224 BBITISH BUTTEKFLIES.AND MOTHS 



white ; the spiracular line is yellow, the spiracles 

 orange. It feeds on the leaves of the fir in August and 

 September. 



The perfect insect appears towards the middle of May 

 and June, and flies in fir-woods in the daytime ; the 

 males may often be observed sporting about in con- 

 siderable numbers, sometimes unpleasantly above our 

 reach ; the female is less frequently met with, and, from 

 her more obscure colouring, is very apt to escape obser- 

 vation, when at rest on the trunk of a fir-tree. 



FAMILY XI. 

 FIDONIA LIMBAEIA. THE FEOSTED YELLOW. 



(Plate XI., Fig. 1.) 



This pretty broom-feeding species seems very local ; 

 it was first only known to us as a Scotch inhabitant of 

 these islands, occurring at Dunkeld and at the Bridge 

 -of Earn ; latterly, it has been met with in some plenty 

 .at Stowmarket, in Suffolk. 



The expansion of the wings is about an inch. The 

 fore-wings are deep yellow, speckled with blackish, with 

 a blackish streak along the costa, and deep black hind 

 margin ; the hind-wings have the ground-colour much 

 more suffused with blackish, but the hind margin is not 

 nearly so dark. 



The larva is dull greenish, with a blackish dorsal line 

 'and black subdorsal lines; the spiracular line is con- 

 spicuously yellowish. It feeds on broom in the months 

 of August and September. 



The perfect insect appears in June, and flies by day 

 ; amongst its food-plant. I have never had the pleasure 

 *of taking this pretty species. 



