142 LRPTDOPTERA. 



I have on one occasion captured the moth flying in the 

 sunshine in the afternoon. This, liowever, was quite excep- 

 tional; its time of flight is at night from 10 p.m. till midnight, 

 and it comes willingly to light, settling down very quickly on 

 the frame of a lamp and at once looking exactly like a 

 rolled-up leaf casually sticking there. The males also 

 assemble readily to a freshly emerged female. In the day- 

 time it may occasionally be found sitting upon a fence or a 

 tree-trunk just after emergence, but it always prefers to sit 

 among the leaves on a branch of a tree or in a bush, 

 sometimes quite openly upon a leaf or a fern frond. It runs 

 little risk from this exposed position, since its bright brown 

 colour, its tall thoracic crest, and its large prominent tuft, 

 combined, give it the most extraordinary likeness to a curled- 

 up brown leaf, or a little bunch of fir-scales, a likeness so 

 accurate that I am not ashamed to confess that I have picked 

 up specimens in my fingers, puzzled by their appearance, yet 

 not recognising them as moths. Not an abundant species, but 

 to be found in moderate numbers in woods and open-wooded 

 country, throughout the three kingdoms, except, apparently, 

 tlie Scottish Isles. Abroad, it is common through Northern. 

 Central, and parts of Eastern Europe, Siberia and Tartary. 

 Probably also in India, since a black-brown form from that 

 country, known as saturata, Walker, seems very probably to 

 be no more than a variety of this species. 



3. L. cucTillina, ScMff. ; cuculla, Stmul. Cat. — Expanse 

 H to If inch. Fore wings yellowish, with chestnut clouds, 

 a whitish hind-marginal blotch and a blackish dorsal pro- 

 minent ; hind wings with a divided dark spot at the anal 

 angle. 



Antennge of the male pectinated with short broad teeth 

 which are tipped and edged with fine bristles, light-brown • 

 head pale yellowish-brown with four red-brown spots ; collar 

 pale yellowish-brown ; thorax rather broad and roundisli, 

 densely tufted, the central portion with very long upright 



