ab. 

 conjuncta^ Tutt, which has all the spots merged into a large 

 blotch, extending over the disc of the fore wings. From the 

 normal crimson, the spots and the hind wings vary now and 

 then to orange {aurantia, Tutt), or to yellow (ab. flava, 

 Robson = cerifitcs, Robson and Gardner) ; intermediate shades 

 between these two extremes, and the typical coloration, are 

 rather more frequent. I am indebted to Mr. R. Adkin for the 

 loan of the example of the yellow form shown on Plate 148, 

 Fig. 6. Pink, and orange, forms have been noted from various 

 parts of England, but they seem to occur, or have been found, 

 more especially in Cambridge and the north-east corner of 

 Essex. Fig. 7, Plate 148, represents an example of ab. chrysan- 

 themi^ Hiibner, and is copied from Oberthiir's Etudes d'Entom., 

 XX., Plate 8, Fig. 134. A few specimens referable to this form, 



