THE "ESSEX EMERALD" MOTH. 12 1
gives a line of description of the larva from Freyer, and quotes
from Koch as to its habit of covering itself with small pieces of
vegetable matter as a mode of concealment, but the food-plant is not
mentioned.
Judging from the price asked for the moth in Continental price
lists, it is not very rare in many parts of Europe. In Staudinger's
Catalogue (1871) the following localities are given :—Central and
Southern Germany, England, South-Eastern France, Italy, Southern
parts of Eastern Europe, Bithynia, Armeria, Siberia, Amoor, and the
steppes of South-Eastern Russia. Mr. W. F. Kirby (to whom, and
to Mr. Stainton, the Editor is indebted for some particulars as to
the distribution of the moth) remarks, "It is clear that like many
insects which have a wide range across central Asia - Europe
(Siberia in Staudinger's Catalogue I fancy generally means the
Altai), it becomes scarce towards the western extremity of its
range." Frey (1880) records it as occurring in various localities
in Switzerland to an elevation of 4,000 feet, so that like many
species' of insects and plants (e.g., Papilio machaon and Primula
elatior) its Continental habitats differ from ours; the mountains
of Switzerland, and some other localities mentioned, have little
in common with the low estuarine shores which P. smaragdaria
frequents in Essex.
In the "Entomologists' Monthly Magazine," vol. IX. (1872-3),
p. 163, Mr. J. J. Walker mentions that in 1872 he picked up
a beautifully fresh and perfect fore-wing of P. smaragdaria in
the Dockyard at Sheerness ; but in spite of a long search, he
failed to find the "remainder of the insect, whose career had
no doubt been cut short by some hungry bat" And in the
same magazine, vol. X. (1873-4), p. 180, Mr. A. Hodgson re-
cords that on the evening of July 1st, 1873, "while mothing
near Sheerness, I was fortunate enough to take a rather worn
specimen of Geometra smaragdaria, which had settled on a grass
stem."
The above are the only old notices of the occurrence of the moth we
have hitherto met with. In late years various rumours were current
in entomological circles as to its capture on the Essex coasts, but
probably the first published intimation of this was that by Mr. George
Elisha in the "Entomologist (vol. xvii., p. 235), dated September
18th, 1884. Mr. Elisha (who withheld for a time the exact locality
and food plant) stating that Mr. Machin had discovered the larva in