194 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



The perfect insect appears in October, and frequents 

 ivy-bloom ; it may occasionally be taken at sugar ; it 

 lives through the winter, and comes out from its hiding- 

 quarters in the spring, when it may be occasionally 

 found feasting on the blossoms of the sallows. 



FAMILY VIII. ORTHOSIM;. 

 XANTHIA CERAGO. THE SALLOW. 



This pretty insect is very generally distributed 

 throughout the country, and is tolerably common in 

 most localities. 



The expansion of the wings is nearly 1^ inch. The 

 fore-wings are of a pale yellow, with several purplish 

 transverse lines and bands, which, however, are some- 

 times almost entirely obliterated ; beyond the middle is 

 a rather conspicuous dark-grey spot, being the lower 

 half of the reniform stigma ; the head and front of the 

 thorax are pale yellow (in the rather closely allied 

 X. Flavago, the Pink-barred Sallow, they are purplish) ; 

 the hind- wings are white. 



The larva is of a violet-brown, with the dorsal line 

 bordered by two white lines, and the spiracular line 

 greyish. It feeds in the catkins of the sallow when 

 young, afterwards on various low plants. 



The perfect insect appears in September, and may 

 often be taken flying amongst sallow-bushes at dusk ; it 

 also comes to sugar and to light. 



FAMILY IX. COSMID.E. 

 DICYCLA 00. THE HEART MOTH. 



(Plate VIII., Fig. 2.) 



This elegant species seems restricted in its range to 



