BOARMID^—PSODOS. 253 



of life, it is curious to see this insect climbing to the highest 

 point of a tuft of heather, and there waving its wings like 

 small flags before essaying its first flight ; then in another 

 minute or two to see the whole heath alive with them flying 

 gently and conspicuously in every direction, in numbers that 

 admit of several being swept up at a stroke of the net, 

 while others flit past or seem to sit on the tops of the 

 heather to watch the boxing of their comrades. When 

 caught they usually drop to the bottom of the net with 

 closely rolled wings, a wonderful contrast to the size and 

 conspicuous appearance of the flying specimens ; but very 

 soon arouse themselves and attempt to escape. The flight 

 seems to be at an end with the twilight, but I believe that 

 it is resumed later in the night. It takes place in still warm 

 weather, and on a cold evening not a specimen will be 

 seen. 



Quite confined to open heaths, avoiding any shelter of 

 trees, and extremely local, but abundant in such favoured 

 spots in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Dorset, Berks and 

 Somerset, and found rarely in Suffolk. So far as I know, 

 this is the limit of its range in the British Isles. Abroad it 

 is found in Western and a great part of Southern Europe, 

 including Corsica ; also in Central and Southern Germany, 

 Switzerland, the South of Spain ; Algeria, and other parts of 

 North Africa : and in Asia Minor. 



Genus 40. PSODOS. 



Antennas simple, palpi densely tufted with projecting 

 hairs ; head and thorax shaggy ; abdomen hairy, short, blunt 

 and rather thick ; fore wings narrow, extremely silky ; hind 

 wings elongated, silky and rather hairy. 



We have but one species. 



1. P. coracina, Esip. ; trepidaria, Stainton, D.L. — 

 Expanse ^ to 1 inch. Slender, very hairy, black ; fore 



