P YRA USTID^—P YRA USTA. 175 



The moth is a swift and active species, flying in the 

 sunshine over beds of thj'me, but being most actively notice- 

 able towards 6 P.M. It seems to settle only upon the thyme 

 plants. Its one locality in England, where it was discovered 

 in the year 1849, and which has continued to furnish it in 

 tolerable plenty until the present time, is on the sandhills of 

 Wallasey, near New Brighton, Cheshire ; an extensive range 

 of rather settled sandhills. Although this, its only English 

 locality, is situated very near to North Wales, I know of only 

 one instance of its occurrence in the Principality, at Rhyl, 

 in Flintshire. In Scotland it was found about the year 1860, 

 by the late Mr. Thomas Chapman and his son, Dr. T. A. 

 Chapman, on some districts of sea-sand about Troon and 

 Monkton on the coast of Ayrshire, and there also it still 

 exists. In Ireland it was found about the same date on 

 limestone pastures in Galway, and may still be obtained 

 there in plenty, and in the adjoining county of Clare. 

 There is also a record bj- the Messrs. Campbell at Magilligan, 

 CO. Derrj'. These isolated and rather distant localities seem 

 to Complete its range in these Islands ; but it is well known 

 all over the Continent of Europe except the coldest regions, 

 being found commonly even in Corsica and Gibraltar ; and 

 further extending to Madeira, the Canaries, Northern 

 Africa, Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria, Armenia, and India. 



6. P. cingulalis, Schiff. ; cingulata, L.— Expanse J, to 

 I inch (12-16 mm.) Wings all shining black, except a 

 central curved yellow stripe upon each ; and the cilia 

 shining white. 



Antennte of the male threadlike, black-brown ; palpi 

 slender, pointed, black above, brownish-white beneath ; 

 head reddish-brown ; thorax and abdomen black, the latter 

 tapering and having a whitish edging to each segment ; anal 

 tuft shining black. Fore wings brilliantly glossy black, shot 

 with a purplish gloss ; first line curved, very slender, often 

 hardly perceptible, pale yellow ; second line a broader and 



