428 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
in the genus to which it belongs, yet we find that every 
species in the family Lithosidae is more or less local. 
L. complana, however, is very far from rare; in fact, some 
seasons abundant upon the same heaths as its more local 
relation E. cribrum, only of course appearing later in the 
season. When fresh from the pupa it is rather a handsome 
insect, but it soon becomes worn, on account, 1 suppose, of 
its hiding amongst the heather during the daytime ; in the 
evening its flight is somewhat undulating, like others of its 
class, and is neither swift nor continued. Another trait in its 
character is that when in the net it generally feigns death, 
and all its wings are wrapped as closely round its body as 
they possibly can be, which gives it an extremely narrow and 
not easily-detected appearance, in this respect resembling 
Cribrum. Entomologists who have never taken either 
species can scarcely imagine what slender, inanimate-looking 
creatures they are, tumbling about in the bottom of the net. 
Complanula, Griseola, Stramineola, Rubricollis, &c., have 
the peculiarity of wrapping their wings, especially the hind 
ones, closely about their body; but Complana and Cribrum 
have this peculiar habit, with all their wings, in a very 
remarkable degree. One evening, at the end of July, I 
was on the heaths looking for A. straminata: it was nearly 
dark, and as I approached a small portion of heather, 
covering a piece of ground perhaps two feet square, I 
observed a number of insects either settled upon or hovering 
about the spot; on getting closer I saw they were L. com¬ 
plana, and I should say there must have been thirty at the 
least, congregated so closely that a single sweep of the net 
secured fourteen specimens, when the remainder dispersed. 
I thought at first my captures would produce nothing but 
males, and that they had been attracted to this particular 
spot by the unseen charms of a freshly-developed female 
(the so-called “ assembling” of the Lithosidae is not altogether 
unknown to those who are acquainted with the peculiarities 
of the interesting family); but this could not have been the 
case, as on arriving home I found I had three females 
amongst the fourteen specimens I caught. I marked the 
spot of heather for an examination by daylight, as it was 
then too dark for the purpose; and the next day 1 inspected 
it closely, but could see no difference between it and that 
