TRIFID/E 247 



July and August. 



On Silent nutans, but in confinement will feed also on aS^. 

 maritima, S. injlata, and Lychnis dioica, feeding on the seeds 

 and not confining its attacks to the night-time, though it 

 usually hides by day among the lower leaves when too large 

 to remain in the capsule. 



Pupa moderately stout, the wing cases thickened and fully 

 joined to a large and conspicuous knob at their extremity, 

 which contains the coiled tip of the long tongue ; wing and 

 limb covers very glossy and only partially and irregularly 

 sculptured in lines and pits ; dorsal region and dorsal and 

 abdominal segments abundantly and coarsely pitted, except a 

 narrow, smooth band at the hinder edge of each segment ; 

 colour deep red-brown with a purplish bloom ; cremaster 

 broad and short, with two short, widely separated spikes, 

 black. Underground, in a slight earthen cocoon. In this 

 state through the winter. 



The moth doubtless hides by day among herbage ; so far 

 as I know it is very rarely taken at that time, indeed 

 the only method of capture seems to be by watching 

 the flowers of Silene, especially S. nutans, at dusk ; but the 

 great majority of specimens in collections are reared, the 

 larva being very easily found in its extremely restricted 

 haunts. 



This species was included in the British fauna by Mr. 

 Stainton in his most valuable " Manual " on the strength of a 

 specimen recorded as having been taken near Birchwood, 

 Kent, in the year 1816. This specimen was taken at rest 

 by a Mr. Bydder. On June 8, 1865, another was captured 

 while flying along a weedy bank a few miles from Ports- 

 mouth, and identified by Dr. H. G. Knaggs. Of these two 

 specimens, Mr. Edward Newman most characteristically 

 remarks, while including the species : " Its occurrence in 

 these localities is very remarkable, from the entire absence 

 of the food plant." However, in the last-named locality the 



