14 



is actually indistinguishable from a mass of fallen brown 

 flower-scales of Pinus sylvestris. Ennornos angularia and its 

 nearest allies, which often hang from a branch or twig of a 

 tree, or sit on its trunk with wings nearly erect, are exactly 

 like fading yellow leaves ; while SmerintJms tilics, on a lime 

 trunk, takes precisely the posture and angular appearance of 

 the two lowest leaves on one of the small twigs which so 

 often grow out of the bark. 



Another strong general protective resemblance, but which 

 has not been so much remarked, is that of very many of the 

 fen and marsh frequenting moths to the withered and dry 

 portions of the plants among which they conceal themselves. 

 Nonagria typJuB is of exactly the colour and appearance of 

 the dead brown leaves of Typha latifolia ; N. nairica is a 

 mere knot on the stem of a reed ; Leiicania straminea, L. 

 pallens, L. impura, L. obsoleta, L. phragmitidis, Senta uIvcb, 

 Meliana flamniea, Nonagria lutosa, CJiilo pJiragmitelhis , C. 

 miLcronellus , C. gigantellus, are so like the dead leaves, stems, 

 and sheaths of reed, sedge, and coarse grasses that, common 

 as some of them are, they are rarely found when at rest. I 

 remember once turning up the overhanging leaves of a large 

 tufted sedge, and being quite struck by the admirable manner 

 in which a Leucania straminea, which was sitting on the coarse 

 stem, harmonized with its surroundings. Leucania littoralis 

 and AnerasHa lotella are well concealed by their likeness to 

 the dead sheaths of Atnmophila arimdinacea among which 

 they hide, as is 7 apinostola elymi among Elynius arenarius, 

 and indeed Agrotis ripcE and A. cursoria, among the same two 

 plants, are not at all conspicuous. 



Several species attached to the common heather {Calluna) 

 resemble it in a most curious manner in different stages of 

 its growth. In spring and early summer every sprig bears 

 the dead and dry calyces of the flowers of the preceding 

 autumn. They are arranged in two parallel rows. At this 

 time Fidonia atomaria swarms on the heaths ; and when at 

 rest with depressed wings, whether male or female, lighter or 

 darker, it bears a most singular resemblance to the double 

 row of withered blossoms. Its somewhat tesselated markings, 

 although not apparently at all similar, harmonize with the 

 dead blossom twigs in a manner that must be seen to be 

 appreciated. But it is even more curious to see that Peronea 

 mixtana and Cnephasia politana {lepidaiza), both of which are 

 out (hybernated) at the same time, and which do not greatly 

 resemble one another, and are not in the least like F. 

 atomaria, when sitting imitate these old flower spikes even 



