TORTRtCINA. 97 



extending one-third along the costa, and rather more along the 

 dorsal margin, is a transversely streaked patch, with an undulated 

 sharply-defined edge ; its colour umber on a deep fuscous ground, 

 and speckled with cream-colour in the middle. From the middle of 

 the costa, and joining to the basal patch, proceeds a broad, similarly- 

 coloured oblique central fascia (discernible only in certain lights), 

 terminating within the anal angle ; its edges not sharply denned, 

 and before attaining the dorsal margin it encounters a conspicuous 

 and irregularly-formed black spot with a pale border. The apical 

 region is clouded with ferruginous brown and fuscous, and the costa 

 is marked with four cream-coloured geminated streaks before the 

 apical spot, which is distinct, and below it are a few cream-coloured 

 freckles ; the costal streaks blend and merge into lustrous blue ob- 

 lique lines, and below them is a curved row of black spots, which is 

 continued down the middle of the ocelloid patch : this latter is large, 

 oval, and distinct, formed of two lustrous blue clouds, and the afore- 

 said black spots, which are edged with white. The dorsal blotch is 

 of irregular shape, and marked with two or more black spots or 

 streaks upon the margin. A few faintly lustrous dull dark blue 

 dashes, especially on the costa and towards the apex. Apical scales 

 umber, with whitish tips. Cilia : at the apex umber, then ochreous, 

 becoming paler at the anal angle. Posterior wings and marginal 

 scales dark fuscous ; the latter with straw-coloured bases. Cilia 

 straw-colour, with the middle pale fuscous. Abdomen with the caudal 

 tuft ochreous. $ Exp. al. 9 lin. Marked like the .< , but much darker 

 in colour, and the light parts of a paler tinge. 



A common species,, and varies both in size and colour, but not 

 very materially. It is scarcely separable from H.cirsiana y except 

 that it is always larger. The Ephippiphora novana of M. Guenee 

 appears to be a large variety of the rf of this species : it expands 

 10 lines, is more acute at the apex of the anterior wings, and paler 

 on the dorsal margin, where there are two large, distinct, pale 

 rounded blotches, one in the middle, the other at the anal angle ; 

 this latter is in fact the ocelloid patch, and is marked trans- 

 versely with three or four black spots, or short longitudinal 

 streaks. Fig. 902 of pi. 31, in Wood's ' Index Entomologicus/ 

 represents this variety. 



The imago appears in June and July, and is generally distri- 

 buted throughout England and the south of Scotland ; also in 

 the vicinity of Dublin. 



The pupa is 5 lines in length, of a dark brown colour, and 

 remains in this state about three weeks. 



The larva feeds in the stems of Thistles, and may be found in 

 the pith throughout the winter and spring, up to April and 

 May, when it goes into pupa ; it forms a rough cocoon of the 



ii 



