iTo LEPIDOPTERA. 



Pupa stout, broadest in the middle, pitchy rather than 

 glossy ; wing- and limb-covers coarsely sculptured with 

 irregular short incised lines across the raised surfaces and 

 nervures ; abdominal segments rather more glossy, but 

 finely sculptured in a broad band in each segment ; anal 

 segment suddenly rounded off, but having a knob or cremaster 

 projecting backward, upon which is a pair of short thick 

 spikes or bristles ; general colour extremely dark purple- 

 brown, almost black-brown. (Examples furnished by Messrs. 

 Gregson and Adkin.) In a very friable earthen cocoon at 

 or beneath the surface of the ground. In this condition 

 only a very few weeks, even when fed up in the winter.] 



The moth in all probability hides itself among dead 

 leaves on the ground, but very rarely may be found sitting 

 on the trunk of a tree squeezed into a corner of the rough 

 bark, to which it bears a great resemblance. It is chiefly, 

 though not wholly, confined to woods ; flies at dusk and 

 comes eagerly to sugar, settling down quietly and allowing 

 itself readily to be captured, but is sometimes restless when 

 boxed. 



Very widely distributed in England and perhaps most 

 frequently found in the Eastern counties, but usually only 

 taken singly and at long intervals. Such records exist 

 from Kent, Sussex, Berks, Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, various 

 parts of Noi'folk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Notts, 

 Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Cumber- 

 land ; more generally distributed in Yorkshire, and in 1880 

 found rather commonly in various parts of that county. In 

 Wales only recorded from Neath, Glamorganshire. In Scot- 

 land very much more plentiful, and apparently found in 

 all, or nearly all wooded parts of that country, to the Heb- 

 rides, Orkneys and Shetland Isles. In Ireland excessively 

 rare, the only specimens recorded being that already men- 

 tioned as taken at Londonderry by Mr. Campbell, and one 

 at Sligo by Mr. P. Buss. 





