438 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



1897, at 8 a.m., the wings of which attained their full size in about 

 half-an-hour, but remained hanging down over the insect's back 

 until 10.30 a.m., when they were let down to their normal 

 position. Glenny notes ( Ent. Rec, xiii., p. 158) that, " immediately 

 on emergence, the imago emits some excrement from its body, 

 and, in several cases, it was noticeable that, where a specimen 

 could not free itself from the pupa-case quickly, and at once discharge 

 the excrement, the specimen was invariably crippled through 

 the apparent lack of power to expand the wings." The .imagines, 

 he says, appear never to attempt flight on the same night as 

 they emerge, but remain at rest, when dry, until dusk the next day, 

 when they get on the wing and quickly spoil themselves, if confined 

 in a breeding-cage, by their bird-like flight. Visits to flowers: 

 It is generally supposed that the imago does not visit flowers, 

 but Aigner-Abafi asserts (III. Zeits. fur Ent., iv., p. 213) that, 

 like other Sphingids, the moths suck nectar from flowers, e.g., 

 jasmine, honeysuckle, &c , when flying (teste Hufnagel, Berl. Mag., 

 ii., p. 176); he also says that St Bordan took the species at 

 honeysuckle flowers, at Radna and Lippa, and asserts that the 

 supposition, that it does not visit flowers and only flies late at 

 night, is quite erroneous. Still the amount of evidence that it does 

 visit flcwers for nectar is very small. Bartel observes (Pal. Gross- 

 Schmett., ii., p. 20) that it flies in the evening and late at night, but 

 more rarely visits flowers (e.g., Philadelphus and Lonicera) than other 

 Sphingids, comes more freely to the exuding sap of trees, and may be 

 captured at sugar if honey has been added thereto. Caradja also 

 says (Iris, viii., p. 62) that it comes to sugar. Attracted by light: 

 Reaumur notices (Memoires, ii., p. 296) that, in France, the 

 moths fly into the rooms to light, with great bustle and 

 noise, and Caradja (Iris, viii., p. 62) makes a similar observation 

 for Roumania, whilst they have been frequently noted as flying into 

 rooms, &c, by other observers. Hiltbold has taken it at electric light, 

 at Berne, Agassiz at Aix-les-Bains, whilst Bartel also records the 

 moths as being attracted to light. Kerry captured one at 

 electric light at Parkeston, near Harwich, on September 26th, 1883 

 (Young Nat., v., p. 48); Baxter records (Ent. Rec, ii., p. 253) 

 one attracted to the light of a signal-box, October 8th, 1891, 

 at St. Anne's-on-Sea ; Doncaster (Ent., xxxiii., p. 304) on a 

 street lamp in the Strand, October 3rd, 1900 ; Chope (Ent., xxviii., 

 p. 309) at Colyford, about 8.30 p.m., during rain; Wollstein 

 (loe. cit., p. 310) at electric light, at Kingston-on-Thames; at electric 

 light, at York, October 22nd, 1901 (Hawkins); recorded as being 

 taken at light, at Reigate, September 6th, 1868, by Blackburn 

 (Ent. Mo. Mag., i., p. 130); on a lamp at Bradford, Septem- 

 ber 17th, 1896 (Carter); at Hackney (Hall), at Mansfield (Daws), 

 at Taunton (Farrant), at Ayton (Whitaker), at Ryde (Moon), 

 at Edinburgh (Burn), whilst one was captured at the entrance- 

 gate leading to the St. Agnes' lighthouse, Scilly, September 14th, 

 1895, evidently attracted by the light (Frohawk). Flight : Chudleigh 

 says (Ent., xxix , p. 363) that he was surprised at the strength 

 of the flight of the insect, which has a bat-like flittering, and he 

 quite believes that many a specimen on the wing is set down 

 as a bat. We see no reason for Chudleigh's surprise that 



