60 CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 



not been able to ascertain if Statices still occurs at either of these 

 places. Mr. Fawcett of Satley sent me a list of his captures, in 

 which he' wrote under this species, '4n a field near Plass; on the 

 sea-banks near Castle Eden, middle of June." This, it wiU be 

 noticed, is an exact transcript of the words used in Ornsby's 

 Durham, written when Geryon was not recognised as British, 

 though it had been separated quarter of a century when Mr. 

 Pawcett wrote. The only additional notice I have met with is 

 that Mr. Sang- records having taken Statices ''near Darlington 

 on 22nd June, 1854." I do not know the exact locality, but 

 Statices is likely to occur in permanent meadows and pastures, 

 or on railway embankments where the common Sorrel grows 

 freely. It should be looked for on sunny mornings about the 

 end of June. 



19. Procris Geryon, Hb. Cistijs Forestee. 



Procris Geryon.'^''' I^ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 472. 



,, ,, Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. ii., p. 115. 



,, ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 449. 



Larva. Buck., vol. ii., pi. xviii., fig. 3. 

 This pretty little species is very abundant at several places 

 at Black-Hall Rocks, frequenting the upper part of dry banks 

 having a southern or south-eastern aspect. It is very peculiar in 

 its choice of habitat, being plentiful on one bank, and entirely 

 absent from another, perhaps only a few yards away, that ap- 

 pears to be of precisely similar character, and on which the food 

 plant, Helianthemum vulgare (Eock Eose), is equally abundant. 

 It occurs on the banks at the mouth of Castle Eden Dene, and 

 is abundant in the next ravine northward. Beyond this I have 

 not met with the species, though I think it probably occurs. 

 It is so exceedingly local that it may easily be missed. Above 

 the volunteers' target at Black-Halls, it swarms on the upper 

 part of the bank, from the sea edge for about two-thirds of the 

 south face, then it ceases altogether. Here it may be taken 

 flying in the morning sun, or later in the day, singly or in pairs, 

 sitting on the grass and flowers. Though this locality is so 



* This species was not separated from Statices when Stainton's Manual was pub- 

 lished in 1857. 



