ACIDALIID.a—ACIDAIJA. 45 



dorsal surface pale brown ; bead and segmental divisions 

 chocolate-brown ; wing-cases yellowish-green ; anal tip 

 brown. (G. T. Porritt.) 



The moth sits during the day on stones or rocks, near 

 the ground, or on the faces of quarries, sea-walls, or other 

 walls on the coast ; on the masonry of sea-fronts and 

 esplanades in the outskirts of watering places, and on 

 the slopes of chalk or limestone hills and sea-clitt's ; most 

 plentifully on and near the sea-coast, but also inland where 

 the soil is mainly of chalk or allied formations. Its grey 

 colour is in some degree a protection as it sits with flatly 

 outspread wings in such situations, yet it is quite noticeably 

 careless in this respect, often frequenting rocks which do 

 not at all resemble it in shade of colour ; also sometimes 

 it hides itself under the overhanging edges of coast sandhills. 

 From all these retreats it is readily disturbed, and flies 

 hastily away, yet to no great distance. Its ordinary flight is 

 at dusk and in the night, when it will visit the blossoms of 

 red valerian and other flowering plants, or even the sugar 

 spread for the attention of Xocftur ; but is far more strongly 

 attracted by light, and in its favourite haunts may readily be 

 collected by this means, even sitting quietly and patiently 

 on the street lamps of some of our cities. Most plentiful on 

 the coast, and although to be found, sometimes commonly, 

 in the inland portions of coast counties, rather scarce in 

 distinctly inland districts, common all along the south coast 

 from Kent to the Scilly Islands — in creamy-white forms on 

 the chalky coast of Sussex, more dead-white at I'ortlaml, and 

 on the south coast of Devon — but in the latter county 

 becoming grey on Dartmoor, also found in Somerset, Glou- 

 cestershire, and commonly in Essex, Suttblk, and Norfolk ; 

 very rarely in Gambridgeshire ; and occasionally in Silverdale, 

 Lancashire, in Durham, Northumberland, and Cumberland ; 

 yet I have no record for Scotland. On the coast of Wales it 

 is common, extending to Pembrokeshire, and apparently also 



