140 HAUSTELLATA. — LEPIDOPTERA. 



A. Anterior wings somewhat rounded at the tip. (Antenna; of the males more 



or less pectinated.) 



Sp. 1. instabilis. Alis anticis griseo-fuscis, fascid medid ferrugined, stig- 

 matibus ordinariis pallide cinctis, strigdque postice simplice. (Exp. alar. 

 1 unc. 5—8 lin.) 



No. instabilis. Wien. T.— Or. instabilis. Steph. Catal.part ii. p. 70. No. 6129. 



A most variable species : head and thorax generally pale griseous-ash or cine- 

 reous ; anterior wings griseous-brown, or cinerascent clouded with griseous, 

 with the ordinary strigae rather obsolete, and a broad angulated ferruginous 

 bar between the stigmata, which are margined with pale ash or whitish, and 

 the posterior one has a black spot towards the inner margin of the wings ; the 

 posterior striga is simple and whitish or lutescent, sUghtly undulated, and 

 in general has a rusty spot at its origin on the costa, another at its ter- 

 mination on the inner margin, and a third about its centre : posterior wings 

 fuscous, with a dusky central spot, and another near the anal angle : body 

 fuscous, with the tuft and sides reddish. Antennae griseous, slightly pecti- 

 nated in the male. 



It is difficult to find two specimens precisely resembUng each other ; nevertheless 

 their differences consist mostly of shght variations of colour : in some ex- 

 amples the anterior wings are pale griseous ash, with two rusty-brown strigje 

 and spotted cilia (1): others have the anterior wings clouded with griseous, 

 with three griseous lunules towards the posterior striga (2) : others again 

 have the anterior wings dusky, with the margins of the stigmata and the pos- 

 terior striga alone pale (3) : while in some the anterior wings are very narrow, 

 varied with chestnut and brown, with the margins of the stigmata pale, and 

 the posterior whitish striga interrupted (4) : the stigmata vary in form, and 

 are sometimes confluent. 



Caterpillar green, with a white dorsal and yellow lateral line : it feeds on the 

 oak : the imago appears towards the beginning of April. 



An extremely common species, occurring throughout the metro- 

 politan district; in great abundance in Richmond Park and Epping 

 Forest ; usually obtained at the former place by digging the pupae 

 during the winter months. " Epping." — Mr, H. Doubleday. 

 " Netley."— iJet;. F. W. Hope. 



Sp. 2. intermedia. Alis anticis griseo-fuscis, fasciis tribus suturatioribus, an- 

 nulis duobus strigisgue ordinariis pallidis, strigd posticd dupUce; antennis 

 maris valde pectinatis. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 6 — 7 lin.) 



Or. intermedia mihi. — Steph. CataLpart ii. p. 71. No. 6130. 



(1) Noctua nebulosa, Haworth. (2) No. subsetacea, Haw. 



(3) No. fuscata, Haw. (4) No. angusta, Haw. 



