THE GENUS CARADHINA, ETC. 227 



^. var. lacvis, Stepli. ; Wd., 200. — Markings indistinct ; sometimes 

 quite obsolete. I have bred two or three of this variet}- from Sandown. 



17. var. siiffnsa, n. var. — No name has, I think, been ])roposed for the 

 darkest form of this species, obscure deep fuscous ; I liave, therefore, 

 transferred Tutt's sitffusa from superstes, here. 



[Caradrina alsines var. amnren)>in, Stgi'., Rom. Mem. sitr Lep. vi., 

 p. 486, from Amurland, appears either to belong to taraxaci (according 

 to the ^ antenna?), as a local race, or (according to the genitalia)^ to be 

 as distinct from both as they are from one another. Oberthiir (Etudes 

 d' Ent., v.), records it as blanda (i.e., taraxaci). It is smaller than ahines, 

 with the hind-wings, and especially the under-surface, somewhat 

 darker]. 



Cakadrina alsines. — [? Blanda, W. Y.,pro parte (1776)]: alsinea, 

 Brahm, pro parte (1791) ; Bork., pro parte (1792) : Hb., 577 : [? glabra, 

 Mus. Schiff., teste Ochs.] : ? sordida, Haw.: implexa, Steph. (nee. Hb.). 



The type of this species, as I have remarked already, is Hiibner's 

 ahinefi ; this is the brightest-coloured form of the species — in fact, 

 exaggerated into a very bright orange-brown. It is, perhaps, not worth 

 while to separate from this the brighter normal sjDecimens of the 

 species, in which case we have only, so far as I am aware, the following 

 named forms : — 



tt. var. stiffiisa, Tutt, Brit. Noct., i., ji. 147 = var. A, Gn. — Darker 

 than the tj'pe, through stronger dusting with black scales. I have seen 

 some good examples from Hull. 



j3. var. levix, Stgr., Stett. ent. Zeit., xlix., p. 29. — A local form, 

 received by Staudinger from Central Asia. " Far lighter brownish or 

 yellowish-grey (hard to denote), wliich contrasts strongly with the dark 

 brown-grey of the ty])ical German alsines.'' Markings sharply defined ; 

 hind-wings, whitish. I must add that I suspect " typical German 

 alsines " are darker than our normal English form, and it is quite possible 

 that var. levis (which I have not seen), is not far from my only two 

 Sandown sjiecimens, which are too light and yellowish for the type. 

 On the other hand, it is by no means certain as yet that this var. 

 belongs here at all, and that it may not ultimately be erected into a 

 separate species. 



Implexa, Steph., belongs certainly, as Mr. Tutt ^loints out, to ty])ical 

 (dsines, and was so determined by Curtis long ago ; it is therefore sur- 

 j)rising that Uoubleday gives it as a var. of tara.vaei, and that Soutli 

 follows him in this. 



[Caradrina sericea, Speyer, Stett. ent. Zeit., xxviii., p. 78, described 

 after a S from Amsterdam, and a 5 from Cassel, is near alsines in 

 structure, and Staudinger is not exactly satisfied that it is distinct ; the 

 fore- wings are narrower, broadening much less towards the outer edge, 

 therefore, more uniform in width ; the tone of colour much nearer 

 superstes than alsines, with a strong silky gloss, and almost without 

 markings ; the palpi are not externally darkened with grej', as in all the 

 allies. Herr Snellen of Rotterdam, the discoverer of the first s])ecimen, 

 still considers it a good species, and kindly writes me that he is willing 

 to compare witli the original any doul)tful examples which I may 

 submit to him, as lie thinks it by no means improbable that it might be 

 detected in England]. 



Caka1)KINA ambigua. — [? amhiijna, W. V. (177G]: ambigua, Fb., 

 Mant., ii., }). 148 (1787) : plantaginis, Dup., vi., p. 59; ? Hb., 576. — In 



