﻿296 
  

  

  BRITISH 
  LEPIDOPTERA. 
  

  

  of 
  which 
  it 
  devours 
  greedily. 
  In 
  the 
  early 
  spring 
  it 
  comes 
  to 
  sallow- 
  

   bloom, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  autumn 
  to 
  ivy 
  blossom. 
  The 
  various 
  flowers 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  attractive 
  to 
  it 
  are 
  — 
  Calluna 
  vulgaris 
  on 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  Ben 
  

   Donich 
  and 
  at 
  Stronachlochar 
  (Tutt), 
  Cannock 
  Chase 
  (Freer), 
  and 
  at 
  

   Chislehurst 
  (Bower) 
  ; 
  Ononis 
  arvensis 
  in 
  Dawlish 
  Warren, 
  so 
  

   abundant 
  that 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  50 
  were 
  observed 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  afternoon 
  

   (Jordan), 
  also 
  in 
  Epping 
  Forest 
  (Machin), 
  at 
  Leominster 
  (Hutchin- 
  

   son), 
  near 
  Sheerness 
  (J. 
  J. 
  Walker), 
  and 
  at 
  Tenby 
  (Fox) 
  ; 
  Thymus 
  

   serpyllwm 
  at 
  Deal 
  (Tutt) 
  ; 
  and 
  Linaria 
  vulgaris 
  at 
  Teignmouth 
  

   (Jordan). 
  We 
  noticed 
  it 
  very 
  commonly 
  flying 
  about 
  Salvia 
  plants 
  

   at 
  Bobbie, 
  in 
  afternoon 
  and 
  early 
  evening, 
  and 
  Hudd 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  scarce 
  at 
  flowers 
  (including 
  ivy-bloom) 
  in 
  the 
  Bristol 
  district, 
  

   during 
  autumn. 
  There 
  are 
  also 
  noted 
  — 
  several 
  captured 
  in 
  

   garden, 
  hovering 
  over 
  flowers, 
  in 
  Guernsey, 
  at 
  dusk 
  (Luff), 
  flying 
  at 
  

   dusk 
  at 
  Greenhithe, 
  and 
  among 
  garden 
  geraniums 
  at 
  Lee 
  (Bower), 
  

   many 
  found 
  on 
  ivy 
  bloom 
  in 
  October, 
  near 
  Sheerness 
  (J. 
  J. 
  Walker). 
  

   It 
  occasionally, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  supposed 
  from 
  its 
  love 
  of 
  flowers, 
  comes 
  

   to 
  sugar, 
  e.g., 
  at 
  Hesleden 
  Dene 
  (J. 
  Gardner), 
  etc. 
  ; 
  and 
  is 
  specially 
  

   attracted 
  by 
  light, 
  e.g., 
  at 
  Dutton 
  (Hodgkinson), 
  at 
  Oxton, 
  Devon 
  

   (Studd); 
  at 
  Lee 
  (Bower), 
  etc. 
  Barrett 
  says: 
  "The 
  moth 
  hides 
  among 
  

   herbage 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  very 
  often, 
  in 
  the 
  summer, 
  among 
  restharrow 
  

   or 
  heather, 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  in 
  hedges 
  and 
  bushes, 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  somewhat 
  

   perplexing 
  habits. 
  On 
  the 
  coast, 
  and 
  in 
  sandy 
  districts, 
  it 
  is 
  thus 
  often 
  

   common, 
  hiding 
  in 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  restharrow, 
  and 
  keeping 
  quite 
  close 
  to 
  

   that 
  plant, 
  but, 
  in 
  autumn, 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  forsaken 
  these 
  spots 
  for 
  the 
  

   lanes 
  and 
  hedges, 
  and 
  in 
  them 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  till 
  winter. 
  It 
  is 
  

   supposed 
  by 
  some 
  that 
  the 
  late 
  autumn 
  specimens 
  hybernate, 
  and 
  

   reappear 
  early 
  in 
  June, 
  but 
  this 
  even 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  mainly 
  a 
  surmise; 
  

   the 
  June 
  specimens 
  are 
  not 
  worn, 
  yet 
  no 
  larva3 
  have 
  been 
  apparently 
  

   observed 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  In 
  autumn 
  it 
  will 
  come, 
  at 
  night, 
  to 
  ivy-bloom 
  

   and 
  heather 
  blossom, 
  and 
  to 
  sugar 
  and 
  light." 
  One 
  can, 
  however, 
  hardly 
  

   doubt 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  really 
  does 
  hybernate 
  (see 
  antea, 
  p. 
  293). 
  In 
  

   the 
  daytime 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  resting 
  on 
  fences, 
  e.g., 
  

   Dartford 
  Heath 
  fence, 
  etc. 
  (Bower) 
  ; 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  among 
  the 
  

   herbage 
  of 
  a 
  hedge-side, 
  e.g., 
  at 
  Oxton, 
  Devon 
  (Studd); 
  or 
  among 
  

   the 
  heather 
  on 
  a 
  moor, 
  e.g., 
  at 
  Haslemere 
  (Barrett). 
  Bankes 
  notes 
  

   that 
  the 
  moth 
  usually 
  flies 
  during 
  the 
  evening, 
  and 
  continues 
  on 
  

   the 
  wing 
  certainly 
  until 
  nightfall, 
  and 
  probably 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  

   after 
  it, 
  and 
  says 
  that, 
  on 
  October 
  22nd, 
  1904, 
  he 
  took 
  three 
  

   males 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  during 
  bright 
  sunshine, 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   afternoon 
  (circ. 
  3.15 
  p 
  m.-4.15 
  p.m.), 
  but, 
  at 
  so 
  late 
  a 
  date, 
  one 
  would 
  

   naturally 
  expect 
  them 
  to 
  come 
  on 
  flight 
  earlier 
  than 
  during 
  the 
  longer 
  

   days. 
  He 
  adds 
  that 
  "the 
  moths 
  appear 
  to 
  emerge, 
  indifferently, 
  at 
  any 
  

   time 
  of 
  day, 
  either 
  morning, 
  afternoon, 
  or 
  evening, 
  but 
  few, 
  if 
  any, 
  

   left 
  the 
  pupa 
  during 
  the 
  hours 
  of 
  night." 
  

  

  Habitats. 
  — 
  The 
  places 
  where 
  this 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  met 
  are 
  exceed- 
  

   ingly 
  varied. 
  We 
  have 
  taken 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  chalk-cliffs 
  at 
  Dover 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   Isle 
  of 
  Wight, 
  on 
  the 
  sandhills 
  of 
  Deal, 
  in 
  the 
  lanes 
  near 
  Strood, 
  on 
  the 
  

   downs 
  at 
  Cuxton, 
  on 
  the 
  heaths 
  clothing 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   above 
  Lochgoilhead 
  and 
  Garelochhead; 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  3000ft.- 
  

   4000ft. 
  in 
  the 
  Pellice 
  Valley, 
  in 
  Piedmont, 
  and 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   5000ft. 
  in 
  the 
  Dauphiny 
  Alps, 
  near 
  La 
  Grave. 
  In 
  Essex 
  it 
  occurs 
  

   in 
  gardens 
  (Raynor) 
  ; 
  also 
  at 
  Lee, 
  among 
  geraniums 
  (Bower) 
  ; 
  in 
  

   Devonshire, 
  at 
  Buckerell, 
  it 
  prefers 
  woods, 
  copses, 
  lanes, 
  and 
  hedges 
  

  

  