370 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



larva. Walker mentions (E.M. M., ix., p. 162) two pupae found in a potato- 

 field in the Isle of Sheppey ; Mathew says fEntom., xxxiv., p. 282) 

 that, in 1901, at Dovercourt, between August 16th and September 

 10th, the larvae were found in potato-fields where the land was foul and 

 the potatoes choked in places with masses of Convolvulus arvensis, 

 Polygonum aviculare and Chenopodium. He also adds (in Hit.) that 

 between August 16th and November 23rd, 59 pupae were brought to 

 him by labourers digging potatoes, and that, whilst many of the larvae 

 were found upon the potato-haulms, others were found upon the 

 ground between the rows of potatoes. Richardson ( E.M.M., xxxi., p. 

 280) had larvae brought from the potato-patches in allotment gardens, 

 where Convolvulus arvensis was a common weed, near Weymouth. 

 Fitch records larvae on August 14th, 1901, in a potato-field where 

 Convolvulus arvensis was abundant (Ent., xxxiv., p. 254). Frohawk 

 notes floe, eit., p. 295) pupae on September 4th on the Sussex coast, 

 also in a potato-field overgrown with Convolvulus arvensis and 

 Convolvulus sepium, and Barton floe, eit., p. 313) found one near 

 Haddenham on Septemoer 19th, in a potato-field where Convolvulus 

 arvensis was growing freely ; Hyde notes larvae and pupae at Portland floe, 

 eit., p. 314) also in a potato-field ; and Crallan several pupae at 

 Bournemouth, in gardens, chiefly among potatoes floe, eit., p. 314), but 

 May records one floe, eit., p. 314) amongst the stubble of an oat-field, 

 with bindweed common in the surrounding hedges, on Hayling Island. 

 Robson notes floe, eit., p. 358) over 50 taken in a hedge overgrown with 

 Convolvulus septum in Northumberland by one collector. Newman records 

 fEnt., viii., p. 274) a pupa dug up in a potato-field at Deptford ; Golding- 

 Bird writes (E7it., x., p. 19) that a pupa was dug October 17th, 

 1876, at Birchington in a potato-field in which Convolvulus grew. Other 

 records are : One brought with some larvae of M. atropos at Essex, another 

 from a garden-hedge overgrown with Convolvulus sepiurn, on which the 

 larva had probably been feeding (Doubleday); larvae found in 1901, at 

 Boxworth on bindweed, growing in a field of tares, oats, &c, grown for 

 making silage (Thornhill); larvae found at King's Lynn, on August 23rd- 

 26th, 1901, and a pupa a few days later in a potato-field (Atmore) ; 

 two fullfed larvae in October, 1895, at Wye, in the potato-patches and 

 allotment gardens where Convolvulus was growing (Theobald) ; several 

 larvae found at Monkton, in 1901, at the bottom of a rail by the side 

 of a field which, for 200 yards, was thickly overgrown with Convolvulus 

 arvensis (Whitaker). 



Habits. — It is most difficult to state shortly the habits of this 

 species, which extends throughout the whole of the Old World and the 

 Pacific Islands. It has a marvellous flight, and is, undoubtedly, a 

 migrant, flies by day and at dusk, the latter, however, being 

 undoubtedly its most active period. In the daytime it is especially 

 fond of resting, with its wings closed back over its body, on posts and 

 palings, at a short distance from the ground, the colours being highly 

 protective, its tints sometimes harmonizing with the weathered posts 

 and palings in a most perfect manner. We ourselves saw a ? resting 

 on an old post, at a height of almost 6000ft. just below the La Meije 

 glacier, in such a manner that was highly protective. When paired, 

 Gadeau de Kerville notes (Bull. Soe. Ent. Fr., 1901, pp. 77-78) that 

 the two moths ($ and $) arrange themselves in line, their heads in 

 opposite directions, that they usually select a place, the colour of which 



