44 LEPIDOPTERA. 



grey limestone upon which the field-gates are hung ; so fond 

 is it of these that I have found four or five moths sitting 

 about one gateway, and their resemblance to the limestone 

 was so accurate as to make their detection difficult. When a 

 tree-trunk is selected it is usually one which is well covered 

 with lichens, so that the moth is equally well concealed ; yet 

 curious exception is made in favour of Scotch fir trunks, upon 

 which it will often sit quite exposed. It flies rather late in 

 the evening, and visits sallow-bloom on very warm nights, 

 yet hardly settles down, or, if it does so, flies off at the least 

 alarm, and usually buzzes round and feeds upon the wing. It 

 has been taken, though rarely, at sugar. Never a very abun- 

 dant species, but found fairly commonly all over the southern 

 half of England, and less frequently or more locally over the 

 remainder. Also apparently throughout Wales, and commonly 

 in the southern portion. In Scotland it seems only to have 

 been observed in the extreme south, and in the far north- 

 west in West Eoss. Widely distributed in Ireland, and 

 recorded from Dublin, Wicklow, Galway, Sligo, Monaghan, 

 Tyrone, Down, Antrim, Armagh, and Derry. Abroad its 

 range is mainly through Western Europe and Asia Minor. 



Genus 83. LITHOMIA. 



Antennas notched and tufted ; palpi short ; eyes naked, 

 with thick back lashes ; thorax rather narrow, faintly crested 

 at the back ; abdomen tapering, not crested; fore wings very 

 long, bluntly pointed, oblique behind, deeply wrinkled and 

 rolled round the body when at rest ; hind wiugs broad ; 

 discal cell open and vein 5 disconnected. 



We have but one species. 



1. L. solidaginis, Hilb. — Expanse If to 1£ inch. Fore 

 wings long, rather narrow, apex produced, hind margin 

 crenulated and sinuous ; shining pale grey shaded with 

 white and dark grey ; orbicular stigma very small, sometimes 

 duplicated; reniform large, greyish-white ; beyond are two or 



