172 MISCELLANEOUS FACTS. 



Whin-Chat (Saxicola Rubetra), but he did not 

 take a second ; and I noticed a Tree-Pipit (Anthu* 

 Arboreus) take one of them in his mouth, which, 

 on tasting, he refused, The caterpillar, also, il 

 rejected by all these various birds. May not thii 

 be a principal cause of the Magpie-Moth being onel 

 of the most abundant species we have ?" 



The same gentleman has made another interest!! 

 ing discovery respecting the eyes of the Dark Arches 

 Moth. He says : " A few weeks ago, on seeinw 

 a remarkably fine specimen of the Dark Arche|j 

 Moth (Xylophasia polyodon), I caught it, aiuM 

 placed it in a small box, which I happened to hawl 

 in my pocket. On my return home in the evening,! 

 when it was almost dark, I gently lifted up the lid,J 

 and was not a little amazed to perceive that th*| 

 moth's eyes had the power of converging the fe^N 

 rays of light, shining in the dark like two littlw 

 stars, with considerable brilliancy. Ten minuter! 

 afterwards, however, when I again looked at tlft 

 moth, I was surprised to find that its eyes were 

 not visible at all, showing that this faculty is 

 pendent on the will of the animal. I have sine* 

 examined a considerable number of moths, in vfcr 

 rious genera, but only in one instance have I ugair 

 had the satisfaction of beholding this beautifu 

 phenomenon. This was in a common Golden Tail 

 (Porthesia chrysorrhcea ;) but the appearance wfci 

 not so bright as in the Xylophasia. It shows 



