WAINSCOT— CLAY—BRIGHT-EYE 



larva is brownish-ochre in colour, with three light lines 

 down the back, and dark stripes on the sides. 



Shoulder-Striped Wainscot. — {Leucania {Cirphis) comma). 

 June and July sees this brownish, conspicuous-veined 

 moth on the wing. It has acquired its popular name 

 because of a black streak, succeeding a white stripe, 

 on the forew^ings. It haunts grassy waysides, fields, 

 and meadows. It is of wide distribution, and the larva 

 feeds on various kinds of grasses from June until early 

 Autumn. The larva resembles that of the Smoky 

 Wainscot, but a dark Hne down the back is a distinguish- 

 ing feature. 



The Clay — {Leucania {Sideridis) lithargyria.) It seems 

 strange that it is necessary for a moth having a short 

 popular name to have bestowed upon it a scientific one 

 of such dimensions. However that may be. The Clay 

 is a common enough species where there are grasses in 

 and near woods, and it is on the wing from June to 

 August. The pale brown larva has a white line down the 

 back, with dark edges, and a wide one on the sides of 

 black, with a white edge beneath. There is also a whitish 

 line under the blackish spiracles. It feeds on grasses in 

 April and May. The imago is fawn-colour on the fore- 

 wings, with a spot of white and some black dots, and 

 greyish on the hind ones. 



Brown-Line Bright-Eye. — {Leucania {Chabuata) coni- 

 gera.) This species is famihar in many locaHties, but 

 it appears more fond of the south than the north. It 

 haunts grassy places, and is on the wing in June and 

 July. The larva feeds on grasses in April and May, and 

 is yellowish, or greyish-brown, with three lines of yellow 



69 



