304 LEPIDOPTERA 



region ; along the hind margin is a broad ashy-brown stripe 

 dusted with red and black and sharply cut off ; beyond the 

 middle a slender, angulated, smoky-black stripe is visible 

 in the costal region. Hind wings white, with dark brown 

 nervures, and the costal half dusted with brown and red ; 

 central spot smoky-black, followed by a j^artial similar 

 transverse cloudy stripe. Body and legs purplish-brown. 



Variation is considerable in the lines already suggested ; 

 the ground colour of the fore wings ranging to rich dark 

 purple-brown and blackish-purple, and, on the other hand, 

 to a mixture of purple-brown with tawny-red, or chestnut, or 

 reddish-drab ; while the forms having the costal half of the 

 wings of the darker colour are shaded over the dorsal and 

 hinder portions with these paler tints. The most extreme 

 variation in both directions seems to occur in Scotland, some 

 examples from that country being of a brilliant light chestnut- 

 red, or of a mixture of black and glowing-red, or orange-red, 

 or even silvery-grey. In South Yorkshire also forms almost 

 or quite as richly coloured are found, and some even pale 

 yellowish-brown marbled with bright light red. Dr. Mason 

 has specimens of a pale rosy-grey mottled with dark rosy- 

 grey. Perhaps, however, the most remarkable specimen yet 

 observed was beaten out of a Scotch fir near Dunkeld in 

 the year 1876 by Mr. J. W. Douglas. He says that its head, 

 thorax, abdomen, and fore wings were sooty-black, with only 

 the edges of the stigmata paler. One taken by Mr. F. 0. 

 Woodforde, which has the 'basal half of the fore wings buff 

 with dark marblings and the stigmata and hind margin 

 equally pale, and another of a brilliant glowing dark red, 

 with black marbling and pale hind margin, are also well 

 worthy of notice. Unfortunately, words do not sufficiently 

 indicate the beauty of some of these forms. 



On the wing in July and more especially in August. 



Larva moderately plump ; head small, polished, the lobes 

 rounded, rather narrower than the second, and considerably 



