LEPIDOPTERA IN RELATION TO FLOWERS. 363 



While I am on this part of the subject, I may as well refer to 

 the Sweet William, which belongs to the same family as the 

 Campions. Mr. E. C. Eggleton, now one of the oldest of Glasgow 

 entomologists, has for many years planted large beds of this 

 flower in his garden at Fintry, Stirlingshire, principally on 

 account of its attractiveness to Moths, especially to the species of 

 the genus Plusia. By this means he has been able to obtain a 

 considerable series of the rare but widely-distributed Plusia 

 hractea, Fb. It has been his experience that the Plusias and 

 other dark insects carefully avoid the white varieties of Sweet 

 William, and that the dark-purple varieties, that is the most 

 inconspicuous, appeal most strongly to their tastes. On the con- 

 trary, the Shark Moth (CucuUia umhratica^ Linn.), which is 

 light in colour, seems to make instinctively for the white flowers. 

 It would not, however, pay the plants to cater for such light- 

 coloured species, for they represent only a very insignificant 

 minority of night-flying Moths, and are, besides, very inconstant 

 in their attentions to flowers. 



I shall now take the other plants as they stand on the list. 



Anthyllis Vulneraria, Linn., appeared to be a great favourite 

 with Macroglossa steUatar'um, Linn., in Wicklow. I have not 

 noticed that any other species are attracted to it. In all proba- 

 bility, however, this is the " kind of vetch " to which reference 

 was made in the beginning of this paper. 



The Bramble (Bubus) is one of the few white flowers which 

 seems to be attractive to Moths. I have taken the following 

 insects at Bramble blossom at night: — Mamestra hrassicce, Linn., 

 Ajmmea oculea, Linn., Trij^hcena comes. Hub., Calocampa 

 vetusta, Hub., and Calocamjja exoleta, Linn. But the behaviour 

 of Moths visiting Bramble, is altogether different from that which 

 they assume towards other flowers. Instead of flying directly to 

 the blossoms, they sneak along beneath the leaves and thorns, 

 appear for a minute against the white ground, and vanish. 



Marsh Cinquefoil {Potentilla Comarum, Nestl.) is a very 

 peculiar plant. Sometimes insects fairly swarm round it, at other 

 times scarcely a Moth is to be seen. Apamea hasilinea, Fb., 

 appears to be particularly fond of it, and it is likewise visited by 

 Xylophasia monogly2:)ha, Hufn., Linn., Mamestra hrassicce, Linn., 

 Apamea gemina, Hiib., Miana /asciimcula, Haw., Triphcena 



