168 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



their food. Pickett says that the almost full-grown larvae are 

 exceedingly common at St. Margaret's Bay and Martin Mill, where 

 they frequently rest on bramble-stalks ; Nicholson observes that 

 the larvae were in profusion on June 4th, 1899, between Blyth and 

 Hartley, that few were noticed in the daytime, although hot and 

 bright, but that about 8.30 p.m. they began to ascend the stems of 

 grass in large numbers. Phillips observes that the larvcie are to be found 

 most abundantly in early morning, usually actively feeding about 

 7.30 a.m. Other notes read : Young larvae rarely found in autumn 

 in the Kingsmill district, although common in spring (Watkins) ; 

 swarm from beginning of April until first week in June at Salisbury 

 (Ridley; ; larvae, June 9th, 1867, at Eltham (A. H. Jones); on 

 heather May 27th, cocoons, June 30th, at Altadiawan (Kane) ; 

 April 4th — May 27th, 187 1, at Wanstead, April 27th — May nth, 

 1887, at Brentwood, June 18th, 1900, at Wicken, cocoons on June 9th, 

 1890, at Lockerley, June 24th, 1892, at Rainham (Burrows) ; May 6th, 

 187 1, at Lee, May 20th, 1872, at Darenth, May 25th, 1873, at Lee, 

 May 2 1 st, 1877, at Darenth, May 3rd, 1890, on Dartford Heath, 

 May 13th, 1894, May 17th, 1896, at Mottingham, May 28th, 1896, 

 at Stone (Bower); March 19th, 1881, at Eastham Wood, Cheshire 

 (Brown;; May 14th, 1882, at Birmingham (Bath); May 13th, 1888, 

 at Highgate, June 2nd, 1899, at Arundel (Williams) ; May 15th, 

 1890, at Whitwell, May 6th, 1896, at Wallasey, larvae very large 

 for time of year at Heswall, September 10th, 1896 (Freeman 1; June 

 nth, 1890, at Bristol, May 24th, 1892, at Dursley, June 1 6th, 1892, 

 spun up June 25th, at Brockley, June 3rd, 1895, and May 26th, 1896, 

 at Dursley (Bartlett); June 14th — 16th, 1890, at Tancarville (Leech); 

 May 27th, 1891, May 18th, 1897, near Emsworth (Christy); larvae, 

 June 1 8th — 26th, 1892, in great abundance at dusk at Folkestone 

 (James); September 12th, 1892, September 20th, 1895, at Newn- 

 ham (Lifton) ; April nth, 1893, at Kingsdown, April 18th, 1893, 

 at Southend, April 3rd, 1894, at Sandown, May nth, 1894, at 

 Pett (Prout) ; May 19th, 1893, at Colwell Bay, May 21st, 1895, at 

 Perivale (Sich) ; March 3rd — April 1st, 1894, larvae abundant at 

 Connemara (Allen) ; plentiful at Skipwith, March 24th, 1896 

 (Ash); fullfed at Wisbech on reeds, May 28th, 1896 (Glenny) ; 

 April and May, 1896, round Aberfoyle (Evans) ; May 29th, 1896, 

 fullfed at Lymington, June 5th. 1897, fullfed at Yarmouth (Kaye) ; 

 larvae fed up until November 13th, 1896, before hybernating, at 

 Llanstephan (Newland) ; April 17th, 1897, at Formby (Cotton); 

 May 28th, 1897, at Brighton, May 21st — 29th, 1901, at 

 Marhamchurch (Image) ; fullfed larvae at Alnmouth, June 

 8th, 1897, hybernating larvae between Blyth and Hartley, Septem- 

 ber 3rd, 1898, fullfed ones in profusion in same locality, June 4th, 

 1899 (Nicholson); at Painswick, larvae 46mm. long by March 13th, 

 1899 (Watkins); larvae nearly fullfed, May 13th — 17th, 1899, on 

 the slopes of Essex Castle, Alderney (Marquand) ; June 3rd, 1900, 

 at Chattenden (Ovenden); June 4th, 1900, at Askham Bog (Lofthouse); 

 June 28th, 1901, at Askham Bog (Walker). 



Larva. — First instar (just hatched) : The body cylindrical, 

 tapering from prothorax to anus ; legs and prolegs very long. 

 Head, shiny, black, rounded in outline, thinly sprinkled with pale 

 golden and white hairs ; 5 of the ocelli in the form of a crescent, the 



