198 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Pupa very stout, thickest in the middle, though the 

 wing-covers are not very prominent ; head with the eye- 

 covers slightly protruded, and the wing-covers abundantly 

 sculjDtured or almost wrinkled with irregular transverse stride ; 

 antenna-cases barred so as to show the joints, and in the 

 male the pectinations ; wing-covers abundantly and irregu- 

 larly sculptured all over with minute waved lines ; the dorsal 

 surface and abdominal segments are sprinkled all over with 

 minute pits, except the smooth glossy hinder band of each ; 

 anal segment wrinkled but very glossy ; cremaster narrow, 

 tapering to a long thick point ; anal structure beneath it 

 somewhat filled out ; general surface dark chestnut-brown, 

 smooth and rather glossy ; anal segment darker, cremaster 

 black. Under moss or among dead leaves, in the slightest 

 possible cocoon, often the merest drawing together of a bit 

 of leaf with a few threads, and not fully closed up. 



The moth sits during the day on the trunks of oaks, often 

 high up so as to be only reached with a pole, and prefers 

 those trees which are surrounded by but little undergrowth. 

 Here spread out flatly it would be very conspicuous indeed 

 but for its close resemblance to a flat patch of grey lichen. 

 At very late dusk it flies vigorously about the trees, usually 

 at a good height, but will come late at night to the sugar 

 laid on the trunks to attract Noctuce. Found only in woods, 

 usually large woods with abundant oaks, and large open 

 spaces; consequently very local in its distribution. Here 

 its best known and most reliable locality is the New Forest, 

 Hants, where it is found every year, and sometimes in very 

 considerable numbers ; and it is not very scarce in some 

 restricted portions of Epping Forest, Essex. Other past or 

 present localities exist in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Berks, Wilts 

 and Bucks, occasional specimens have been taken in Dorset, 

 Devon and Middlesex, and there are two records in Suffolk. 

 In the Midland and Western Counties it has been found in 

 Warwickshire ; at Cannock Chase, Stafibrdshire ; Wyre 



