79 



NOVEMBER IZth, 1919. 



The decease of Mr. W. J. Ashdown (1895), a member of the 

 Council, was announced. 



On behalf of the Rev. C. R. N. Burrows, the Secretary presented 

 a series of larval cases of various species of British Psychides. 



Series of Noctiia xantJuxiyaiiha were exhibited by Messrs. R. Adkin,. 

 A. E. Tonge, B. S. Williams, Hy. J. Turner, etc., and a discussion 

 took place after the following summary of the variation had been 

 submitted by the last named. 



Mr. Hy. J. Turner exhibited short series of NoctKci .nuithotirapha^ 

 from Brockley, Shirley, Strood, Scotland, etc., and gave a list of the 

 named forms with short diagnoses, as follows :— 



Nuctiia xanthoiirapha, Schiff., " Verz.," 83 (1776), dark greyish 

 iw'&wii = tetraguyia, Haw., " Lep. Brit.," 205 (1809); ab. bndfiisis, 

 Frr., "Neu. Beitr.," pi. 282 (1889), very aberrant and confused 

 markings ; var. cnhasa, H.-S., " Sys. Bearb.," ii., 209, figs. 95-7 

 (1815), pale grey ; var. elatior, Alph., " Rom. Mem.," v., 129, pi. 6, 

 3 (1889), larger, forewing cinnamon or yellow-grey ; var. riifescen!<, 

 Tutt, '• Br, Noct.," ii., 126 (1892), pale reddish-grey or pale reddish; 

 var. nifa, Tutt, I.e., bright red ; ab. dbsuleta-rnfa, Tutt, I.e., mark- 

 ings obsolete ; var. ubscura, Tutt, I.e., dark reddish-black ; ab. 

 obsoleta-ubscura, Tutt, I.e., markings obsolete; var. nii/ra, Tutt, I.e., 

 blackish-grey; ab. obsoleta-nvira, Tutt, I.e., markings obsolete; var. 

 palastinemis, Kalschb., "Iris.," x., 168 (1897), paler, all markings 

 on the hindwing more distinct. 



He then noted that Guenee stated (" Noetuelles," v., 337) with 

 regard to the variation that " all the varieties are linked together, 

 and are not able to be separated into races." The characters which 

 were available for the action of variation seemed to be the ground, 

 the stigmata, the transverse markings, and the scale textures. The 

 ground is either grey, brown, red, or nearly black with all inter- 

 mediate shades and combinations. The stigmata were either 

 distinct, obscured or obsolescent, one or both. The transverse lines 

 were also distinct, obscured or obsolescent, including the sub- 

 marginal dots. The texture of the scaling was said to be coarse in 

 one or two continental races. The space between the stigmata was 

 sometimes emphasised in distinctive coloration. 



Mr. R. Adkin's long series contained many local sets, including 

 very dark from northern areas, Scotland, etc., some very red forms, 

 and representatives from the Seilly and Scottish Islands. It was 

 noted that some specimens had much emphasised venation. 



