194 



LEP1D0PTERA. 



Larva apparently undescribed. Staudiuger says that it 

 feeds in shoots of thistles ; Hofmann that it lives in three 

 generations on Helychrysum angustifolium and Carlina vul- 

 garis. 



Pupa undescribed. 



Scarcely anything is known with us of this very rare species. 

 It has been taken flying in bright sunshine, but apparently 

 only when disturbed from its resting-place among brambles 

 and other herbage ; probably it flies naturally about sunset. 

 The first specimen recorded in this country was taken in June 

 1825 by Capt. Blomer, near Bideford. Devon, and was given 

 to Mr. Curtis, by whom it was figured. No other specimen 

 seems to have occurred for upwards of thirty years, but on the 

 8th June 1858 one was secured by Miss Battersby on the sea 

 coast near Torquay, South Devon. This fortunate capture 

 induced Dr. Battersby with his family to search along the coast 

 wherever the cliffs were accessible, and in the next two days 

 several more were secured ; about the same time and upon the 

 same coast two more were seen, and one captured, by another 

 observer; and two were obtained by Dr. Wallace in the Isle 

 of Wight. In the same year a single specimen was taken 

 in Ayrshire, Scotland, and recorded by Mr. J. P. Duncan. It 

 was disturbed from a clump of thistles on the sandhills near 

 Troon and captured by Mrs. Duncan. Dr. T. A. Chapman 

 saw the specimen shortly afterwards, and is fully satisfied of 

 the truth of the statement, and of the correctness of determina- 

 tion of the species. The next year Dr. Wallace recorded six 

 specimens taken in hot sunshine on the Culver Cliffs in the 

 Isle of Wight, but of these it is reasonable to believe that two 

 were those previously mentioned, which had been exhibited 

 at a meeting of the Entomological Society the year before. 

 In 1865, Sir J. T. D. Llewelyn recorded the capture, by him- 

 self a few years earlier, of a specimen on the sandhills at Pem- 

 brey, South Wales. He says : " The spot where I secured it 

 was rather barren and sandy, in a sheltered situation. An 



