80 THE entomologist's record. 



table of the varieties of this species in the same way that he does of 

 the Agrotids and other diflficult species, and which renders the detec- 

 tion of the varieties and sub-varieties of the various species a compara- 

 tively easy matter. Variable as is this species, it must be confessed 

 that the variations are not at all easy to group and, with the exception 

 of variation in the ground colour, to be concerned with matters so 

 small and apparently unimportant, and connected by links so close 

 that the difficulty must be very great. 



In The Brit. Noctuae, p. 107, we read that the colour of ('elacna 

 haworthii varies from " yellowish brown, through deep red and pur- 

 plish brown, to blackish grey." In this district we appear to get 

 essentially two colour forms — red and purple. True, these vary some- 

 what in depth and intensity, and some of the darker point to a combi- 

 nation of red and purple, that makes them difficult to locate ; but still, 

 in a general way, these two forms present a somewhat parallel colour 

 variation to that described in Brit. Nort., vol. ii, p. 89, as charac- 

 teristic of Lycojihotia strigula, and which one is apt to connect with 

 species attached to heaths, and which have obtained their peculiar hue 

 owing to natural selection having developed forms which are protected 

 by the similarity of their colours to those of the heath (Calluna) 

 flowers. 



The Warrington specimens, then, are essentially red-brown and 

 purple. The orbicular varies " from complete absence to a clear white 

 or ochreous spot," always, however, very small. The reniform is 

 usually ochreous, the lower margin white, from which a geminated 

 line runs towards the outer margin. There is, however, much varia- 

 tion in the number of white nervures, the geminated line at the base 

 of the reniform being occasionally the only trace of them. We cer- 

 tainly do not appear to get the type, " the yellowish-brown " form, but 

 our red form cannot be very far from hibcrnica, St., described at 

 length in Brit. Noctuae, etc., vol. i., p. 108. The purple form runs off 

 in its darkest specimens near to Eversmann's mnrio, as described by 

 Mr. Tutt, but there is always a distinct purple tinge overlying the 

 dark ground colour. 



Dyschorista suspecta and its varieties. — In The British Noctuae, 

 &c., vol. ii., p. 15G, Mr. Tutt roughly groups the varieties of this 

 species into the more unicolorous forms, and those that have a more 

 or less ophiog ramma-Wka appearance, i.e., a darker costa and blotch 

 about the stigmata (extending as far as a pale transverse band parallel 

 to the hind margin), and paler inner and outer marginal areas. 



Various forms were abundant in this neighbourhood this year, and 

 I appear to have captured most of the described forms. The more 

 unicolorous forms were more abundant, but they had a very consider- 

 able range of colour variation. The main colours in the more uni- 

 colorous forms had, however, their parallel coloration in the more varie- 

 gated forms. The var. pallida was not at all uncommon, nor was var. 

 congener, but var. rufa was by far the most abundant form, showing, 

 however, in many specimens a very strong leaning towards var. lacvis. 

 The dark var. nigrescens also occurred, but its sub-variety nigrescens- 

 variegata was more rare than var. varicgata. I have a few pale 

 ochreous-red specimens, but these hardly come under Duponchel's 

 incrs, although they are nearer that than any other form described. 

 I have, however, seen no specimens like those described from Pitcaple 



I 



