54 THE entomolo(t1st's record. 



immediately notices the tripartite character of the depth of colour, 

 which is well shown, although in an exaggerated way, in Newman's 

 figure (Jhit. Moths, p. 297.), ^-c-, the dark transverse central band, the 

 lighter basal area, and the lighter outer area. Even in extremely 

 light and extremely dark specimens this division of the wing area is 

 always apparent, while in none of the specimens of L. f/iieneei is that 

 impression ever suggested. In the latter species it is only with 

 difficulty that the transverse lines can be traced throughout their 

 whole length, in many examples they are much interrupted and 

 imperfectly or indistinctly continued. In all specimens of L. testaaa 

 there is a somewhat dark submargin of irr3gular width, always very 

 clearly defined on the inner side and never crossed by striae. A similar 

 marginal area occurs in L. <ineneei, but it is rarely even a shade darker 

 than the general wing area, if anything it is in most specimens a shade 

 lighter, in the ab. nmrrayi it is almost pure white. In all examples of 

 /.. (/iieneei this margin is edged on the inner side by a uniformly wide 

 well defined light line, while the corresponding feature in L. tcatacca 

 is only weakly defined in the darker forms, and in the lighter forms 

 scarcely traceable and never white. Even to the antennae does the 

 testaceous tinge seem to have penetrated, for in the latter .species tbey 

 are darker, while those of L. titwncei are lighter, partaking of the 

 softness of the wing colour. As someone remarked to me the other 

 day there is a suggestion of the mealiness which Ai/rotis n'pae has 

 when bred, an appearance which one can never attribute to the texture 

 of wing in L. testacea. I am omitting the comparison of the two main 

 transverse lines, for they are so indistinct and difficult to trace, as well 

 as being features liable to vary considerably in their relative position, 

 that I consider that in the case of closely allied species no reliance can be 

 placed on them for the purposes of specific distinction. Doubleday 

 says of />. ijiieneei, " on the costa there are two oblique white spots," 

 and much note has been made of these small dots. Numbers of 

 species of Noctuids possess such spots along the costa, varying in 

 number, size, and position, and to me tbey have always seemed so 

 uncertain in development as to be of very little use to identify species. 

 I have, for some time, looked upon them as interesting remains of the 

 past, the remnants of transverse lines formerly possessed by the 

 ancestors of a species, by the "dissolving away" of portions of which 

 lines, the present markings have been composed. Phylogenetically they 

 probably have their value, but as reliable characters for specific identi- 

 fication,I think that they may, as a rule, be neglected. Figures which 

 I have of /.. (hniierilii and of L. nickedii, as well as my specimens 

 of L. tcatacea, all show light spots in this position, and in most 

 specimens of L. (jueneei they are equally conspicuous, alihoiigh, 

 of course, the lighter the ground colour the more difficult it will 

 be to trace them. On the other hand, they are certainly the 

 more easily noticed the darker the general colour of the insects. Of 

 course they would be white in L. (incneel just as they are testaceous in 

 L. testacea, in accord with the rest of the lighter markings in each 

 species respectively. The thorax and abdomen follow the general 

 colour in each species. As to the size of the two species, although L. 

 testarca varies very considerably in expanse of wing, still it is 

 undoubtedly the larger, does not look so slender, has a soiled appear- 

 ance, and as a rule is a broader winged species than L. (lueneei. 

 [To be rontinneil). 



