NOTODONTID^. 145 



The moth certainly flies at night, and in one instance has 

 been captured — by Dr. F. D, Wheeler — attracted by a light. 

 Otherwise it seems never to be seen upon the wing. More- 

 over it does not appear ever to be captured when at rest in 

 the daytime. From its colour, shading, and the prominent 

 tut'ts on thorax, abdomen and wings, it must be admirably 

 adapted for concealment, whether among dead leaves on the 

 ground or sitting on the rough seamed bark of a maple, but 

 where it does actually rest in the daytime is, I think, merely 

 matter of conjecture. The larva is not difficult to find in its 

 extremely restricted localities, and all the specimens in collec- 

 tions appear to have been reared. There is a record in a 

 rather hot season (1857) of the emergence in confinement of 

 a few specimens in the early part of August, but no other 

 evidence of its double-broodedness appears to be obtainable 

 either here or abroad. Always a scarce species and almost 

 confined to woods in chalk districts. Most frequent in Bucks, 

 where, more particularly near Marlow, the Rev. Bernard Smith 

 has for many years collected and reared it, much to the 

 advantage of our collections ; found also in Kent, Sussex, 

 Devon, Berks, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, very 

 rarely in Sufiblk and Norfolk, and one larva in Gloucester- 

 shire. This appears to be the extent of its range in these 

 islands. Abroad it is also scarce, but is found in France, 

 Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and Central Russia. 



Genus 6. PTEROSTOMA. 



Antennae of the male very strongly pectinated ; palpi 

 very large, ascending ; fore wings with two prominent tufts ; 

 abdomen with a long forked anal tuft. We have but one 

 species. 



1. P. palpina, L. — Expanse 1^ to 2 inches. Pale 

 brownish-drab with long thick palpi, forked anal tufts, and 

 two large prominent tufts on the dorsal margin of the fore 

 wings. 



VOL. III. K 



