186 CATAtiOGurt; ov moths. 



Except Gamma this appears to be the most numerous of the 

 genus an<1 the most widely distributed in our counties. It is 

 in all the lists and marked common or abundant in most of them. 

 Mr. Backhouse notes that it came to sugar. I have observed this 

 twice myself, but it is a very exceptional occurrence. It flies 

 very freely to Campion, "Vipers' Bugloss, and other flowers. 



173. P, Iota, (Linn.). Plain Gtolden Y. 

 Plusia Iota. Staint. Man., vol. i., p. 307. 



„ ,, IS^ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 453. 



,, ,, Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. vi., p. 



,, ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 157. 



Laeva. Buck., vol. vii., pi. cii., fig, 6 ; 0. "Wils., pi. xl., fig. 6, 



Generally distributed and fairly plentiful. In aU the lists, 

 being recorded by Mr. Hewitson for Newcastle as far back as 

 1829 (see Steph. Brit. Ent., vol. iii., p. 101), and it still occurs 

 everywhere. 



174. P. Gamma, (Linn.). Silver Y. 



Plusia Gamma. Staint. Man., vol. i,, p. 308. 



,, ,, iN'ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 455. 



,, ,, Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. vi., p. 



„ „ Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 158. 



Laeva. Buck., voL vii., pi. cii., fig. 8; O.Wils., pi, xl., fig. 5. 



Yery common everywhere. 



175. P. Interrogationis, Hub. Scarce Silver Y. 



Plusia Interrogationis. Staint. Man , vol. i., p. 308. 



,, „ I^ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 456. 



„ „ • Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. ii., p. 



,, „ Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 159. 



Larva. Buck., vol. vi., pi. cii., fig. 9. 



This pretty little Plusia, the smallest of our British species, 

 is confined by its food to the moors, where it is not uncommon 

 in the larva state. It is in the Twizell list as Plusia circum- 

 flexa ; Mr. Finlay found larva freely at Bothley Craggs and a 



