77 



tation {E.M.M. xx. 69) ; we find that at Hartlepool it was 

 first noted at the end of May, and was most abundant on to 

 July, although it had not been seen there in the autumn of 

 1882, and had been comparatively scarce since 1879. ^"^^ 

 Barrett also tells us {E.M.M. xx. 29) that at Pembroke it 

 was abundant in June, where also it had been scarce during 

 the preceding two years. It was also very abundant in Ireland 

 {E.M.M. xxi. 134), extending even into the extreme west. 



In 1879 the abundance was also of considerable range ; but 

 with one notable exception the records are all for the autumn, 

 the one exception being Perthshire {E.M.M. xvi. no), where 

 the moths were swarming in the middle of June. They were 

 also noted in countless multitudes at Ostend {Entom. xii. 222), 

 in Switzerland {Entom. xii. 270), and other places on the 

 Continent in August. From Devonshire {E.M.M. xvi. 196) 

 we learn that very few were seen up to August 12th, when 

 they suddenly appeared in myriads. The following day was 

 wet, and few were to be seen ; by the 15th it was again bright 

 and sunny, but the moths had disappeared, the abundance 

 lasting apparently but a few hours. It was also noted that 

 here, as in some other places, the larvse were less common 

 than usual ; but, on the other hand, in one locality in Sussex 

 and in the Isle of Wight they had been somewhat abundant- 

 It was during the abundance of this year (1879) that Mr. 

 South {E.M.M. xxi. 208) had the opportunity of observing a 

 phenomenon, evidently regarding this species, that appears to 

 be of some importance. He tells us that whilst walking over 

 the downs in the neighbourhood of Ventnor, on a sultry 

 evening in August, he observed a moth soaring upwards ; and 

 whilst watching it, he noticed others ascending. Looking 

 around he saw many moths starting from the herbage ; these 

 also winged their way aloft, all towering upwards in a spiral 

 flight, and were soon lost to view. A very similar occurrence 

 also presented itself to my view some few years ago. As in 

 his case, the night was warm and still ; and as I was walking 

 over what are known as the Free-Downs in the vicinity of 

 Deal, it being quite light at the time, the sun having only 

 just fallen below the horizon, I saw a moth rise from a field 

 of standing corn, along which I was passing, and fly upwards ; 

 another and another followed, and being curious to know 

 what species it could be that was performing so curious, and 

 to me novel, feat, I managed with my hat, having no other 

 ready means, to knock one down, and found it to be a gamma, 

 and others similarly detained proved to be the same species. 

 By this time they were rising from the corn in all directions, 



