2 68 LEPIDOPTERA. 



" like the perfect insect, it is a heavy, sluggish creature, and 

 does not seem to thrive in confinement. It appears to have 

 the power of producing an almost unlimited quantity of silk. 

 Whenever I have met with this insect it has been in bound- 

 less profusion. Give the tree a tap with a stick, and down 

 comes a whole shower of larvae." Mr. W. Holland has pointed 

 out that in the beech woods on the northern edge of the 

 upper Thames valley are occasional straggling wych-elms ; 

 and that upon these the larva of this species is most abun- 

 dant, at times defoliating them, and compelling the larva to 

 eat the leaves of neighbouring beeches and other trees, also 

 thus producing the impression that the natural food of this 

 species is beech. 



Pupa short and stumpy ; head and eye-covers rather 

 projectiug, black ; wing-covers moderately thickened, shining 

 pitchy brown ; limb and antenna-cases of the same colour, 

 the latter showing the joints distinctly ; dorsal and abdominal 

 segments blackish-brown, dull from abundant pitting, except 

 the hinder-edge of each segment, which is smooth, and of a 

 lighter brown ; cremaster conical, but extremely short, 

 terminated by a shining black spike, minutely bristled and 

 hooked. In a slight cocoon in the ground or upon the surface 

 among rubbish. 



The winter is passed in this condition. 



This moth has a curious habit of sitting during the day in 

 the most conspicuous manner possible upon grass or low- 

 growing plants, under the trees at the edges of woods, or in 

 open rides and paths, sitting flat upon the upper side of the 

 leaves, so that it can be gathered in almost any number by 

 hand. One curious form of protection it possesses in the 

 fact that, as it so sits on the leaves of dog's mercury, sanicle, 

 or other woodland plants, it bears the most remarkable 

 resemblance to the splashes of white excrement, which fall 

 vipon the same plants from young wood-pigeons in the trees 

 overhead. At dusk it flies lazily about the trees. Apparently 



