TRIFIDJC. 337 



portion of each of the three larger abdominal segments ; 

 cremaster extremely short, and with its spikes black ; spiracles 

 very strongly marked. 



The moth is not often seen in the daytime, but hides among 

 grass upon the ground. At dusk it flies swiftly about fields, 

 lanes, and grassy places generally, but is never found at sugar, 

 nor known to feed at flowers or any kind of sweets. The 

 male is strongly attracted by light, and may be seen about 

 every gas-lamp in the suburbs of towns or in the country, 

 dashing backwards and forwards around the light in the 

 wildest state of excitement. Later it settles down on the 

 lamp and so remains till towards morning. The female 

 seems only to fly sluggishly about grassy places, and may, 

 with the male, be found in plenty at night sitting upon 

 grasses. Excessively abundant in the South of England, 

 common even in the London suburbs, also plentiful in the 

 Eastern and Western districts, and in Wales ; but appai'ently 

 much less common in the Midland counties, especially 

 Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, and also in the 

 more mountainous parts of the North of England, though it is 

 there common on the coast. In Scotland it continues common 

 on the East coast to Moray, where it is sometimes abundant ; 

 but in the West is not recorded farther north than Ayrshire 

 and other parts of the Clyde district. Common all over 

 Ireland, but especially so on the coast. Abroad it is found 

 throughout Central Europe, the northern parts of Spain and 

 Italy, Sweden, Dalmatia, and Southern Russia. 



2. L. Dumerilii, Buii. — Expanse 1^ to If inch. Fore 

 wings rather pointed, pale drab, central band and hind margin 

 wainscot-brown ; upper stigmata yellowish-drab ; a broad 

 smooth pale stripe beyond the central band ; hind wings white. 



Antenna3 of the male furnished with short curved bristles 

 in minute tufts resembling short pectinations, also finely 

 ciliated, pale brown; palpi divergent, broadly tufted, pale 

 (drab, third joint distinct ; head whitish-brown, strongly tufted 



VOL. IV. Y 



