262 THE entomologist's record. 



Graphit)hora augur var. helvetin.i was then referred to, and the parallel 

 variation in Noctua baia, N. sobrina, Agrotis siibrosea and A. hyperborea, 

 in the direction of glaucous forms on the one hand and red forms on 

 the other, was fully entered into. The grey type of N. depuncta, as 

 apart from our British form, var. me?idosa, Hb., was then considered, 

 and reference was made to tlie extre ue colour variation of A', glareosa 

 and N. xanthographa. Of the former species, Mr. Tutt read : — " This 

 species has a wide variation in ground colour, which extends from 

 a pure whitish-grey to black, the characteristic short black transverse 

 marks, however, being very constant in all its forms of variation, 

 and standing out conspicuously even in the darkest specimens. These 

 darkest specimens are, I believe, almost peculiar to the Shetland Isles, 

 and are excessively rare elsewhere, although there is a record by 

 Mr. Wylie in the Entomologisfs Record etc., vol. i., p. 1 1, of three black 

 specimens having been captured in 1887, near Perth. There is also a 

 beautiful variety tinged with a delicate rosy colour, as was mentioned 

 in The Brit. Noct. and their Vars., i., 1 1, as being of frequent occurrence 

 in those species of Cuspidia and Viminia, which have a similar grey 

 ground colour. Esper's diagnosis of this species is: — 'Alls cinerascentibus, 

 l^unctis baseos et pupillis stigmatum nigris, strigis tribus posterioribus 

 albidis' {^Die Schmet. in Abbildungen etc., p. 387). Our own pale 

 specimens are distinctly of two forms — one, of a pale whitish-grey, the 

 second, of a pale lilac-grey, the former being the more common form 

 found on the Continent, the deepening in tint of some of our specimens 

 being, perhaps, a foreshadowing of the intense melanism which is so 

 characteristic of those from the Shetland Isles and probably from the 

 Scotch Highlands. The liebraica of Hiibner is almost typical, having 

 ' the space between the two outer transverse lines of a rather darker 

 grey ' {Savimlung europ'aischer Schmet., fig. 642). I have never seen 

 specimens actually intermediate between the grey and black form but 

 Mr. Wylie writes : — ' During 1887, I took agreat number of this species, 

 varying from black to the normal type, with many intermediate forms 

 and rosy vars ' {Ent. Rec, etc., vol. i., p. 11)." 



He then drew attention to the pallid form of iV! iriangiduni, to the 

 superficial resemblance between N. c-fiigruni and Tceniocampa gothica, 

 t ) the sexual dimorphism of JV. ditrapeziujn and to the very rare 

 occurrence of the red type of N. stigmatica, the British specimens being 

 principally var. iristigina, St. It was remarked that the chestnut- 

 marbled and red forms of N. da h Hi were principally sexual in England, 

 but that in Aberdeenshire and Ireland the red form was common to 

 both sexes. The occasional occurrence of IV. flammatra in Britain 

 was noted, as also was the double-broodedness of N. rubi and N. 

 plecta. The want of variation in N. umbrosa was remarked, the rest of 

 the time being occupied with Noctua festiva and N. conflua (the paper 

 will appear in next No.). At the end of this paper Dr. Buckell pointed 

 out certain differences between augur and the typical species of the 

 genus Noctua, and made some remarks on the variation of Noctua rubi 

 and N. xanthographa. Mr. Tutt referred to the seasonal dimorphism 

 in the former species, and mentioned the capture of a very pale specimen 

 of G. augur by Mr. Dutton at York this year. 



Thursday, November t^th, 1891. — Exhibits: Mr. Mead, Miselia oxya- 

 iantluc, Miana strigilis and Euplexia lucipara, all from Epping Forest. 



