404f 'Remarkable Visitation of 



Art. IV. Hemarkahle Visitation of the Vhalce^'na typicoides. By 



E. S. 

 Sir, 



In Vol. III. p. 247. I observe an article from J. H. Davis, 

 Esq., R. M., on the periodical appearance of certain insects, 

 to the general truth of which every observer of natural 

 history will bear testimony. As a sequel to his communi- 

 cation, I beg leave to relate a somewhat singular instance 

 which occurred to me in the year 1826, respecting the 

 Phalse'^na typicoides, called by Donovan* " the scarce Gothic 

 moth; " being on that account, as he adds, much esteemed 

 among collectors in Britain. Godartf also, in his valuable 

 work on French Lepidoptera, mentions it as by no means 

 common in the environs of Paris ; and, from the slight allusion 

 and few particulars recorded by Samouelle, it may be inferred 

 that he too had seldom met with it. Haworth J, indeed, pro- 

 nounces it to be "ripis frequens " (common on banks) ; but my 

 own experience accords with that of the above entomologists, 

 who have considered it to be scarce, having, during a rather 

 close attention to the natural history of this parish §, only seen 

 it once in the course of twenty years, on the following oc- 

 casion : — 



About 7 o'clock on the 25th of August, 1826, the weather 

 having throughout the day been sultry and gloomy, and the 

 evening closing in with a damp oppressive air, barom. 29*15, 

 when sitting in a room on the ground-floor, with folding doors 

 opening on a lawn, I was surprised at the sight of a moth of 

 this species, fluttering round the spherical gauze covering on 

 the summit of a French lamp. In a few minutes another 

 made its appearance ; and these were in a short time followed 

 by a small number of stragglers. About 8 o'clock, heavy 

 drops of rain began to fall, and finally a tremendous shower 

 set in, which continued with little intermission till near 10 

 o'clock, accompanied with vivid lightning and loud claps of 

 thunder. When the storm commenced I closed the doors : 

 but my attention was soon drawn to a pattering noise at the 

 windows, which were actually beset with crowds of moths 

 beating against the panes, or creeping up and down in a 

 hurried and tumultuous manner. I should remark, that they 

 were partially sheltered from the immediate effect of rain 

 by a covering of trellis-work thickly interwoven with honey- 

 suckles, extending round the front of the room in which I 

 sat. On opening the glass doors, a rush of these fluttering 



* Donov., vol. XV. p. 2. pi. 505. f Godart, Lepid., vol. vi. p. 269. pi. 90. 

 fig.l. % Haworth. Lepid-, vol. ii. p. 195, § In the county of Chester. 



