CATALOCrUE OF MOTHS. 71 



It is probable that it will be found in the Hexham district, in- 

 deed, it would only be in harmony with its general distribution 

 to find it further to the north in the west of Northumberland 

 than in the east. The larva is not at all choice in its food, and 

 will eat almost everything. It can only therefore be climatal 

 causes that restrict its range. 



Very extreme forms of this species have been met with, but 

 none have occurred in our district to my knowledge. I have 

 reared very well marked examples sometimes, but always strictly 

 typical. 



23. Spilosoma Menthastri, W. Y. White Ermine. 



Spilosoma Menthastri. Staint. Man., vol. i., p. 147. 



Arctia ,, Newm. Bnt. Moths, p. 35. 



Spilosoma ,, Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. ii., p. 286. 



Diacrisia ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 40. 



Laeva. Buck., vol. iii., pi. xlv., fig. 2 ; CWils., pl.xii., fig. 4. 



This species is much more generally distributed in our counties 

 than the last. It is reported from I^ewcastle as far back as 

 1829 by Mr. W. C. Hewitson (Steph. Illus. Haust., vol. ii., 

 p. 175). It is also in the Twizell list. More recently Mr. 

 Wasserman reported it as "common and conspicuous on the 

 coast" (Trans., vol. v., p, 286). Mr. Pinlay took it, though 

 not plentifully, at Meldon Park, Miss Eossie took it at Kenton, 

 Mr. Patterson at Corbridge, and Mr. Henderson at Jesmond. In 

 Durham it is recorded as an abundant species in all the lists, I 

 tlierefore omit the references. 



I took some very fine varieties of this species at light near 

 Throston, Hartlepool, in 1880 and 1881. They had the wings 

 suffused with pale brown, the spots being as usual. This form 

 has since been taken by Mr. Eeid in Aberdeenshire. One of 

 those I took deposited ova, from part of which Mrs. Hutchinson 

 of Leominster reared some similar specimens, but those I re- 

 tained for myself produced only the normal form. 



