264 COMMON BEITISH MOTHS 



oblique white marks. Just above the spiracles is a white stripe. 

 It feeds on the dead nettle (Lamium album), stinging nettle 

 (Urtica dioica), and burdock (Arctium minus), and is full grown 

 in June. 



The Silver Y (Plusia Gamma) 



Our second example of this family is the Silver Y, which may 

 be found in abundance everywhere from June to October. Its fore 

 wings are of a shiny grey colour, beautifully marbled with a rich 

 dark brown ; and just below the orbicular spot is a brilliant silvery 

 spot, in form something like the Greek letter y placed obliquely. 



The base of the hind wings is 

 grey; along the margin is a 

 broad and dark smoky brown 

 band, and the fringe is very 

 light grey, barred with the dark 

 tint of the band. This moth is 

 commonly driven out of its 

 hiding places among low plants 

 FIG. 175. THE SILVER Y. as we walk in waste places, and 



when thus disturbed it takes a 



short and rapid flight, generally disappearing so suddenly among 

 the herbage that it is difficult to locate it correctly. 



The caterpillar is thickest at the twelfth segment, and tapers 

 gradually from this point towards the head. Its body is green, 

 with several thin longitudinal white stripes, and a thin yellow 

 stripe along the spiracles. It may be found from June to October, 

 feeding on many kinds of low plants. 



Family EUCLIDIIDJE 

 The Mother Shipton (Euclidia Mi) 



Passing over a few small and less important families, we come 

 to the Euclidiidce, which contains only two British moths. One 

 of these is the Mother Shipton, a very common insect that flies in 

 June. 



The fore wings of this species are very dark brown with whitish 

 markings. The latter include a peculiarly tortuous line, the character 

 of which will be made out more easily from our illustration (Plate 

 XI, fig. 4) than from a written description. The hind wings are 



