140 HADSTELLATA. — LEPIDOPTKKA. 



with a conspicuous irregularly waved darker or deep black central streak, 

 dilated towards the inner margin, at the base, and near the apex ; on the 

 inner margin is a conspicuous ashy, whitish, or snowy quadrate patch, 

 spotted with fuscous, and bearing considerable resemblance to a cock's 

 head, the beak directed towards the hinder margin ; near the anal angle is 

 a smaller, but less distinct pale mark, and the costa is prettily dotted with 

 black and white; cilia varied with whitish and dusky: posterior wings 

 fuscous. 



Extremely variable, scarcely two specimens occurring precisely alike, some 

 being richly varied, others totally suffused with black ; in some the dorsal 

 blotch is very evident and large, in others obscure and small ; some are 

 prettily tinted with green, others destitute of that colour : the marks on the 

 costa are often wanting, and in size the insect varies greatly. 

 One of the most abundant species of this family; it occurs not 



only throughout the metropolitan district in June, but in other parts 



of the country. " Gibside." — G. Wailes, Esq. 



Sp. 4. piceana. Alls lucidis, anticis piceis fusco irroratis, aut immaculatis, 

 posiicis pallidissime fuscescentibus. (Exp. Alar. 8 — 10 lin.) 



To. piceana. Haworth. — Poec. piceana. Steph. Catal. ii. 183. No. 7029. 



Anterior wings glossy pitchy, with very faint and indistinct darker markings, 

 frequently totally immaculate, but sometimes with a few black dots placed 

 in irregular streaks ; posterior wings also glossy, and very pale brownish. 



Variable like its congeners : in some examples the anterior wings have a narrow 

 longitudinal testaceous streak reaching from the base to the apex ; others, 

 again, are considerably varied with tawny or ferruginous, with some obscure 

 darker markings ; and the posterior wings are sometimes fuscous. 



I suspect the variety with the central testaceous streak may be Sp. vittana, 

 Curtis : it has the habit of being distinct, but is evidently a mere variety. 



Rare, at least within the metropolitan district ; but in August 1821 

 a great number of specimens were taken near Brockenhurst, in the 

 New Forest, whence my series was obtained. 



Sp. 5. semifuscana. Plate 36, f. 1. Alls anticis externl fusco-nigris seu 

 fuscis, interne lacteis ; posticis pallidis. (Exp. Alar. 8 — 10 lin.) 



To. semifuscana. Haworth MSS. — Poec. semifuscana. Steph. Catal. ii. 183- 

 No. 7028. 



Anterior wings glossy, the costa broadly black-brown or fuscous, the inner 

 margin clear milky white, which colour extends to the disc in a broad lobe, 

 and towards the apex is expanded irregularly on the hinder margin, where it 

 becomes clouded with fuscous and is somewhat rounded : posterior wings 

 also glossy, and pale ashy-white. 



This is also a scarce species, but occurs in the New Forest in 



