268 OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS. 



winter. Its torpor and listlessness, however, in 

 some cases, before the numbing effect of the winter's 

 cold can be possibly felt, as well as after it is over, 

 are very striking. I was much interested, in the 

 autumn of 184$, with a moth of this species, in 

 which this sluggishness prevailed to an unusual 

 degree. I first observed it sticking to the inside 

 wall of an outbuilding about the middle of Septem- 

 ber, evidently just emerged from the pupa state. 

 The weather was at the time very warm and sea- 

 sonable, and the temperature of two or three days 

 consecutively as high as 70. It was thought, of 

 course, that it would only rest there during the day, 

 and take wing in the evening. Yet, to my surprise, 

 it remained day after day in exactly the same posi- 

 tion as when first noticed. This induced me to 

 watch it more narrowly, which I continued doing 

 throughout the whole winter, and a part of the fol- 

 lowing spring ; and during all this time it never 

 changed its place once, or even shewed signs of ani- 

 mation, except when gently touched, when it would 

 move its head and antennae a little; but, on the 

 finger being withdrawn, would quickly relapse into 

 its former state of repose. It was not till the 20th 

 of April, 1843, that it began to move. I then ob- 

 served that it had shifted its quarters to another part 

 of the wall : the following day it had flown to the 

 ceiling of the building, where it remained over the 

 22nd ; and on the 23rd it was gone. This last day 

 was the hottest we had had that spring, and the 

 temperature rose to 68. Thus this moth was in a 

 half-torpid state over a period of seven months, 



