BOMBYCID^. 35 



brown ; usually just underground among the roots of grass 

 or other plants, so near the surface that the rooks sometimes 

 find and dig them up, leaving the emptied cocoons in 

 evidence. 



The male moth flies in the sunshine, especially late in the 

 afternoon, in a wild and headlong manner, even a frantic 

 manner occasionally, as once when I was leaning over the 

 net to box a small Tortrix, one of these large insects plunged 

 violently into it, creating a commotion by no means favour- 

 able to the boxing of the small moth. Sometimes it will beat 

 round and across a field, or piece of common, examining every 

 clump of furze or of fern, exploring every hollow, and all 

 with a furious rapidity wonderful to see ; but if it plunges 

 down into the herbage and does not emerge, examination of 

 the spot is desirable, since its partner will there, in all pro- 

 bability, be found. She is quite sluggish and cannot be 

 induced to fly in the day time, but may occasionally be seen 

 at early dusk exhibiting a curious swift zig-zag flight like 

 that of the female Hepialus humuli. She flies more frequently 

 at night, and has even been known to come to a strong light, 

 but the male appears to fly only in the day time. 



The larva of this species is apt to furnish the insect 

 collector with one of his most reliable, and most provoking, 

 disappointments. When full grown it is so handsome, so con- 

 spicuous, and in suitable places so very common, that the 

 temptation to collect a large number, and endeavour to keep 

 them alive through the winter, is almost irresistible — and 

 their death the nearly invariable result. Many years ago the 

 late Mr. H. Doubleday furnished a receipt for avoiding this 

 misfortune : " To rear the larvee I take a large box about ten 

 inches deep, with holes in the bottom for drainage, and the 

 top covered with wire gauze. In this box I place a turf of 

 heather cut to fit it. The larv£e are placed on the turf in the 

 autumn and fed till they become torpid. They are left in the 

 garden exposed to all the changes of weather. The first wai'm 



