320 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



be traced, but are not very conspicuous ; the 

 reniform has usually a dark central area with 

 a few very pale scales on its outer edge ; the 

 costal margin of the wing is spotted, having 

 seven black and three very small pale spots ; 

 the black markings are thus arranged : two 

 approximate and transversely linear near the 

 base ; then two also approximate before the 

 orbicular ; then a single one opposite the 

 orbicular ; and then two opposite the reni- 

 form j between these and the tip are three 

 very small equidistant pale spots ; every part 

 of the wing is more or less thickly marked 

 with short transverse black lines : the hind 

 wings are pearly-gray, clouded, especially 

 towards the hind margin, with smoky brown, 

 and having the principal wing-rays and a 

 rather indistinct crescentic discoiclal spot 

 dark brown : the head and thorax are very 

 nearly of the same colour as the fore wings, 

 the vinous-red generally prevailing ; the body 

 is dingy gray-brown. 



The CATERPILLAR is stout, and almost uni- 

 formly cylindrical : it is of a grayish-red 

 colour, having the same tinge of colour as the 

 moth ; there is a paler but narrow medio- 

 dorsal stripe which passes through a series of 

 dorsal lozenges of a darker brown : on each 

 side is a lateral stripe, also of darker brown : 

 it feeds on grass, clover, dock, plantain, and 

 probably many other low plants, concealing 

 itself by day, and eating only at night. 



The MOTH appears in May and October, and 

 Mr. Doubleday considers it regularly double- 

 brooded ; Mr. Helliris records the capture of 

 three full-fed caterpillars one in July, the 

 moth appearing on the 22nd of September ; a 

 second on the 2nd of August, the moth appear- 

 ing on the 14th of September; and a third on 

 the 4th of August, the moth appeai-ing on the 

 5th of October. This cai-eful observer adds, 

 " I think we must conclude there are two 

 broods, one on the wing in May and June, 

 the other in Augiist, September, and Octo- 

 ber." This species is very capricious in its 

 appearance, some years being plentiful, others 

 extremely scarce : it seems to be very gene- 

 rally distributed in England and Scotland, 

 and Mr. Birchall informs us that it was taken 



at Dublin in 1865. (The scientific name is 

 Agrotis saiicia.) 



Obs. This is the Pearly Underwing (Noc- 

 hia margaritosa^} of Haworth (Lc.p. Brit., 

 No. 156), and the Dark Pearl Underwing 

 Noctua majuscula) of Haworth (Lep. Brit., 

 No. 157) 



526. The Turnip Moth (Agrotis Segduni). 



526. THE TURNIP MOTH. The antennae 

 are strongly ciliated in the male, simple in the 

 female ; the fore wings are nearly straight on 

 the costa, and nearly square, but rather blunt 

 at the tip ; their colour is pale gray-brown, 

 approaching to putty-colour in the male, dark 

 umber-brown in the female ; the discoidal 

 spots are clearly defined in the male, less dis- 

 tinct in the female, their circumscription or 

 boundary line is very dark, and the central 

 area rather dark, the intervening space being 

 pale ; between the orbicular and the ba*<- of 

 the wing a double and rather sinuous dark 

 line crosses the wing, and outside the reniform 

 is a second double transverse line ; the costal 

 and hind margins are spotted and varied with 

 two shades of brown ; near the hind margin, 

 and parallel therewith, is a row of eight pale 

 spots : these different markings are nearly 

 always traceable, but very inconstant and 

 various as regards their distinctness : the hind 

 wings are pearly white, clouded in the female 



