THE GRASS EGGAR. 119 



these markings become more conspicuous later on, and by the 

 end of October, when it hibernates, they are very distinct. It 

 rests in a straight position, and, if disturbed, falls off its food 

 plant, and rolls in a ring with its head slightly on one side. 



The habits of the Oak Eggar moths {qiterats) are pretty 

 much the same as those of the Northern form, except that the 

 moths fly in July and August, and frequent hedgerows, the borders 

 of woods, heathy commons, and cliffs and sand dunes at the 

 seaside. 



A bred female of either form will attract numerous males, and 

 even the receptacle in which a newly emerged female has been 

 placed is almost as effective as the lady herself. When staying 

 at a cottage on the edge of a moor near Lynton, North Devon, 

 some years ago, I had some pupie of the Oak Eggar. One day, 

 late in July, quite a number of males entered the cottage and 

 made their way to the cage in which the pupju were, and I had 

 no difficulty in boxing several of them. The next day I put the 

 female moth, which had emerged the previous day, into a roomy 

 chip box, and carried it in a satchel to the moor, where it was 

 placed on the ground, the males began to arrive soon afterwards 

 and some fine examples were secured. Although the female 

 was taken on the moor only on the one occasion, that satchel 

 continued to be an object of interest to the male Eggars for 

 several days afterwards. 



Generally distributed, and often common in some localities, 

 throughout the British Isles. Abroad, its range extends over 

 Europe into Asia Minor, Armenia, and Siberia. 



The Grass Eggar {Lmmmm^w irifolii). 



This moth is usually brown in colour. The fore \\ings are 

 inclined to dark reddish brown, and have a pale ochreous brown 

 curved band or ring at the base, a slightly curved line or band 

 of the same colour beyond the middle of the wing ; central spot 



