158 LEPIDOPTERA. 



The moth hides during- tlie day in the dense tufts of 

 its food-pkiut, the Marram grass, sitting at the base of a 

 stem, close to the sand iu which it grows. Here the re- 

 semblance of the moth to the pale brown dried sheath of 

 the grass is very close, and doubtless greatly assists in its 

 concealment. Often, however, it will hide among the roots 

 in the overhanging ledges of banks on the sand-hills, in the 

 manner of its companions, the Agrotcs, and other sand-hill 

 Noctua\ and may be shaken out by means of a stick. At 

 dusk its flight is very swift, and it does not seem to be 

 strongly attracted by sugar, but will sit quietly enough 

 after its flight upon the leaves and blossoms of the Ammo- 

 pliila. It is found only upon sandy coasts, and there only 

 where the sand is held together in hills by the long bristly 

 roots of this grass. In such situations it is found not un- 

 commonly on the Eastern and Southern coasts of England, 

 westward to Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, and up the 

 Bristol Channel to Gloucestershire. Indeed, it is more 

 common in the West, being in some seasons very abundant 

 on the extensive sands of the coast of South Wales, more 

 especially those of Glamorganshire. To a less extent this 

 is also the case iu Pembrokeshire, and at Barmouth in North 

 Wales, as well as on the extensive sands of the Cheshire and 

 Lancashire coasts. On the north-east coast it is known to 

 occur in Yorkshire, and can scarcely be absent from the 

 extensive sands of Northumberland, since in Scotland it 

 is found so far north as Forfarshire. In this country it 

 is, however, very scarce, and on the west side has been 

 noticed only in the Clyde district and at Arran. In Ireland 

 it is found in similar situations on the Dublin coast and 

 on those of Wicklow, Cork, and Kerry, and northward in 

 Donegal, Londonderry, and Antrim. 



Its range abroad seems to be limited to the coasts of 

 Northern and Western France and Northern Germany. 



10, L. loreyi, Dv/p, — Expanse 1| to If inch. Fore 



