26 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



parts of England, as well as in Ireland, it is referred to as the 

 " bee robber." In connection with the latter name, it may be 

 mentioned that the moth's "tongue," or proboscis, is short, and 

 not adapted for obtaining sweets, of which it is very fond, from 

 long-tubed flowers, consequently it filches honey from the bees, 

 and, with this object, has been known to enter bee-hives, at 

 least those of the old straw-skep pattern. The moth is also 

 said to have a liking for the sap exuded by wounded trees. 

 Although the species may, perhaps, be with us in certain 

 favoured localities every year, it does not often occur, in any 

 stage, in numbers sufficient to attract general attention. I 

 have not searched the chronicles of Atropos in Britain earlier 

 than 1864, but from these it seems that the species was widely 

 distributed and generally common in 1865, 1868, 1878, 1885, 

 1896, and 1900. More or less common in certain localities 

 in 1867, 1869, 1870-1872, 1877, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1893, 1895, 

 1899, 1911, and 1917. In the other years it was scarce, or 

 apparently absent. 



The moth is always very much less in evidence than the 

 caterpillar, or even the chrysalis. Sometimes the former is seen 

 in May or June, or even earlier, and it has been supposed that 

 these precocious specimens have hibernated after emergence 

 from the chrysalis here during the previous autumn. The 

 question of hibernation need not be entertained, but there may 

 be doubt as to whether the specimens are British born or aliens. 

 I am inclined to the latter view. The moths are often noted at 

 sea long distances from land. A specimen was captured on 

 board a vessel in the North Sea on April 28, 1903, and it was 

 still alive, although it had been roughly dealt with, on May 8 

 of that year. In 1899 a moth was taken at Chester, about the 

 middle of May, and one on June 20 at Chichester. Probably, 

 although undetected, other specimens were also about the 

 country, and maybe at even earlier dates than those recorded. 

 However, during the year larv^ and pupae were found, at the 



