LITHOSID^. 203 



severe frost, upon lichens on the trunks and branches of 

 trees, and apparently also upon withered leaves. When 

 young, Mr. Buckler found that they would eat withered 

 sallow and oak leaves and various lichens, and towards the 

 spring would even gnaw cut pieces of turnip, but finally 

 settled down to Lichen caninus, eating especially the red waxy 

 tips, and upon this arrived at full growth. 



Pupa short, reddish-brown; in a long-oval, dark brown 

 cocoon of slight but close texture, the plumed hairs being 

 interwoven with the silk so as to stand upright and protect it. 

 (HeUins.) 



The moth is rather sedentary, not inclined to fly far from 

 the place where it has fed up, so that several may be found 

 about the same tree or large bush, though no others occur 

 near. It sits in trees or high hedges in the day time, and 

 when disturbed will fly a yard or two, or to the ground ; but 

 becomes lively at dusk, flying round its favourite tree or 

 large bush — very often a holly. At dark it flies high, will 

 come to light at night, and is rather fond of the sugar spread 

 on tree trunks to attract Nodua: ; yet is never seen to frequent 

 flowers. Widely distributed in woods, woody heaths, and 

 well timbered lanes and hedges in all the Southern Counties 

 from Kent to Devon, and Essex to Gloucestershire and 

 Somerset ; also in Pembrokeshire, Herefordshire, Warwick- 

 shire, Suftblk, and Norfolk. Eare in Cambridgeshire ; appar- 

 ently hardly noticed in the Midland Counties, but found in 

 several localities in Yorkshire, which seems to be its northern 

 limit here. In Ireland it was recorded as found in Galway 

 by the late Mr. E. Birchall, but I know of no more recent 

 captures. Abroad its distribution is very wide — Northern 

 Europe, except the extreme Northern portions, Central 

 Europe, Dalmatia, Siberia, Tartary, and probably large por- 

 tions of Asia, since it is found in Japan with the first trans- 

 verse line complete and strongly marked, though variable. 

 This variety is named C. rosaria. 



