﻿OXYPTILUS 
  PARVIDACTYLA. 
  438 
  

  

  and 
  covering 
  the 
  quarry 
  with 
  the 
  net 
  (so 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  fly 
  up 
  into 
  it), 
  

   obtain 
  them 
  in 
  numbers. 
  They 
  hang 
  warily 
  on 
  grass-culm, 
  Hieracium 
  

   stem, 
  etc., 
  but 
  also 
  settle 
  down 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  thyme-blossom, 
  with 
  

   which, 
  in 
  England, 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  usually 
  associated, 
  skip 
  up 
  the 
  

   net, 
  when 
  made 
  captive, 
  with 
  remarkable 
  agility, 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   driven 
  down 
  again, 
  by 
  blowing 
  at 
  them, 
  without 
  much 
  expenditure 
  

   of 
  energy. 
  Towards 
  dusk 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  more 
  readily 
  observed, 
  

   and 
  can 
  then 
  sometimes 
  be 
  taken 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers; 
  we 
  have 
  

   seen 
  it 
  quite 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  turf 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  near 
  

   the 
  South 
  Foreland 
  lighthouse, 
  between 
  7 
  p.m. 
  and 
  8 
  p.m., 
  on 
  

   a 
  still 
  evening 
  in 
  early 
  July. 
  Bankes 
  says 
  that, 
  in 
  the 
  Isle 
  of 
  

   Purbeck, 
  the 
  insect 
  flits 
  over 
  the 
  short 
  turf 
  of 
  the 
  downs 
  in 
  the 
  

   evening, 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  see, 
  but, 
  in 
  his 
  experience, 
  can 
  then 
  be 
  

   obtained 
  most 
  easily 
  by 
  sweeping 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  Thymus 
  serpyllum, 
  

   on 
  which 
  it 
  delights 
  to 
  feed. 
  Sich 
  observes 
  that, 
  at 
  Keigate, 
  during 
  

   the 
  daytime, 
  it 
  is 
  easily 
  disturbed 
  from 
  the 
  short 
  herbage, 
  but, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  its 
  small 
  size 
  and 
  dark 
  colour 
  the 
  moths 
  are 
  hard 
  to 
  follow. 
  Studd 
  

   records 
  its 
  capture 
  when 
  flying 
  in 
  the 
  sun 
  at 
  Oxton, 
  Devon, 
  whilst 
  

   Crombrugghe 
  de 
  Picquendaele 
  records 
  it 
  as 
  flying 
  freely 
  in 
  the 
  daytime 
  

   among 
  Hieracium. 
  pilosella 
  at 
  Velthem, 
  between 
  Brussels 
  and 
  Louvain. 
  

   Barrett 
  says 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  easily 
  be 
  disturbed 
  by 
  day, 
  by 
  the 
  foot, 
  from 
  its 
  

   hiding-place 
  among 
  the 
  short 
  herbage, 
  but 
  at 
  sunset 
  flies 
  freely 
  of 
  its 
  

   own 
  accord. 
  Zeller 
  says 
  he 
  often 
  captured 
  specimens 
  in 
  cop. 
  at 
  

   Glogau, 
  although 
  he 
  gives 
  no 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  habits 
  at 
  this 
  

   time, 
  but 
  Sich 
  observes 
  that 
  the 
  $ 
  hangs 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  2 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  

   Alucitid 
  manner, 
  although 
  the 
  one 
  he 
  had 
  under 
  observation 
  (in 
  

   confinement) 
  was 
  also 
  clinging 
  to 
  the 
  muslin 
  of 
  the 
  sleeve. 
  

  

  Habitat. 
  — 
  From 
  Scandinavia 
  to 
  the 
  Mediterranean 
  district 
  (Sicily, 
  

   etc.), 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  sea-level 
  to 
  some 
  6000ft. 
  elevation 
  in 
  the 
  Alps 
  of 
  

   Central 
  Europe, 
  give 
  a 
  very 
  considerable 
  range 
  for 
  variety 
  in 
  the 
  

   habitats 
  of 
  this 
  little 
  species. 
  In 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  England 
  it 
  prefers 
  the 
  

   chalky 
  and 
  limestone 
  downs 
  that 
  are 
  so 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  

   counties. 
  At 
  Hailing, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  exceptionally 
  abundant, 
  the 
  chalk 
  

   slopes 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  Lotus 
  corniculatus, 
  whilst 
  

   thyme 
  and 
  the 
  mouse-ear 
  hawkweed 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  less 
  abundant. 
  

   In 
  Ireland, 
  it 
  frequents 
  the 
  sandhills 
  of 
  Sligo 
  and 
  the 
  railway- 
  banks 
  near 
  

   Athlone. 
  In 
  Durham 
  it 
  occurs 
  commonly 
  on 
  a 
  dry 
  railway-bank, 
  close 
  to 
  

   Hesleden 
  Dene, 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  thyme, 
  but 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  plenty 
  of 
  

   Hieracium 
  ; 
  whilst 
  it 
  also 
  occurs 
  at 
  Black 
  Halls, 
  where 
  both 
  thyme 
  

   and 
  Hieracium 
  grow. 
  In 
  Gloucestershire 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  scarce 
  on 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  

   Durdham 
  Down 
  (Bartlett), 
  and 
  occurs 
  freely 
  on 
  the 
  downs 
  at 
  Yentnor 
  

   (South); 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  very 
  locally, 
  and 
  rather 
  sparingly, 
  on 
  the 
  limestone 
  

   downs 
  of 
  the 
  Isle 
  of 
  Purbeck 
  coast, 
  but, 
  except 
  for 
  a 
  solitary 
  specimen 
  

   at 
  Bloxworth, 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  found 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  Dorset 
  (Bankes). 
  

   Barrett 
  says 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  frequents 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  chalkhills 
  and 
  

   open 
  downs, 
  also 
  any 
  rough 
  ground 
  in 
  chalk 
  and 
  limestone 
  districts, 
  

   and 
  more 
  especially 
  haunts 
  wild 
  thyme 
  and 
  marjoram. 
  In 
  Switzerland, 
  

   Frey 
  has 
  taken 
  it 
  at 
  Samaden, 
  at 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  GOOOft., 
  and 
  Jordan 
  at 
  a 
  still 
  

   higher 
  elevation, 
  r/c, 
  in 
  the 
  hilly 
  field 
  half-wayup 
  the 
  Rifle] 
  Alp, 
  but, 
  as 
  a 
  

   rule, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  reach 
  remarkably 
  high 
  elevations, 
  being 
  noted 
  particu- 
  

   larly 
  by 
  Weiler 
  as 
  not 
  going 
  much 
  above 
  oOOOft. 
  in 
  the 
  Tyrolean 
  Alps 
  

   about 
  Innsbruck, 
  although 
  Heller 
  gives 
  it 
  as 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  

   valleys 
  to 
  0600ft. 
  elevation 
  in 
  these 
  same 
  mountains. 
  Dietrich 
  

  

  