366 LEPIDOPTERA. 



The moth sits by day on posts, fences, palings, walls, anj'- 

 where in which it can push its head into a corner and fancy 

 itself hidden, also in far greater plenty among grass, herbage 

 and dead leaves on the ground. At dusk it flies vigorously, 

 and greedily resorts to every description of sweet available, 

 indeed, at sugar it is in some seasons a terrible nuisance, 

 covering the surface with its numbers, dashing down upon 

 and dislodging any less abundant moth, almost, if not actually, 

 fighting with its companions for possession of the coveted 

 feast. It sits usually with its wings raised and slightly 

 quivering, ready to fly at the least alarm, and so occupies far 

 more than its share of room upon the sugar jjatch ; also when 

 it flies off" and sweeps round eager to return, challenges notice, 

 and hinders the unfortunate collector in every possible way. 

 Where red valerian or any other attractive flower is plentiful 

 this moth is equally in evidence, and in its most abundant 

 seasons it most decidedly is not a favourite with the eager 

 collector. 



Certainly one of our most abundant Noctum, occurring in 

 almost equal numbers all over the United Kingdom, except, 

 perhaps, in the Shetland Isles, where it appears not to be 

 very common. Of the black-brown varieties the most 

 southern locality yet observed seems to be Sheeruess, Kent, 

 where, however, but a single example has been met with — 

 by Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N.-The Rev. E. Kallett Todd has 

 found it in Leicestershire, and it is rare in Derbyshire, but 

 in South Yorkshire, as already stated, it begins to be plentiful. 

 Apparently it is a somewhat modern form of the species ; at 

 least it was considered a rarity in 1857, when Richard Weaver 

 took eight specimens. So far as I know this variety is con- 

 fined to the British Isles ; but in its paler brown normal 

 form the insect is plentiful all over the temperate portions of 

 Northern Europe, and Central Europe, and is found in Spain, 

 Northern Italy, Northern Turkey, Southern Russia, Asia 

 Minor, Armenia, and Siberia. 



