PSYCHID^. 337 



moth. In a soft white cocoon inside the case, but occupying 

 only a portion of its length ; not withdrawn on emergence. 

 The pupa state lasts usually about a month, but in some 

 instances over a year. 



For opportunities of studying this species in its different 

 stages I am greatly indebted to Mr. W. C. Boyd and to 

 Mr. W. McRae ; and Mr. McRae, living close to one of the 

 principal localities for the insect, has furnished much valuable 

 information. He tells me that he has three times seen the 

 male on the wing in each case in the sunshine early in the 

 afternoon. Probably it also flies in the morning sunshine, but 

 no other record seems to exist of the capture of the insect on 

 the wing, and a record of finding two specimens sitting on a 

 fence seems to show that flight does not last all day. It 

 however emerges from the pupa about six p.m. Whenever a 

 male is in the neighbourhood of a freshly emerged female it 

 seems to become violently excited, so that, in confinement, 

 its wings are soon battered to pieces, but its movements in 

 this respect do not seem to have been observed out of doors. 

 A statement has repeatedly been made by authors that the 

 females of this and the closely allied species never leave the 

 case. Either this statement is founded on an error of obser- 

 vation, or the habits of the creatures have undergone a recent 

 modification. The female from which I made the foregoing 

 description forced itself promptly out of the case on emerging 

 from the pupa, and was found lying in the bottom of the 

 box, where it remained alive but inert for, probably, a 

 fortnight. It could not be induced to make any movement 

 towards re-entry even when the open end of the case was 

 pressed to its hinder extremity, and its only motion was an 

 occasional roll over, and a continual and regular wave of 

 pulsation running from head to tail. Yet Mr. Boyd has 

 noticed that partially emerged females will wriggle back into 

 the case at times. Mr. McRae writes me as follows : " The 

 females on emergence fall to the ground, remaining where 



VOL. II. Y 



