THE IDENTITY OF THE BRITISH NONAGRIA NEURICA. 35 



of white points, while the longitudinal shade is stronger in the second 

 variety, and the reniform is generally quite visihle. Furthermore, the 

 underside of the latter form is distinguished by a sharp and stable 

 central lunule on all wings, as well as by some marginal marks, as 

 against the former, which has no mark here except the arched line. 

 The former variety appears some three to four weeks before the latter, 

 and flies singly about reeds in the evening in several localities. Although 

 not scarce in some localities, the other is only to be found in two 

 localities situated near one another, and most frequently occurs here, 

 as a larva, together with that of paludicola. But their number has of 

 late been smaller there year by year, while the former form seems to 

 have multiplied and spread in the same proportion. Their flight, too, 

 is essentially different. While the former variety flies easily and more 

 slowly, the other one shoots away with more powerful flight, almost 

 like paludicola and nexa. I have bred Herrich-Schaffer's form for 

 several years, and also communicated special facts about their habits, 

 which correspond in their essential parts with Treitschke's statements, 

 in my addendum to " Uebersicht Mecklenb. Lepidop." (Archives of 

 the Society of Friends of Natural History in Mecklenburg, v., pp. 137 

 et seq.). On the other hand I have, so far, obtained Hiibner's 

 variety almost exclusively by catching, and have only lately observed 

 it more closely, and have only bred it singly from the pupa. As 

 regards its larva, which I am certain I have often seen, although 

 I am not certain of having bred the moth from it, I beg to point out 

 that I scarcely noticed any difference between the two in their way 

 of living, and in their general build, except that they appeared con- 

 siderably earlier, and were always met with singly in other localities. 

 Also, after very closely examining two pupa? found here a few years 

 ago, I did not notice that they differed from the more robust variety 

 except that they appeared somewhat thinner and more greenish-yellow, 

 and were also lying in the reed-stem somewhat higher from the ground 

 (some widths of the hand above the water) than seems to be the rule 

 with the other. From one of these pupae a fine $ of the first variety 

 emerged very late in the season, and, at the same time, a $ of the 

 other species appeared. I availed myself of this fortuitous event, which 

 I had long desired, to try whether the two varieties would copulate, 

 which I always noticed took place, in the case of the more robust 

 variety, as soon as both sexes were together in the receptacle, and 

 mostly, immediately after development. Being placed together, they 

 did not appear to be inclined that way, although they were flying together 

 for two evenings. Now what especially confirmed my belief that 

 the two were different species, was when, on the third evening, a 2 of 

 the second variety came out, with which the J copulated at once. From 

 all this, I think I am entitled to the assumption that the two varieties 

 referred to, previously united as neitrica, are two different species, 

 even if, on closer examination, their larva; and pupae should not visibly 

 show much difference. The name neurica must remain with the older 

 Hubnerian variety, and the other, Herrich-Schaffer's variety, must, 

 therefore, have a new name. As this one occurs deeper in the reed-bed, 

 more in the thicket of it, I call it arundineta. I cannot compare 

 Hiibner's illustration for the present ; I have seen it but once, and 

 only remember to have recognised by it my first variety. Herrich- 

 Schaffer's successful illustrations decidedly represent my second 



