166 CLASSIC MOTHS. 



ance were found at Carnmoney some years ago, and 

 being put under the charge of Mr. Hyndman, pro- 

 duced in time a male and female of this species. 

 An empty pupa case of the same insect was observed 

 at Wolf-hiU. These occurrences were sufficient to 

 prove that the moth frequented this locality ; but I 

 never knew of one being actually taken on the wing 

 until this summer, when a single specimen was sent 

 to me alive from Hollywood, county Down. In the 

 south of Ireland, on the contrary, the puss-moth 

 must at times be extremely abundant ; for in Septem- 

 ber, 1831, I was shown, at the Cove of Cork, some 

 young poplar trees which had been nearly destroyed 

 the preceding summer by the caterpillars of this 

 insect. I procured, at the same place, a wicker 

 basket, in which some of the larvae had been confined, 

 and where they had formed their cocoons by rasping 

 off small portions of the woody fibre, and cementing 

 it so strongly together, as not to be penetrated with- 

 out difficulty, even by the blade of a pen-knife. 



Perhaps, however, the moths may prove more 

 attractive to you, " learned Theban," when they 

 assume the garb of learning. Know, then, that 

 there are two species which adopt not the costume of 

 our universities, but two different Greek letters, as 

 the "badge of all their tribe," and wear them very 

 conspicuously emblazoned on their wings : one of 



