170 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



at the base, then a grand band intersected by 

 two ferruginous bars, the inner of which is 

 broader and more distinct than the outer, 

 then a broad smoky-black band in which the 

 discoidal spot is generally obliterated ; this 

 bar.i is bordered with white ; lastly, there 

 is a broad gray hind-marginal band which 

 includes two slender waved rust - coloured 

 lines, a rust-coloured costal blotch, and a 

 double black spot within the hind margin 

 about the middle ; the hind wings are dingy- 

 gray, with various transverse markings ; the 

 head, thorax, and body are variegated with 

 gray and brown ; the body has two blackish 

 spots placed transversely on each segment. 



N.B. The broad median band is some- 

 times purplish red. 



The EGGS are laid on lady's bedstraw (Ga- 

 lium veriim), in July, and the CATERPILLAR 

 feeds freely on that plant as well as on sweet 

 woodroffe (Asperula odorata) ; my specimens 

 were full-fed on the 30th of August, and then 

 rested in a posture slightly bent, and with the 

 head usually porrected, but bending down- 

 wards in a prone position on the slightest 

 touch. The head is flat, exactly of the same 

 width as the second segment, but not so wide 

 as the following; thebody is slightly depressed, 

 without excrescences, but having a manifest 

 lateral skinfold and numerous minute warts, 

 each of which emits a bristle ; these warts 

 and bristles are eight or ten on each segment ; 

 the colour of the head is pale testaceous-brown 

 or putty-colour, with dark brown spots, some 

 of which group together and form two longi- 

 tudinal stripes, one on each cheek ; the body 

 is pale testaceous-brown or putty-coloured, 

 with numerous dark brown dots, which asso- 

 ciated, form lozenges on the back, and longi- 

 tudinal rivulet markings on the sides ; the 

 perfect lozenges on the back are four in 

 number, and each has a quadrate black spot 

 in the centre ; there are two principal lateral 

 rivulet stripes, both of them double ; the 

 lower of these comprises the black spiracles, 

 and terminates in the anal claspers ; a long 

 black spot on each side runs into the ventral 

 claspers ; the double rivulet markings of the 

 ventral surface are five in number ; of these 



the median one is the narrowest and the 

 palest in colour, and its component parts most 

 approximate ; the upper double stripe on each 

 side is situated just below the skinfold, it is 

 very interrupted and indistinct, and contains 

 five quadrate black spots, namely, on the fifth, 

 sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth segments ; 

 the warts are pale, and the bristles they emit 

 are black with white tips : my specimens of 

 this caterpillar changed to dark brownglabrous 

 chrysalids in a slight web among dry remains 

 of the food-plant on the surface of the earth. 



The MOTH is common in May and June, 

 and again in August, in many of our Eng- 

 lish counties, and occurs also in Scotland 

 and Ireland. (The scientific name is Core- 

 mia unidentata. ) 



Obs. Since it has been discovered that 

 Coremia unidentata occasionally has a purple- 

 red median band very much resembling that 

 of C. .ferrugata, it has become extremely 

 difficult to define in words the distinguishing 

 characters of the two species : so long as C. 

 ferrugata was distinguished by its ferruginous, 

 and C. unidentata by its dark brown band, 

 there was no difficulty in separating the two 

 species ; but now that C. unidentata has been 

 found to vary in this respect, the test character 

 as it was formerly thought no longer continues 

 to be such, and it becomes necessary to breed 

 both species from the egg before the name of 

 the red-banded specimens can be positively 

 pronounced. The same difficulty does not 

 exist with the brown-banded specimens, as I 

 have never seen a specimen of C. ferrugata 

 with the brown band. Nevertheless, the prac- 

 tised eye rarely fails to distinguish between the 

 two species : C, ferrugata always seems to me 

 more variegated, and to have a greater mixture 

 of colours. Guenee combines the two, making 

 the unidentaria oi. Ha worth his variety A, and 

 he adds that although C. unidentaria is not 

 essentially different from the type (C. ferru- 

 gata), except in colour, this is so constant that 

 he would have been tempted to give it as a 

 distinct species, had not Sepp figured both 

 varieties as bred from the same caterpillar : 

 C. unidentaria varies a little, but far less than 

 C. ferrugata. It ought to be added that the 



