234 BRITISH BUTTEBFLTES AND MOTHS 



species reposing on palings, or may occasionally dislodge 

 it from bushes in the daytime, or meet with it flying 

 along hedges towards dusk. 



PYRALIDINA. FAMILY I. HYPENID^J. 

 HYPENA PROBOSCIDALIS. THE SNOUT. 



This conspicuous but dull-coloured insect is generally 

 abundant throughout the country ; it obtains its trivial 

 name from the unusual development of the palpi. 



The expansion of the wings is about \\ inch. The 

 fore-wings are brown, speckled with darker brown, and 

 with two distinct transverse dark brown lines, the first 

 of which, before the middle of the wing, is considerably 

 indented ; the second, beyond the middle, is only 

 slightly sinuous ; towards the hind margin are some 

 indistinct darker clouds. 



The larva is velvety-green, with a darker dorsal line, 

 and with paler subdorsal lines ; it feeds on stinging- 

 nettle in May. 



The perfect insect appears in June and July, and may 

 often be disturbed from weedy banks in the daytime ; 

 towards dusk we may see it fluttering amongst the 

 stinging-nettles. 



Some authors repute the species double-brooded, but 

 that seems a question requiring further elucidation ; the 

 flood of light which has streamed upon us of late years 

 with reference to the larvae of the G-EOMETRINA, thanks 

 to the exertions of Mr. Buckler, the Eev. H. Harper 

 Crewe, and the Rev. J. Hellins, has not been extended 

 to the less attractive larvae of the PYKALIDINA ; let us 

 hope that for them also there is " a good time coming." 



