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off at the least disturbance if the weather is at all fine. But 

 on warm days it also flies most actively, of its own accord, in 

 the sunshine, and sips the honey from blossoms of clover, 

 thistle, thrift, honeysuckle, and any other attractive flowers. 

 In the colder districts it will even bask in the sunshine on 

 walls and rocks. At early dusk it is again upon the wing 

 and comes into gardens, where it revels in the flowers of 

 sweet william, Phlox, Tropccolum, Nicotiana ajinis, Virginia 

 stock, and every other flower from which honey is obtainable. 

 Later at night it comes, very much more rarely, to light, and 

 lias even been known to hover at the sugar placed on trees. 

 Its powers of flight are considerable, its migrations extensive, 

 and apparently more frequent than those of any other species. 

 It is a common occurrence to find it quite suddenly in multi- 

 tudes in every field where, the day before, not a specimen 

 was to be seen, and where no traces of the ravages of its 

 larva had existed. This is so especially the case along our 

 ooasts that no other explanation than migration can well be 

 accepted. Indeed, it has been observed by Mr. R. South. 

 and since by others, that on a hot still evening moths of this 

 species will rise from grass or corn, perpendicularly, until lost 

 to sight, very much as though for a distant flight. I well 

 remember an instance in Pembrokeshire when the extensive 

 warrens of the coast suddenly became enlivened with this 

 species to such an extent that thousands were to be seen 

 buzzing in the daytime around the large patches of blooming 

 thistles. At sea it has been observed to come on board 

 vessels in such multitudes that when they alighted they are 

 •described as clustering in masses all over the ship. More- 

 over, Herr Gatke compares to "snowstorms" the vast flights 

 of this species which were observed in 1882 at Heligoland 

 " all going west." Thus this species is altogether irregular 

 in its appearances, but is found more or less plentifully 

 throughout the three kingdoms to the Shetland Isles ; also 

 all over the rest of Europe ; India, Persia, and all Northern 

 Asia ; most abundantly in Morocco and the remainder of 



