﻿6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of the Eglwsegs. Along these rocks Mr. Ashworth collected 

 with much industry and perseverance, securing many scarce 

 species ; chief among these was the Agrotis which bears his 

 name. With Mr. Ashworth's death, however, the exact where- 

 abouts of the habitat of ashworthii appears to have been lost for 

 some time, till it was re-discovered, somewhere about twenty-five 

 years ago, by the late Mr. Nicholas Cooke. This eminent and 

 indefatigable entomologist started one day at 6 a.m.. upon a rocky 

 crag at one of the traditional spots, and worked straight ahead 

 for full twelve hours without a break, till success crowned his 

 efforts. From that time to the present the study of A. ashworthii 

 in its natural haunts, amid some of the most charming bits of 

 rock scenery in Wales, has afforded delight and pleasure to many 

 a friend of the re-discoverer of the species. 



The imago of this Agrotis usually makes its appearance about 

 the beginning of July, though it is very much later in certain 

 seasons, being found occasionally freshly emerged during the 

 early days of August. 



Pairing soon takes place, and the eggs are generally deposited 

 upon the wild thyme, the favourite food-plant of the insect ; these, 

 pale white and very conspicuous at first, soon grow darker in 

 colour, and hatch out in warm seasons at the end of about twelve 

 days. The little larvse are very active from the day of their birth, 

 " looping " along just like a Geometer. They appear to be some- 

 what delicate in their earlier stages, and do not take kindly to 

 any food, even their native wild thyme. They feed only at night, 

 and by day hide themselves most effectually among the herbage 

 and loose clods of earth ; as autumn approaches they stow them- 

 selves away in snug corners for the long winter sleep, having now 

 attained to fully half their size. Hybernation lasts no longer 

 than the first warm sunny days of spring, when the larvse come 

 forth again with appetites whetted by the long fast. Now they 

 seem to be much less particular in their diet, for they will feed 

 greedily upon very many of the plants they find around them : 

 among these food-plants may be mentioned, in addition to wild 

 thyme, golden-rod, sun cistus, fescue grass, and various hawk- 

 weeds. I have never noticed that sallow was touched by them in 

 a state of nature, but in confinement they will greedily devour 

 both the leaves and catkins. The larvse are generally full fed 

 about the middle of May, but the time varies by a fortnight 

 earlier or later, according to the season. They then bury them- 

 selves in the ground, turn to pupse, and in due course produce 

 the perfect imago. 



Though sombre in tone, like the perfect insect, the larva of 

 ashworthii is eminently striking in appearance ; its body is 

 smooth and cylindrical, of a smoky green colour, carrying upon 

 the back of each segment a large oblong mark of most intense 



