MACROTHYLACIA RUBI. 145 



is possibly never found, is a source of never-ending interest to the 

 field naturalist. Barnes insists that, in spite of the irregular manner in 

 which the males fly, they invariably do so in a direction roughly circular, 

 passing the same place again and again. Prideaux observes that the 

 snapping sound that accompanies the flight of the $ can be distinctly 

 heard when one is flying round the observer {Ent. Rec, xiii., p. 224). 

 Poulton notes that the males fly with great rapidity in bright day- 

 light, while the females sit perfectly motionless, but in the evening 

 they fly slowly and deposit their eggs. Walker observes that at 

 Rathmullan on the east shore of Lough Swilly from May 21st — 31st, 

 the fine evenings afforded excellent sport, the males tearing madly 

 about in an open heathy place near a wood, and looking almost 

 scarlet in the rays of the setting sun. Holland says that the males 

 dash about Sketty Park and the neighbouring fields for the last hour 

 and a half before the sun goes down, not one moth, but lively groups 

 in mad career. Bankes observes that in the Isle of Purbeck the 

 male dashes wildly over the heaths in the sunshine and also in the 

 late evening. In the early evening they are readily attracted by a 

 newly-emerged 2 , and we have had them fly around us, evidently 

 attracted by a virgin ? shut up in a box inside our pocket. Prideaux 

 observes (Ent. Rec, xiii., p. 224) the emergence of a $ on June 1st, 

 1 901. It appeared to be calling on the first evening, but on June 2nd 

 and 3rd (cool, dull evenings) when taken out, from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., 

 seemed to exert no direct influence on wild $ s, though one or two 

 were seen in her vicinity. On the 5th, however (sunny and warm), 

 $ s began (at about 5 p.m.) to be seen in the garden (close to their 

 locality), and, on the 2 being taken out about twenty were seen 

 in the course of an hour, one as late as 9.45 p.m. He adds that, 

 in his experience, the males of this species have nothing like the 

 acuteness, boldness, or assiduity shown by Lasiocampa querctis under 

 similar conditions, seeming to have difficulty in precise location, and 

 being easily frightened off. Zeller notes (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xli., p. 129) 

 a remarkable instance of the attractive scent attached even to the 

 cocoon and a dead $, for, on June 7th, 1849, ne discovered a $ 

 attracted by a 2 cocoon to which was attached a piece of the 

 thorax and the greater part of the abdomen of a ? , dry, and 

 several ants busy, so that the eggs were exposed. The $ had its 

 head deep in the grass-tuft in which the cocoon was placed, and 

 was fluttering head downwards round the cocoon, when Zeller picked 

 the insect up and afterwards released it. Finlay was probably the 

 most successful collector in assembling this species; in some seasons he 

 captured large numbers of males, in one evening as many as 80, and all 

 came practically between 6.15 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. Haggart says that 

 the males assemble freely at Galashiels from about 8 p.m. On the 

 evening of June 21st, 1899, he took some 30 fine males in about an 

 hour by this method, between 8.30 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. Gordon says 

 " assembling " is very successful in the late afternoon on the moors 

 round Corsemalzie, the males flying from about 5 p.m. until after 

 9 p.m.; Jefferys reared a $ on May 20th, 1895, and on June 4th, 1895, 

 three males were attracted, the 2 paired with one of these at 7.30 

 p.m., and by 10 p.m. she was depositing freely. Reid notes the males as 

 flying on the Scotch moors, hills, and in open woods, from sundown 

 to dusk, but also on dull afternoons, whilst Christy saw them flying 



