About forty years back British specimens of this beautiful 

 moth were so rare, that only one was well authenticated ; and 

 now there is scarcely a cabinet in which the male, at least, is 

 not to be found. 



A very excellent history of this insect is given by Mr. J. P. 

 Neale in the Entomological Transactions, where he says, 

 " The larva was beat off the Birch in Darent Wood, near 

 Dartford in Kent, June 6, 1805. This larva was placed in a 

 cage, and continued to feed until July the 8th ; it then began 

 to spin amongst the dead leaves, mixing the earth and leaves 

 in a web, like Noctua Sponsa and N. Nupta. The perfect insect 

 appeared the 20th of March following." Several have been 

 bred in February, and a female as early as January 19th; and 

 one of this sex was taken the 15th of April, on an Alder stump 

 in Coomb Wood. Males have remained in pupae two years, 

 one of which was bred by Mr. Standish in November. 



Godart says the caterpillars live in societies, containing from 

 twelve to fifteen individuals, during the first six weeks, and 

 always raise the anterior portion of the body in repose, like 

 those of the Sphingidee, which they also resemble in having a 

 sort of tail and oblique pale stripes on the sides. They feed 

 on the Birch, Alder, Nut, Beech, and Lime, and are full- 

 grown the beginning of July. 



This insect is widely dispersed, having been observed at 

 Darent and Coomb Woods ; Ashdown Forest, Sussex ; near 

 Plymouth, and in Dorsetshire, I believe; near Ipswich in 

 Suffolk, and in Shropshire. 



The males fly with great rapidity from about eleven to two 

 o'clock in the day in woods, and are very difficult to capture. 

 Mr. Haworth is of opinion that " The males fly by day in the 

 manner of B. (Lasiocampa, ^j/. 181.) Qiiercus, hunting the 

 sluggish females, which are incapable of easy flight, on account 

 of their heavy bodies, and their wanting the spiral spring and 

 socket of the males at the base of the upper wings. There is 

 no doubt but the males ' assemble^ in the manner of the Eggar 

 and Vapourer Moths, &c., in the vicinity of female pupae about 

 to hatch." 



Endromis is nearly allied to Ptilophora {pi. 328.) on the 

 one hand, and to Saturnia (Genus 806 of Guide) on the other. 

 I should observe, that the palpi are so thickly clothed (except 

 at the base) with rigid hairs, which it was impossible to re- 

 move, that some portion of the joints may not be quite correct 

 in the outline. 



I am indebted to a friend for the drawing of the larva, which 

 is represented feeding on the Birch-tree {Betula alba). 



