184 BBITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



subdorsal and spiracular lines dull reddish ; it burrows 

 down the stems of various grasses in the spring. 



The perfect insect makes its appearance in July, and 

 keeps out some time ; it comes very freely to sugar, and 

 also to light ; in the daytime we often see it sitting on 

 palings. 



FAMILY V. APAMID^E. 



MIANA LJ.TEROSA. THE BOSY MINOR 



(Plate VII., Fig. 2.) 



This elegant little Noctua seems pretty generally 

 distributed throughout the country and moderately 

 common. 



The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The 

 fore-wings are of a pale grey, varied with dark grey, 

 and delicately tinged with rosy ; the two stigmata are 

 pale grey, the orbicular with a dark outline, the reni- 

 form only with a dark edge towards the base of the 

 wing; beneath the reniform stigma is a large pale 

 blotch reaching to the inner margin, preceded by a dark 

 line, which is nearly straight. 



The larva, which feeds in the stems of grasses in 

 April, has been very little observed. 



The perfect insect appears towards the middle of 

 June and in July ; it is sometimes found flying along 

 hedges at dusk, and comes rather freely to sugar. 



FAMILY VI. 

 GRAMMESIA TR1LINEA. THE TKEBLE LINES. 



A very common species, and very generally distributed 

 in the southern and midland counties of England ; 



