288 LEPIDOPTERA. 



loves to expose itself on grass blades ; but hiding by day 

 at the roots of plants. 



Pupa thickest in the middle, blunt in front ; wing and 

 limb covers very level and smooth, but abundantly sculptured 

 with minute pitted lines ; dorsal and abdominal segments 

 even more minutely striated, indeed almost as smooth as the 

 usual hinder bands ; colour deep red-brown ; cremaster short 

 and broad, black-brown ; its two spikes long and very slender, 

 pale brown. In a rather tough cocoon of silk mixed with 

 sand, under the surface of the ground. 



The moth hides during the day among herbage close to the 

 ground. It flies at dusk for a short time, and is strongly 

 attracted by light and in some degree by sugar and ivy- 

 bloom. It has a curious habit, so soon as its short flight is 

 over, of resting iipon dead sticks, often the dead lower 

 branches of large furze bushes, or if a hedge occurs in its 

 neighbourhood, on any dead branches, remaining in this 

 quiescent state for hours, so that it is easily secured by the 

 aid of a lantern. Doubtless another flight takes place later 

 at night or before morning. 



It does not seem to have been known in this country 

 before 1847, but when discovered was soon found in plenty. 

 Entirely confined to the sea-coast, but frequenting sandy 

 slopes, hillsides, cliffs, and the more settled and weedy parts 

 of sea sandhills. Apparently very rare in the South-east of 

 England, and scarce even in Sussex, but much more frequent 

 in the Isle of Wight, and not rare at Portland ; quite common 

 on the coasts of Devon and C-ornwall ; also found on those of 

 Somerset and Gloucestershire, in abundance in Cheshire 

 and Lancashire, and at Scarborough in Yorkshire. In Wales 

 it is common along the Cnrmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire 

 coasts, and probably in other parts. I have but one record 

 in Scotland — at Fullerton, near Glasgow — and do not know 

 whether this has been confirmed. Most likely it is to be 

 found in many portions of the sea-shores of the southern 



