142 BKITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



one spot ; the females fly quite differently, and rather 

 imitate the rapidly erratic movements of the previous 

 species ; sometimes a hundred males or more may be 

 simultaneously seen oscillating in one meadow. 



We have three other species of Swifts. The Golden 

 Swift (Hepialus Hectux) frequents moist places near 

 woods ; the male has the same oscillating flight as the 

 Ghost Moth, it is little more than an inch in the ex- 

 pansion of the fore-wings, which are of a dull orange, 

 with three oblique rows of whitish spots more or less 

 connected to each other; the Beautiful Swift (Hepiahn 

 Velleda) (Plate IV. Fig. 1), frequenting ferny places, and 

 flying very swiftly after the fashion of the Common 

 Swift, in June and July ; a little later in the season, at 

 the end of July and beginning of August, the Evening- 

 Swift (Hepialu* sylmnus) may be noticed ; it is very 

 widely distributed throughout the country. 



FAMILY II. ZENZEKID^E. 



ZENZEEA M SCULL THE WOOD-LEOPARD 

 MOTH. 



This is one of those species that seem to be commoner 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of London than else- 

 where ; sometimes it may be collected by dozens in the 

 parks ; from its large size and conspicuous appearance 

 it is much persecuted by birds, and hence we frequently 

 meet with the wings scattered on the ground. Pro- 

 vincial localities which may be quoted for the Wood 

 Leopard are Blandford, Brighton, Bristol, Epping, 

 Lewes, Stowmarket, Tenterden, and York. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is about 2 

 inches ; of the female sometimes fully 2J inches. The 



