Orthosia, like Agrotis, has the antennae in some males much 

 more pectinated than in others ; the most obvious characters 

 are the woolliness of the head and thorax, the shortness of the 

 bodies and the small under wings ; these, however, are con- 

 siderably modified in the second division. 



The British species may be thus divided ; but it must be 

 observed that those with * may not be correctly placed, as I 

 do not possess specimens, 



Orthosia. 

 A. The apex of the superior wings rounded. 



1. subplumbea Haxv. — gracilis Fab.? Hiib.P — Beginning 



of April, on trunks of Oaks. 



2. instabilis Fab., Hub. — N. nebulosa, subsetacea, angusta, 



and fuscata Haw. are varieties. — b. April, 



3. munda Fab., Hub. — geminata Haw. ditto. 

 *4'. bimaculata Haw. ditto. 



5. sparsa Haw. — End of April, sallows and ozier beds. 



6. pallida Haw. — April, trunks of trees. 

 *'7. concolor Haw. 



8. stabilis Fab., Hiib. — Cerasi Fab. P Haw. — b. April, 

 trunks of willows. 

 *9. juncta Haw. — Albin. 75. c. d. — b. April, trunks of willows. 

 10. cruda Wien., Verz. — pulverulenta Esp. — ambigua Hiib. 

 — nana Haw. — b. April, trunks of willows. 

 *11. pusilla Haw. — March, trunks of Oaks. 



1 2. miniosa Hub., Sepp., Haw. — End of March, weedy banks. 

 B. The apex of the superior wings slightly acuminated. 



13. macilenta Hub., Haw. — September, Elms. 

 *14'. rufannulata Haw. 



15. flavilinea i/«w. — End of Dec; trunks of trees, New 



Forest, C. Lyell, Esq. 

 • 16. Lota Liiin., Esp., Sepp. — September, October, thickets 

 and trunks of trees. 



1 7. Upsilon Nob. — Ypsilon Hub. — corticea Esp. — fissipuncta 



Haw. — July, trunks of willows. 



18. lunosa Haw. — Curt. Brit. Ent.pl. 237. — Sept., Coomb 



Wood. — The beautiful variety of the female figured 

 was presented to me by my esteemed friend the Rev. 

 C. S. Bird, F.L.S. who took it with other specimens 

 at Burghfield near Reading. 



19. sphserulatina Haw. — e. September, skirts of woods. 



20. pistacina Fab., Hiib. — Lychnidis Fab., Hiib. — Sept. ditto. 

 *21. lineola.— Z)ow. 10. 360. 2. ditto. 



22. ferrea Haw. ditto. 



*23. venosa Haw. ditto. 



24. Litura Finn., Hiib., Esp. — polluta Esp. — e. Sept. ditto. 



25. Hebraeica Hiib. — I-geminum Goda. — September, Birch 



Wood and New Forest. 

 The plant is Ophrys [Hcrminium, Brown) Mo?iorc/iis (Yellow 

 or Musk Ophrys), for specimens of which I am indebted to 

 Sir John Tylden. 



