VARIATION OF LEUCANIA FAVICOLOR. 253 



the gTound coloui- of the forewings and the markings thereon are con- 

 cerned the grouping of those under examination is easy enough, but 

 there is also a wide range of variation in the hindwings, of which the 

 palest are whitish, with the nervures someAvhat darker, whilst the 

 darkest are suffused all over their area, except the fringes, which, in 

 all cases, remain of the ground tint ; this difference in the tint of the 

 hindwings is not sexual. Leaving out of account this variation of the 

 hindwings we have (with one exception) four distinct colour groups 

 represented in these specimens : — 



1. Bright yellow-buff, with cliscal dot and two dots representing elbowed Iine = 



ab. liitea, n.ab. 

 Bright yellow-buff, with discal dot and a row of dots or tiny dashes repre- 

 senting elbowed line = ab. lutea-typica, n.ab. 



2. Wainscot-buff, with discal dot and two dots representing elbowed line = ab. 



ohsoleta, n.ab. 

 Wainscot-buff, with discal dot and a row of dots or dashes representhig 

 elbowed line =favlcolor, Barrett. 



3. Eufous-buff, with discal dot and two dots representing elbowed line = ab. 



inteniiediu, n.ab. 

 Piufous-buff, with discal dot and a row of dots representing the elbowed line 

 = ab. iiitennedia-typica, n.ab. 



4. Deep reddish, with discal dot and two dots representing the elbowed line = 



ab. rufa, n.ab. 

 Deep reddish, with discal dot and a row of dots representing the elbowed 

 line = ab. rufa-typica, n.ab. 



One of the ab. Intea-tijpica has sufficient longitudinal shading 

 between the nervures of the forewings to hint that, in its extreme form 

 in this direction, the species is quite capable of producing an aberration 

 parallel with L. straminea ab. nii/nMriata, whilst another, placed by Mr. 

 Mathew among the typical group, has the forewings of such a distinct 

 dull clayey tint that it reminds one of certain specimens of Xoctua 

 cafitanea ab. iwjlecta, and, in addition, the fringes of the forewings have 

 a decided rosy flush that is common in the latter species ; the hindwings, 

 too, are especially dark and suffused from the outer margin to the base ; 

 this, in order to draw due attention to it, I have called ab. an/illacca, n.aih. 

 It appears to be desirable that Mr. Mathew should select as many of 

 these specimens as possible, as the absence of the yellow tint that is con- 

 spicuous in the ground colour of the type is in this so conspicuously 

 absent. The ground colour of the ty^je is, in fact, a combination of 

 the distinct yellow of ab. lutea, and the clayey or putty-grey hue of 

 ab. arijillacea. The red of the most extreme forms of ab. rufa is very 

 intense, and is of the red of Lencania alhipuncta, and not merely the 

 wainscot-red of L. pallem ab. cctypa, or L. straminea ab. riifolinea. The 

 yellow aberrations are particularly beautiful and distinct. Mr. Mathew 

 tells me that " from ova from this form he bred typical and red exam- 

 ples, but none like the parent; the apex of the wings of this aberration 

 appears to be slightly less acuminate than those of the type ; it appears 

 to be a rare form." Of the typical forms under examination Mr. 

 Mathew notes : " These do not quite agree with Barrett's description 

 of the insect, being much darker, probably due to their finer condition." 

 Further comparison with the various forms of the allied species as 

 described in The British Xoctiiae and their Varieties, vol. i., pp, 80-i2 

 would no doubt prove interesting, but space forbids. 



There is really no further need, in the face of Mr. Mathew's fine 

 bred specimens, to attempt to assert its specific distinctness. With 



