BOARMID/K—BISTON. 123 



see a specimen on a lamp, but notliing nnnsnal to see the 

 insect night after night actually sitting upon a tree, by the 

 light of a street lamp, of which, nevertheless, it takes no 

 notice. This habit of sitting for days and nights on the 

 same tree, without moving, extends to both sexes, and, indeed, 

 in a special degree to the female, which — probably after de- 

 positing its eggs — has been found alive in precisely the same 

 spot, on a tree trunlc, for ten successive days ! and not in 

 exceptionally cold or wet weather, but during wet and dry, 

 warm and cold alike, while life lasted. As it sits its wings 

 are quite deflected or roofed, the fore wings concealing the 

 hind. Although quite common in London, and to be seen as 

 one walks about the more suitable streets, and in some years 

 very abundant, it appears never to be very common in the 

 country districts, yet may occasionally be taken through- 

 out the South of England with the Eastern Counties, and it 

 is said to be now common in the gardens of the City of 

 Norwich ; it has ako been taken at Rugeley, Staffordshire, 

 and very rarely in Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Cumber- 

 land. In Wales I have several times taken it at Pembroke, 

 as already remarked upon. In Scotland it is found occasionally 

 in the south-west to Clydesdale, and also in Perthshire ; in 

 Ireland in Wicklow, Westmeath, Cavan, Galway, and Sligo. 

 Abroad throughout Central Europe, the temperate regions of 

 Northern Europe, Central and Northern Italy, Corsica, the 

 Balkan States, and Southern and Eastern Russia. 



2. B. prodromarius, Schiff. -, stratarius, ^tmul. Gat.— 

 Expanse If to 2} inches. Thorax robust, black-brown and 

 white ; fore wings white dotted with black spots, and having 

 two chocolate-brown bands, edged with black. Hind wings 

 dusky-white dusted with black. 



Antenna) of the male strongly pectinated, to the tips, with 

 long, nearly straight, ciliated teeth, reddish-brown, shaft 

 spotted with white ; palpi short and blunt, depressed, black- 

 brown ; head rough and strongly tufted, creamy-white ; collar 



