238 CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 



I have not been able to satisfy myself of the correct distribu- 

 tion of this species in the North of England. It appears to be 

 fairly common on the west side, as least as far north as Carlisle. 

 Mr. Meyrick says it extends to Eoss and Moray in Scotland. 

 If that be so, it is curious it should not occur freely with us. It 

 is only recorded from four localities in Yorkshire, in one of which, 

 at least, it is very rare. I would assume it reached its north- 

 eastern limits in Yorkshire, but for Mr. Meyrick' s statement. 

 The only notice I have of its occurrence with us is that Mr. 

 Backhouse recorded it (under the name of Respersaria) as being 

 found at Shull. It is a likely enough locality, but the record 

 was made 40 or 50 years ago, and it is certainly desirable we 

 should know if it still occurs there. The larva feeds on Broom. 

 Can the collectors in the Derwent Yallcy not turn it up ? 



ZEREKIDiE. 

 ABRAXAS, Leach. 



71. Abraxas grossulariata, (Linn.). Laege Magpie. 



Abraxas grossulariata. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p, 66. 

 „ „ JsTewm. Brit. Moths, p. 98. 



,, „ Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 267. 



Laeva. Buck., voLvii., pl.cxxiv.,fig.l ; 0.Wils.,pl.xxii.,fig.7. 



This species of course is abundant everywhere, and the name 

 appears in all the lists. A specimen with the ground colour 

 deep yellow was taken at Byers Green by the late Thomas 

 Hann. Mr. J. P. Taylor took one at Throston, Hartlepool, in 

 which the forewings were nearly all black. I once found on 

 some Gooseberry bushes that had run wild in West Hartlepool 

 Cemetery some 300 pupse of this insect. From these I bred 

 some very curious varieties, including one with bone-coloured 

 ground, one so slightly scaled that it looked transparent, one 

 much darker on one wing than the other, etc. I endeavoured 

 to pair the bone- coloured one with an ordinary male, but 

 they would not pair, and she sat absolutely without moving. 

 I have no doubt she was diseased in some way. Many years 



