346 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



hind wings are slightly pciler, 1><it of the same 

 prevailing tint as the fore wmgs : the head, 

 thoi'ax, and body are grayish-brown, with a 

 tendency to dove-colour ; and there is a most 

 conspicuous transverse black mark on the front 

 of the thorax immediately behind the neck : this 

 very striking mark is convex in front, nearly 

 straight behind., very pointed at the two ex- 

 tremities, and divided by a slender median 

 line. 



" The CATERPILLAR is unknown except 

 through Treitschke's very unsatisfactory de- 

 scription." Guenee. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in July, and 

 is only known as British through the capture 

 of a single specimen by Mr. Bond in the Isle 

 of Wight. With his usual kindness, Mr. 

 Bond has lent me this specimen for figuring 

 and describing in this work. (The scientific 

 name is Noctua flammatra.) 



556. The Setaceous Hebrew Character (Noctua, 

 C-nigrum) . 



556. TH K SETACEOUS HE BREW CHARACTER. 

 The pal[)i are porrected and prominent ; the 

 antennae are simple : the colour of the fore 

 wings is a rich bistre-brown, the orbicular spot 

 large, conspicuous, whitish, and obscurely tri- 

 angular, the base or broadest side of the triangle 

 being towards the costal margin ; the reniform 

 is less in size and less distinct; it is of the 

 usual form ; on the costa, near the tip, is a 

 blackish spot, and the tip itself is rather gray : 

 the hind wings are pale gray-brown : the head 

 and thorax are dark brown, the body pale 

 brown. 



The CATERPILLAR is greenish-gray, with a 

 yellowish dorsal stripe, pale green sub-dorsal 

 stripe, and white spiracular stripe, the space 

 oetween the two last stripes being dark green 



(Hubner). On various low plants. (Stainton's 

 Manual, vol. i. p. 234.) 



This species is double-brooded, the MOTHS of 

 the first brood appearing on the wing in May 

 and June, and those of the second brood in 

 August and September. It is generally dis- 

 tributed in England, Ireland, and Scotland. 

 (The scientific name is Noctua, C-nigrum.) 



557. The Triple-Spotted Clay (Noctua ditrapexium). 



557. THE TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY. The 

 antennae are simple in both sexes : the fore 

 wings are rather narrow ; their colour is rich 

 umber-brown, tinged with red; a very dark 

 shade extends from the base to beyond the 

 reniform, ascending to the sub-costal ray on 

 both sides of the orbicular ; there is a distinct 

 dark brown, almost black, spot seated on the 

 costa, near the tip of the wing : the hind 

 wings and body are gray-brown tinged with 

 saffron reflections ; the head and thorax are 

 darker. 



The CATERPILLAR is grayish-ochreous, with 

 a slight reddish tinge, with darker marks 

 along the back, most conspicuous on the 

 eleventh and twelfth segments. (Hubner.) 

 On various low plants. (Staintoris Manual, 

 vol. i. p. 235.) 



The MOTH appears on the wing in July, and 

 has been taken in Cornwall ; in Devonshire, 

 between Plymbridge and Bickleigh, at Barn- 

 staple, Devonport, Torquay, and Lee Moor ; 

 in Dorsetshire; in Hampshire, in the New 

 Forest; in the Isle of Wight, Sussex, and at 

 Birch Wood, in Kent, but I think not in 

 Scotland : Mr. Birchall informs us he took a 

 pair at sugar, near Galway, in July, 1857. 

 (The scientific name is Noctua ditrapezium.) 



