LARENTID.E—HYPSIPETES. 369 



discal spot, when visible, a slender erect black streak ; outside 

 the second line is a broad dark band consisting of two stripes 

 of olive-green, or blackish-brown, enclosing another of purple- 

 grey, all roughly edged with dusted black lines ; all the 

 nervures indicated by a dusting of alternate black and white ; 

 but toward the apex is a series of horizontal deep black 

 streaks on the nervures beyond the second Hue; along the 

 hind margin is a series of black clouds, followed by a black 

 line ; cilia grey, spotted with black. Hind wings ample, 

 much rounded, smoky-white ; centi-al spot a black dot ; 

 beyond it are two faint, curved, smoky transverse lines, or 

 slender stripes ; cilia smoky-white, spotted with black-brown. 

 Female very similar, sometimes rather larger. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky-white; discal spot 

 black ; beyond it are two distinct black spots on the costa, 

 from each of which is a cloudy stripe of smoky-black crossing 

 the wing ; hind margin sharply edged with a black line : cilia 

 spotted with black. Hind wings white dusted with brown ; 

 central spot conspicuous, black ; beyond it are two well- 

 marked curved transverse brown stripes ; cilia edgeii and 

 spotted with black. Body and legs very ])ale brown : tarsi 

 greenish-black, spotted with white. 



Variation in this species is somewhat local and climatal, 

 but in the more typical forms there is constant slight diti'er- 

 ence in the colour of the dark bands, and in the ground 

 colour, or the degree of shading upon it ; in rare instances 

 this is quite white ; but in northern and western districts, 

 especially in Scotland and Wales, and elsewhere among high 

 hills, the clouding increases until the whole surface is 

 suffused with smoky-brown, in whicli the lines and bands 

 are a little darker, until it reaches an almost uniform smoky- 

 black colour extending completely over the fore wings, or 

 almost coni])letely obscuring not only the dark bands but 

 even the black streaks. Yet those of the latter lying near 

 the apex of the wing may nearly always be <listinguished, 

 and by their horizontal character serve to identity the 



VOL. VIII. -1 A 



