256 LEPIDOPTERA. 



and loose, consisting of a comparatively slight fabric of silk 

 fastened to any surrounding dead leaves or debris, close to 

 the surface of the ground. 



The moth sits in the daytime, with its bright hind wings 

 quite hidden by the broad fore wings, on the trunk of a tree 

 or on a wall or fence. In colour it usually assimilates closely 

 with the surface on which it rests, but its broadly triangular 

 form, as it rests with head up, makes it really sufficiently 

 conspicuous. It is, however, usually on the alert, and if 

 disturbed flies vigorously away over houses or around trees 

 to a more secure hiding-place, being while on the wing 

 a gay and beautiful object. At dusk it flies voluntarily, and 

 may be seen around willow-trees, sometimes commonly. It 

 comes readily to sugar both at that time and late at night, 

 also to the flowing sap of a wounded tree, and occasionally 

 to light. 



Formerly plentiful in the London suburbs and still to be 

 found occasionally ; indeed I have seen it sitting here upon 

 the trunk of a tree in my own garden, and rather frequently 

 on the trees in the adjacent street. Moderately common 

 wherever willows occur throughout the Southern and Eastern 

 Counties of England to Norfolk, and westward to Devon, but 

 apparently rare in Somerset, Herefordshire, and Worcester- 

 shire, and scarcely noticed north of Bucks and Hunts in the 

 Midlands or of the counties already mentioned, save once in 

 Yorkshire and a rather doubtful record in Berwickshire. In 

 Ireland Mr. Kane has received only vague information of 

 the occurrence of two specimens, one without locality, the 

 other seen only in the County Louth. Abroad it has an 

 extensive range, through Central Europe, South Sweden, 

 Northern Italy, Livonia, the Balkan States, Southern Eussia, 

 Asia Minor, Persia, Northern India, and the mountainous 

 regions of Central Asia. 



3. C. electa, Bkh. — Expanse 2ito 2| inches. Fore wings 

 pale grey with paler clouds and black lines. Hind wings 



