IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 127 



rather an expected occurrence, considering the lapse of time ; but 

 he said, ' It looks like one of the moths I used to take flying about the 

 mugwort that grew so plentiful on the sand-hills, about half a mile 

 from the coast.' This was circumstantial evidence, indeed, said as it 

 was in ignorance of the species being a day flyer, and having no idea 

 of the foot-plant of its larva. The Cumberland locality, especially rich 

 in entomological specimens as it was, has been overtaken by the march 

 of improvement ; the port of Silloth now occupying the ground. 

 Though the larva is also said to feed on the common mugwort (Arte- 

 mixia vulyaris), A. campetlris appears to be its special pabulum. This 

 plant has a very restricted range in Britain, being wholly confined to 

 sand-hills. Watson, in his ' Cybele Britannica,' only gives it as an 

 inhabitant of one, and doubtfully of three, of the eighteen provinces 

 into which great Britain is there divided. Babington says: ' Sandy 

 heaths in Norfolk and Suffolk ; rare.' Hence of all districts we might 

 expect these eastern counties to produce scutosa, and it is from Norfolk 

 that the capture of two specimens has lately been recorded by Mr. 

 Thornthwaite (' Entom.' ix., L8 ; x., 99) ; and, as an entomologist so 

 experienced as Mr. C. G. Barrett is satisfied with their bond fides, it is 

 needless to remark further on these recent captures. Though the 

 occurrence of scutosa at light seems rather at variance with the known 

 habits of the species, still Heliothis is a most uncertain genus in many 

 respects. The figure is from a series in my collection, taken in 

 Morocco, by the late Mr. Trovey Blackmore " (' Entom.,' x., pp. 106- 

 108). Mr. C. G. Barrett writes : " In the Eev. Henry Burney's col- 

 lection, I saw one of the two specimens of H. scutosa, taken 50 years 

 ago by Mr. Heysham, near Carlisle. It is a female in good condition, 

 and darker in colour, and more strongly marked than those obtained 

 in Norfolk some years ago by Mr. Thornthwaite. I think that no 

 doubt need be entertained of the genuineness of this example of one 

 of our rarest British species " (' Ent. Mo. Mag.' vol. xxv., p. 225). 



Heliothis, Och., peltigera, Schiff., Hb. 



Of this species Guenee says : " The specimens from India do not 

 in any way differ from those of Europe " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., p. 180), 

 whilst Humphrey and Westwood write : " This species is variable in 

 the depth of its markings " (' British Moths,' p. 236). This species is 

 more generally found in Britain than its congener armigera. Schiffer- 

 miiller's name is really without description, as he simply says: 

 " Blasszimmetfarbene rand fleckechte Eule " (' Sys. Verz.,' p. 89). I 

 therefore quote a description of Hiibner's figure: "Anterior wings 

 yellow-ochreous (slightly brownish) from the base to the elbowed 

 line, in which area we find the basal line represented by three black 

 dots, the reniform black and the orbicular represented by a minute 

 black dot ; the elbowed line is double and consists of a brownish line 

 near the reniform and a wavy brown line some little distance beyond ; 

 the subterminal outlined with yellow ; the space between the elbowed 

 and subterminal, greyish, between the subterminal and outer margin, 

 ochreous-brown ; a dark longitudinal lunular costal patch between the 

 elbowed and subterminal lines. Hind wings with a dark outer band, 

 the base paler grey, a dark lunule ; a pale mark on the outer edge of 

 the wing-in the centre of the dark band " (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.,' 

 fig. 310). 



