112 21ie Scottish Natiwalist. 



Scotland, and the species is in most collections. The Oporabia 

 appi'oxwiaria, and precursaria, mentioned by Mr. Weaver, at 

 p. 3496 of the *^ Zoologist," are probably varieties of this 

 species." 



We find in Staintons "Manual," vol. ii., 1859, the three 

 species given as distinct, and briefly characterised. 



In Newman's "British Moths" (1869), diliitata d^wA filigram- 

 maria are described, but autumnaria is not mentioned. 



In Knaggs' and Stainton's " Cabinet List " (1870), the three 

 species appear, but it is suggested that possibly autumnaria Gn. 

 is a variety of dilutaia. 



Finally, in Doubleday's Catalogue (with Supplement 1873) 

 diliitata and filigram?naria appear as species, but autumnaria 

 is given as a synonym of Jiligrantaria, thus — " Autumnaria 

 Dbl. Cat. var. ? no?i Bdv." 



Turning now to Staudinger's " Catalogue " of the European 

 Lepidoptera (1871), we find the species under consideration 

 catalogued thus : — 



2642. DiLUTATA (S. V, p. 109 n. Cat.) Bkh. v, 290 ; Hb. 

 188; Tr. vi, 2.26; Wd. 639; Gn. ii, 262; (aria) 

 Frr. 408.426, 2.3 ; Impluviata Bkh. v, 291 ; Tnscriptata 

 Don. Nat. Hist, xv, T. 517 ; Fimbriata Hw. p. 320. 



a. ab. Obscurata ; Dilutata Dup. viii, 205 ; (aria) Frr. 



426, 4 (al. ant. fere unicolor, nigro-fuscis, al. post, 

 saepius infuscatis). 



b. v.? (et ab?) Autumnaia Gn. ii. 264, PI. 18.7; ? Bkh. 



v. 293.565 ; ? Quadrifasciata Bkh. v, 294.564. (al. albi- 



cantibus, minus pictis.) 

 2643.? FiLiGRAMxMARiA H.S. 1 94-5, HI, p. 160; Weaver Zool. 



1852, p. 3495 ; Wd. Suppl. 1728 ; Gn. ii., 265 ; Approxi- 



//^^?*^a, Weaver Zool., 1852, p. 3495 ab ; PrecursaHa 



Weaver 1. c. ab ; } AfiniataW^\\. y. 294.564. (praece- 



dentis varietas an species Darwiniana ?) 

 a. ab. Autumnaria Gn. ii. 265 ; Polata Westw. Br. M. ii., 56. 



T. 68, 9 {?ion Hb.) (major, dilution) 



From the foregoing it would appear that British Lepidop- 

 terologists seem at present to incline to the opinion that there 

 are only two British species, while Dr. Staudinger rather doubts 

 whether there be more than one. I may here mention that the 

 late Mr. Doubleday, in a letter to me, shortly before his death^ 



