ZEUZERID.E. 145 



probably on all the " sweet-wood " trees, feeding In the solid 

 wood. Commencing to feed in August or September, re- 

 maining very small till after the winter, and feeding up in 

 two, or possibly three years. Full fed in May. 



Pupa flattened beneath, having in front of the head a beak- 

 like projection, back rounded and rather curved, the segments 

 of the abdomen with rows of strong spines. Reddish-brown, 

 with the antenna and wing-cases edged with paler, and the 

 sides of the body shaded with pale brown. In the burrow 

 formed by the larva, but close to the bark, which has been 

 gnawed so thin that the pupa easily forces itself through, and 

 partly out, before the emergence of the moth. 



An exceedingly sluggish species in the day-time, so much 

 so that the females are frequently picked to pieces on the 

 trees, by sparrows, and make no effort to escape. Flying 

 late at night with considerable swiftness ; and the male 

 (probably just out of the pupa) has been observed to fly up into 

 a tree in the sunshine. It has also been taken flying round 

 gas-lamps. The female is far more frequently found than the 

 male, but this doubtless arises from the habit of the latter of 

 frequenting the higher branches of trees. Especially a 

 metropolitan insect ; it seems to be met with, from time to 

 time, in every planted square and park in London, and probably 

 every garden in the suburbs, and occasionally, as in 1871, 

 becomes abundant. At Blackheath the destruction of good- 

 sized elm-trees has been attributed to the abundance of its 

 larvae, and it is said that in some of the suburban nurseries 

 many young trees are pulled up and burned on account of 

 its ravages. Yet from its sluggishness and fondness for the 

 branches of trees the moth is rarely seen in any numbers, 

 and it may take years to secure a series even in London, 

 In the country it is almost everywhere scarce. Some light 

 was thrown upon the cause of this a few years ago, by an 

 observation of Dr. C. B. Plowright. A specimen of the 

 larger spotted woodpecker (Ficus majoj') was shot in the 



VOL. II. K 



