SOME VARIETIKS OF NOCTl -i; FK03I DONCASTEK. 25o 



whitish reiiiform, — var. riifa-dJIio, Tutt. Various black forms are very 

 common, but tlioso with a well-developed H -mark, are rather scarce. 

 The ojihioiiraviiiKi-likc forms are eommon, l)ut tyi)ical didi/uia, such as 

 specimeu o, are very scarce. I have imly met with two, and both these 

 were taken on the same night in ISUo. 



NoctiKi fcst/va. — The four specimens exhibited show all the range of 

 colour variation that I have found at Doncaster, and you will say that 

 they are wonderfully uniform for such a variable species. No. 2 looked 

 very ciu-ious on the sugar, on account of the strong development of the 

 two transverse lines. 



Noctna xantho'jrapha. — You will notice a vacant space in the series. 

 This was occupied by what I thought to be a good form of xanthographa ; 

 more careful study, however, showed it to be Aijrotis nigricans ; so I took 

 it out to avoid the jeers of those who should discover my error for me ; 

 but I will dare to confess my mistake now. Of the specimens in my 

 box, No. 2 appears to be var. cohaesa, H.-S., while the others may all 

 be referred to the type — No. 3 approaching var. rufa, and No. 6 

 verging towards the northern form var. nigra, Tutt. The light grey 

 form cohaesa is very scarce here, about 99 per cent, being the type. 



Fachnohia ruhricosa. — None of the forms exhibited seem quite to 

 agree with the varieties named in The British Noctiue, &c. No. 1 is the 

 palest form that I have found, but is, perhaps, hardly light enough for 

 var. pallida, Tutt. The beautifully-marked specimen No. 2, seems to 

 be intermediate between rufa, Haw. (agreeing with that form in having 

 •' all the lines well marked in clear ashy-grey ") and mixta, Hb., having 

 the slate-grey ground colour of the latter variety somewhat developed. 

 Nos. 3 and 4 may be referred to the type, the latter being a peculiarly 

 dark specimen. 



Of the very interesting genus Taeaiocanipa, I only show two speci- 

 mens ; but before enlarging upon them, 1 may briefly summarise the 

 whole genus so far as Doncaster is concerned, as follows: — T. munda 

 fairly ct)mmon, type prevalent, red forms occasionally met with. T. 

 instabilis, very abundant ; melanic forms prevail. T. opima, very rare. 

 T. gracilis, very rare. T. pjoptdeti, common ; type prevalent ; occasion- 

 ally intermediate forms occur between type and var. donasa, Esp. T. 

 piiiveridenta, excessively abundant ; very little prone to vary. T. 

 miniosa, not known in the localit}'. 



T. gothica. — This species ranks next to T. pulcernlenta in abundance, 

 and varies considerably, but I have seen nothing like var. gothicina, 

 that is, forms with the black mark .surrounding the orbicular obsolete. 

 The gTound colour varies from greyish- ochreous, as in the 3rd specimen, 

 to purplish, as in the 2nd. The range of development of the black 

 mark is shown in the series exhibited — No. 1 having it least, and No. 

 2, perhaps, most developed. The brownish tint of the mark in No. G. 

 is the nearest ajiiiroach to var. guthicina that I have found. 



Taeniocampa stahilis varies much with us in size, in colour, and 

 in markings. The first two specimens are var. rufa, Tutt, and are the 

 only specimens of this form that I have seen in my locality. Nos. 3 

 and 4 agree pretty well with Yieweg's description of the tyjte 

 " ferruginous-grey, with spots and subterminal line yellow," but have 

 not " the margin spotted with black." o and 6 are referable to var. 

 obliqua, Yill., and are remarkable for the conspicuous dark ground colour 

 of the stigmata. No. 7 is a curiously unicolorous form, to which I 

 cannot put a name. 



