THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



91 



met with by beginners in most parts of the 

 country if they are earnest enough to turn 

 out on the chilly evenings of March. Feed- 

 ing on the various species of bedstraw, it 

 may be found wherever they grow, but is 

 perhaps commonest on railway sides, lanes, 

 &c. It sits on palings, but always close to 

 the ground, and where the grass or other 

 herbage grows up the lower part, Multistri- 

 garia will generally be found concealed 

 behind it. Where there are suitable palings, 

 it may, of course, be found on them during 

 the day. I have not known it come to light, 

 and would be glad to know if it does so 

 elsewhere. 



" MuLTisTRiGARiA, Ha., MuUistviga'ria : 

 multus, many; striga, a streak." — A.L. So 

 called from the many lines that form the 

 markings on the fore wings. 

 . Imago. — The male expands about an 

 inch and a quarter ; the female about an 

 inch. The wings are white or pale grey, 

 and bear a number of dotted lines crossing 

 the wings from the costa to the inner mar- 

 gin. These form a darker central band, 

 narrowest at the inner margin, a nar- 

 rower one between it and the base, and 

 another between it and the hind mar- 

 gin. But between these more distinct 

 bands in each case, is a less distinct, wavy, 

 dotted line. The hind wings are greyish 

 white, with one or two darker lines towards 

 the outer portion. The sexes are easily 

 distinguished by their size, and the female 

 generally has the bands more distinctly 

 defined. 



Larva. — Brownish green, with brown 

 longitudinal lines ; spiracles black. 



Pupa, — Reddish brown ; subterranean. 



Food Plants. — The bedstraws appear 

 to be the natural food of the larva, especi- 

 ally the yellow (Galium verum), hut it eats 

 woodruff readily (A. odorata). Heath and 

 sallow are also given by Owen Wilson as 

 natural foods, 



Times of Appearance.— The imago 



emerges in March and continues on the wing 

 till the following month. But it is much 

 influenced by the weather, and while in a 

 forward season like the preeent, it is sure to 

 be out in the early part of the month, when 

 severe weather continues long, it does not 

 appear till quite the end of March, or even 

 the beginning of April. The eggs hatch in 

 about fourteen days, and the larva are full 

 fed by June. 



Habitat. — Open places wherever the 

 food grows. It is generally distributed 

 throughout England and Scotland. It is 

 known to occur in Ireland, but that country 

 not having the advantage of local collectors 

 almost everywhere as this island has, we have 

 much to learn as to the distribution of the 

 various species that occur there. It is not 

 widely distributed on the continent, France 

 and Holland being about the extent of its 

 range. Anyone, therefore, collecting to ex- 

 change with entomologists on the continent 

 will find this a useful species to procure. 



Variation. — Except in the intensity of 

 the markings or extra width of the bands, I 

 have met with or heard of no variation in 

 this species. The female appears to vary 

 rather more than the male. 



AN 



ANNUAL GATHERING. 



The decision announced in our last, that 

 this meeting should be held at the Wallasey 

 Sand Hills, near Livepool, appears to have 

 given satisfaction to several who purpose to 

 be present. But living at a distance from 

 the place Avith which he is not familiar, it is 

 easy for the writer to make suggestions that 

 cannot well be carried out. Knowing that if 

 he attended, he would have to stay all night 

 in Liverpool, he thought others would be 

 doing the same, but from communications 

 ffom various correspondents, it appears that 



