34 the entomologist's record. 



in 1852, to neurica, Hb., as occurring in July and August in Germany 

 and England, as being scarce, but, having recently been taken in 

 England, prophesies that it will soon be distributed in collections, he 

 says the illustration in Hiibner is altogether too big and gives a very 

 false idea of its colour, which would be the case as he evidently refers 

 to var arundineta, Schmidt. He then describes N. dissoluta as a 

 separate species, and says : "It is said that this Nonagria must be a 

 variety of neurica ; I cannot authoritatively say, never having raised 

 the point, and never having seen the two species, but this I can 

 say, that, among the numerous neurica that I have observed, I have 

 never found a single intermediate specimen." He notes : — 



N. neurica, Hb. — Larva, Tr. : Germany and around Darmstadt, England, in 

 June and July. Coll. Div. Always rather scarce, but as it has been found lately 

 in England, it will soon be distributed among collections. Hiibner's figure altogether 

 too large, gives a very false idea of its colour. 



N. dissoluta, Tr. — Larva, Ignot : It is said that this Nonagria must be a 

 variety of neurica. I cannot authoritatively say, never having raised the point, and 

 never having seen the two species, but this I can say, that among the numerous 

 neurica that I have observed, I have never found a single intermediate specimen. 

 It has, at first view, the aspect of paludicola. The forewings are of a brownish 

 colour, without any markings except the reniform, which is black, shaped like a Z, 

 and surrounded with a yellowish border in the upper portion, and white in the 

 lower. The hindwings are of a bright grey colour, with the base whitish. Beneath, 

 the four wings are of a dirty whitish-brown, with a central lunule and a row of 

 marginal blackish dots. Environs of Darmstadt. Coll. Bdv. 



In 1857, Stainton describes (Manual, i., p. 193) arundineta as 

 neurica, gives Treitschke's description of the larva, and mentions 

 Yaxley as a locality. 



In 1858, Schmidt separates (Stett. Ent. Zeit., xix., pp. 367-870) 

 the two species : — 



1. Neurica, Hb., less robust, white-collared, and witn no marks on the 

 underside except the circular line. 



2. Arundineta, with distinct lunules on undersides. 



He also mentions that the two insects refused to pair. He then 

 says : "Neurica occurs here in two forms, one of which, illustrated 

 by Hiibner, fig. 381, I have considered and sent away as a variety, 

 and the other, illustrated by H.-Sch., figs. 347 and 348, as a good 

 species. Although the two are very similar to each other, yet they 

 are, in many respects, stable, and so different that I am, for instance, 

 never in doubt as to which of the two forms the specimen belongs. 

 Both forms vary considerably in colour, and in a similar way ; but the 

 former does not do so to the same extent or so frequently as the 

 latter. The size, shape of the wings, and markings are almost the 

 same in both. The difference in colour and markings is not so 

 noticeable as is the much weaker build of the body in Hiibner's form 

 compared with Schmidt's, although the length of the body and the size 

 of the wings may be the same in both forms. This is more strikingly 

 shown in living specimens than in dried ones. The first form has a 

 white-bordered collar, and the latter an unicolorous one. The wings 

 appear wider in the former, and the ground colour of the forewings is 

 usually yellowish reed-coloured ; in the latter form it is, on the whole, 

 darker — greyish, brownish, reddish, and yellowish, in stronger grada- 

 tions. The males, especially, differ in having the dark longi- 

 tudinal stripe in the middle of the forewing much weaker in the 

 former variety, and the spots in it are only indicated below by a pair 



