53d LMPIDOPTERA. 



plants. Hiding in the daytime at a depth of two or three 

 inches under the surface of the sand, among the roots of its 

 food plants ; coming up at night to feed. Apparently 

 hybernating when rather small. 



Pupa of ordinary shape, moderately stout, smooth and 

 rather shining, of a pale golden-brown colour. In a compact, 

 egg-shaped cocoon, at some depth in the sand. 



The moth hides in the daytime in dense tufts of 

 Ammophila arundinacea (Marram -grass) close to the 

 surface of the sand, and among other plants on the sea 

 sand-hills, but more particularly under the ledges from 

 which the sand has been blown away, leaving masses of 

 entangled roots exposed. From among these it may readily 

 be shaken out, when it falls upon the sand quite inert, or 

 crawls lazily away in search of another shelter. Its parti- 

 ality for this shelter is apparently well known to the birds, 

 as is testified by the numbers of detached wings to be seen 

 lying about. At night it flies vigorously, but does not seem 

 to leave the sand-hills. It is readily obtained by sugaring 

 bunches of maiTam-grass, but seems even more fond of the 

 blossoms of the same grass, and of ragwort growing on the 

 sands. 



Entirely confined to sand-hills on the coast, but local, 

 usually preferring those of extensive range. Irregular in 

 appearance, occurring in hundreds in favoured years, but 

 in some seasons hardly to be found. Apparently on all 

 extensive sand-hills of the east coast from Suffolk to 

 Yorkshire, and very abundant at times in Norfolk. Much 

 scarcer on the south coast, but found in Dorset and Devon. 

 In Wales extremely local, and only recorded from near 

 Neath, but it reappears in Cheshire and Lancashire. There 

 is no reason to believe that it has ever been seen in the 

 Breck-sand district of Norfolk and Suffolk. In Scotland, 

 on the Edinburgh coast, and those of Aberdeen and 

 Kincardine, as well as in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland 



