302 LEPIDOPTERA. 



rough with close pitting, the unpitted riclge of each segment 

 being very narrow ; abdominal segments more shining 

 though still not very glossy, the pits more minute and 

 scattered, and the posterior edge smooth ; whole body red- 

 brown ; cremaster black-brown, very rough, raised into a 

 rounded thick nipple, from which arise two straight parallel 

 rough spikes curved at their tips in opposite directions, and 

 hooked. In a rouo^h cocoon either under loose bark on old 

 trees, or in the ground at the foot of the tree. 



The moth flies only at night, and may be seen at late dusk 

 buzzing about the upper branches of willow trees. It comes 

 freely to sugar, and sometimes is the only species to be 

 found at that bait on a wet stormy night. Occasional 

 specimens may also be found at the attraction of a strong 

 light. Formerly most abundant about willows in the out- 

 skirts of London ; now not equally so. Still plentiful in the 

 Eastern Counties, and to be found in suitable places almost 

 throughout England, though there is no certain record of its 

 ajopearance in Cornwall, and it is rare in Devon and Dorset, 

 also in the most Northern, and one or two of the Midland 

 counties. I have no knowledge of its presence in Wales 

 though it surely must occur in the South-eastern portion. 

 In Scotland it is very local or rare, but has been taken in 

 Roxburghshire, Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. In Ireland 

 it was said by the late Mr. E. Birchall to be found in 

 Wicklow, but this has not been confirmed. Its range abroad 

 is throughout Central Europe, Southern Sweden, Northern 

 Italy, Livonia, Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Armenia, 

 Persia and the mountain regions of Central Asia. 



2. D. suspecta, Hill. — Expanse \\ inch. Fore wings dull 

 purplish-red, dotted and dusted with black, or shaded with 

 tawny or brownish-grey ; upper stigmata edged with white. 

 Hind wings blackish-brown. 



Antenna3 of the male simple, minutely ciliated, brown, 

 white at the base ; palpi slender, black-brown, apical joint 



