VARIATION. l08 



^ ARI A TIO N. 



Variation of Noctua castanea. — ^1 have taken many grey-coloured 

 examples of Noctua rastaiwa on sugar and on ling in the New Forest, 

 as well as bred this form from the larval stage. I have not, however, 

 found the red form there, though several specimens were somewhat 

 intermediate in colour. — B. W. Adkin, F.E.S.,Morden Hill, Lewisham. 

 Januarii 1th, 1902. 



CuspiDiA (Acronycta) megacephala ab. nigra, n. ab. — A fine form of 

 this insect is found at Manchester together with the type. The fore- 

 wings are totally black, with the exception of the outer margin which 

 has a slight white fringe, and the orbicular stigma which is slightly 

 paler than the ground colour. l^)ody black; hind wings as in the type. 

 It does not seem to have yet l)een described, and I propose for it the 

 name of ab. uifira. — V. Eric Shaw, F.E.S., 8, Moss Hall Grove, North 

 Finchley. Fchniari/ 5th, 1902. 



Variation of Leucania brevilixea. — In Brit. Xoctiiac and their 

 ^'arieticK, i., p. 37, two forms only of this species are mentioned — 

 brerilinea, Fenn, and siueUnea, Farn. Fenn describes the type {I'^ut. 

 Mo. Ma(/., [., p. 107) as follows ; 



Forewings rather sharply angulated at the junction of the costal and hind 

 apical niar^'ins ; brownish-ochreous, with numerous scattered black scales ; a 

 sharply defined short black dash from the middle of the base; a curved row of 

 small black dots reaches from the costa to the inner margin beyond the middle 

 apical veins (rays) conspicuously paler than the ground colour, apical margin 

 unspotted ; hindwings grey, paler towards the base, a very indistinct transverse 

 row of black dots rather beyond the middle, uniform with those in the forewings. 



In addition to this there are three dots between the middle and 

 base of wing, placed transversely from the costa to the inner margin ; 

 also in some specimens there is a distinct central spot. Farn describes 

 ainelinca as : 



The form in which the line at the base of the wing disappears. 



But in each of these two main forms a number of very interesting 

 colour aberrations are to be found. These may be grouped as : 



A. Foii.MA 'J'VI'I(A = liI!KVILr\EA. 



a. Suffused with dark smoky-grey scales = ab. tupica-mipHm. 



ji. Nervures 2-5 edged with black, making a longitudinal fascia, more or less 

 connected with central spot and basal daKh = ab. ti/jnca-iiiiirofdsciata. 



y. Lower spot of each row of dots running into each other, making a black 

 dash = ab. ti/jiiro-hilhua. 



5. Powdered with scales of a light ground colour, especially along the costal 

 margin = ab. typka-pallida. 



e. Ground colour of forewings reddish = ab. typica-rufescens. 



B. FoRJIA VAT!IETAS = SINELINEA. 



a. As in a of hveviUnca, but without basal dash = ab. sinelinea-.wff'utia. 



j3. As in /3 of hreviUnea, but without basal dash = ab. sinelinea-niprnfdi^ciata. 



5. As in 5 of hreriline<i, but without basal dash=ab. sineliiied-paUUJa. 



e. As in e of lircviliiiea, but without basal dash = ab. !ii)ieliiifl<i-riifesceiis. 



j-. Groundcolour of forewings light ochreous, slightly dusted with black scales. 

 The usual row of dots slightly indicated, but no other markings visible = ab. 

 siiu'liiiea-iichrficf'd. 



Some of these forms appear to be unique — e.;/., ab. hiliHca, ab. 

 pallida, ab. (ichrarm. — H. M. Edei.sten, F.E.S., Forty Hill, Enfield. 

 Ih-irmhcr 28n/, 1901. 



Increase in dark aberrations of Hybernia leucoph.karia in the 

 King's Lynn district. — I have seen little here in the way of lepidop- 

 tera, save a few very fine dnrk aberrations of Jlijbcniia Irific/dioraria. 



