AGROTIS. 41 



The hind-wings are snow-white in the male, with a narrow 

 brown border, and white fringes. In the female the hind- 

 wings are more or less dusted with grey. 



The larva is usually brown and dusky grey, in alternate 

 stripes. There is a pale dorsal line, running from the head to 

 the extremity of the body, and bordered on each side by a 

 dark line. Next to this are four dull black dots on each 

 segment, the two anterior of which are the smallest and are 

 placed closest together. The spiracles are black, and there is 

 a black dot on each side of them. The legs and pro-legs 

 are brownish-grey. The head is convex, light brown, 

 with two stripes composed of dark brown dots. Both the 

 head and body are remarkably shining. It is a very ugly 

 larva. 



It feeds on the roots of grass, corn, turnips, carrots, 

 cabbage, and many other plants, and is often very destructive. 

 The larva hybernates two or three inches below the sur- 

 face of the ground in an oval hollow, and in the spring 

 attacks the roots without coming to the surface. It remains 

 hidden during the day, and is only found on the roots at 

 night. It prefers young roots, and drags down the stem and 

 leaves under the ground. 



The smooth brown pupa is formed in April, May, or June, 

 and the moth emerges about four weeks later. 



THE BUGONG MOTH. AGROTIS SP1NA. 

 (Plate CXXVIL, Fig. 7.) 



Agrotis spina^ Guenee, Spec. Gen. Lepid. Noct. i. p. 269 

 (1852); Walker, List Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus. x. p. 348, 

 no. 100 (1856). 



This Moth, which expands from an inch and a quarter to 

 two inches, abounds in many parts of Australia, Tasmania, and 



