24 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



Bond has watched the insect enter holes in walls, where it rested between 

 its nights, and this observation has been confirmed by Wallace. Chap- 

 man notes it as frequently resting on rocks and stones, at Cannes, 

 generally in shallow hollows where it is very inconspicuous, and as 

 it remains there should the sun become obscured, it is probable that 

 it hybernates, so far as it does hybernate, in such situations. 

 Mathew also notices the habit of the moth in autumn to fly about 

 the face of cliffs and walls, and twice he has seen it creep into 

 holes. JefTerys notes (Ent., xxxiii., p. 15) that the moths resting 

 on walls depend on their similarity to their environment for pro- 

 tection, and records how, on the borders of Dartmoor, he was 

 able to place his hand completely over a specimen that he observed 

 to alight, and that it did not attempt to move till he touched it 

 with his fingers. Robertson records the species as very common at 

 Boscombe, in 1899, chiefly taken about noon, at rest on a 

 stony bank, with the sun shining on them, few being attracted 

 by flowers. Griffiths notes the species as common at Eastbourne, 

 in 1892, often alighting on the hot bricks of walls in the sunshine, 

 whilst, in 1899, on dull days, Sich observed the imagines at Malvern 

 sitting on the rocks on three or four occasions, but it required a 

 quick hand to box them; Merrifield has observed them flying 

 about and occasionally resting on a wall at Cuckfield, and Watkins, 

 in July, 1899, saw many at. one time sunning on a favourite old 

 freestone wall at Mumbles and on the seawall at Langland Bay. 

 whilst Burrows has observed them flying at the brick walls of the 

 houses in Hackney Road. Holland observed some at rest on a 

 fence at Oxford, September 1st, 1893, and Briggs a swarm of 

 more than 50, in 1865, flying over a burnt place on the heath at 

 Crohamhurst. Rendall observed one, resting on a tarred shed in 

 the sunshine, and on being disturbed it twice returned to a similar 

 position before being captured. Clifford, French, and others 

 (Ent.) ii., pp. 328 — 329) have noticed its partiality for resting on 

 coal. Colthrup observes that he saw one at rest at noon, 

 on August 14th, 1899, at Eastbourne, clinging to a piece of clothes- 

 line touching a wall, and looking like a knot in the rope. The 

 imagines appear to emerge from pupa preferably in the morning, 

 although some variation may be observed. Ransom notes 8.30 a.m. 

 to noon, usually, however, between 9 a.m. — 10.30 a.m. Merrifield 

 has detailed a long series of emergences, 10 a.m., 10.30 a.m., before 

 noon, before 1 p.m., 9.30 a.m., 11 a.m., 10.30 a.m., before noon, 

 before 8.30 p.m., 11 a.m., 8 a.m., 8.30 a.m., 10 a.m., before 1 p.m., 

 11 a.m., 1 p.m. Two others emerged at about 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. 

 respectively, the latter fully expanded at 5.30 p.m. Although the 

 moth flies in the hottest sunshine, the condition of flight appears to be 

 simply an adequate temperature, either of the air, in which case it 

 will fly in dull weather or by night, or of direct solar radiation, 

 when it flies at any time during the winter, at Cannes, when 

 there is hot sunshine. We observed it in abundance until dusk 

 visiting the Salvia flowers above Bobbie in August, 1901, and 

 on several occasions in heavy showers, at Susa, Chambery and 

 other places we have noticed the moths restlessly visiting geraniums 

 and oleander bloom, quite undeterred by the weather. Merrill 

 notes that, at Gloucester, he observed one hovering over jasmine in 



