136 THE entomologist's record. 



understood if T here state that I have placed Shetland specimens only 

 under the name contiua, and I find that Mr. Tutt has taken exactly 

 the same line. The series before us will, I think, show that the con- 

 fusion that has for so long existed has mainly arisen through certain 

 forms from Scotland and the North of England being placed under the 

 same name. 



Before laying before you any further results of my OAvn observations, 

 and the conclusions to be deduced therefrom, it will be best to 

 endeavour to realise exactly what insects the authors of the above 

 names intended to designate. I am much indebted to Mr. Kirby, of 

 the British Museum, for his kind help in this matter. 



Turning then to the early authorities, there appears to be con- 

 siderable doubt as to what name should stand for the insect now almost 

 universally known as Xoctua fcstira, Hb. The case, so far as the 

 limited time at my disposal allowed me to investigate it, stands thus : 

 Fabricius in 1775, under the name X. men(li(a,])nhYish.edthe following 

 description : " N. cristata, alls deflexis, pallide incarnatis ; macula 



media fusca : stigmatibus Havis." "Thorax fuscus, margine 



antico albicante. AUb anticje subincarnat^e, strigis plurimis undatis, 

 fuscis. In medio alve macula nuxgna fusca, et in hac stigmata 

 ordinaria Havissima, anteriore orbiculato, posteriore reniformi, subtus 

 fiavescentes striga fusca." 



Werneburg recognizes that this description applies to our X. festira, 

 and allows Fabricius' name on the ground of priority. Staudinger 

 merely puts " ? nioulica'" as a synonym for X.frstira. In the following 

 year Schitiermiiller*-* briefly described a species under the name of Xoctua 

 /i'.v^/cfl,thus " a dark red and pearl coloured Noctua, with an unknown 

 larva." Although Schifl'ermiiller says the larva is unknown, he never- 

 theless places his species in a class distinguished as having cannibal 

 larvae. We now come to the name at present in use, riz. : Xoctua 

 festira, Hiibner. Hiibner publishes an excellent drawing in an early 

 number of the Saiimdutu/ cunijidischcr ScJuiu'ttcdiiKjc, von Jacob Hiibner, 

 pi. 24, fig. 114 (published in Augsburg from about 1798 to 1841), and 

 later three other figures 467, 468 and 469 ; but this appears to be one 

 of several, if not many, species drawn by him, but never described, at 

 least so far as my investigation went. The earlier figure excellently 

 represents the red form, having paler bases to the wings, and the dark 

 quadrate spot between the stigmata, while the later figures represent 

 various brown forms. The question of nomenclature seems in this 

 instance to be narrowed down to this, riz., is a moderately good 

 description without a drawing, or a good drawing without a description 

 to take precedence? The great probability appears to me to be that 

 Hiibner merely drew an insect already well-known under Schifler- 

 miiller's name, and in doing so removed any possible ambiguity that 

 may have existed on the subject. Of course if type specimens exist 

 showing what either Fabricius or Schiffermiiller intended, they would 

 settle the question. As Treitschke was the author of the name confiua, 

 it may be well before proceeding to discuss that species to give his 

 brief diagnosis of X. festira, published in IHc SrJnncttcrUnye nm 

 Kunqja, von Friedrich Treitschke, 1825, vol. v., pt. 1., p. 224, " N. alis 

 anticis pallide incarnatis, macula media fusca, stigmatibus duobus 



* Si/xteinatisclu's Verzeichnisa der Schmettcrliiuje dcr }}'i('m'r Gc(j(i:d. — Denis and 

 Schiffermiiller, Vienna, 1770. 



