204 LEPIDOPTERA. 



atoms barred with black; space between the first and second 

 lines the palest portion of the wings, divided almost equally 

 by a slender, oblique, and curved-back central shade ; in it is 

 the discal spot, which is oval, black-bordered and white- 

 centred ; space beyond the second stripe dusted and clouded 

 broadly with black-brown, through which runs a very obscure, 

 irregular, whitish subterminal line ; cilia white, barred with 

 smoky-black. Hind wings broad, rounded behind but with 

 the anal angle squared, margin evenly crenulated ; dusky 

 white, dusted with brown ; central spot elongated, edged 

 with brown, centred with white ; before it is a rather straight 

 transverse black-brown stripe, and following it another 

 blacker, more slender and rippled, edged outwardly with 

 white, and this with light brown ; hind marginal region 

 clouded with purplish-brown, dusted with yellow, through 

 which runs an irregular white line ; touching this line a little 

 above its middle is a black-brown spot ; cilia grey, inter- 

 sected with brown. Female usually more dusted with grey, 

 but having the markings blacker and more distinct; antennae 

 simple ; body stouter ; otherwise similar. 



Underside of all the wings dusky white dusted with brown, 

 more so toward the costal half of each ; devoid of markings 

 except faint shadowings of those of the upper side. Body 

 and legs pale brown ; tarsi dark brown barred with white. 



There is considerable variation in the depth of colour of 

 the markings in this species, from dark brown to black ; and 

 even more in the degree of dusting and clouding of dark 

 shades ; from absence thereof the middle band of some 

 specimens is brightly white, and the general tone of the moth 

 is much brightened. This is often the case in specimens 

 from the South of Ireland. In other cases the clouding and 

 dusting are intensified until the dark markings are obscured 

 and the creature presents a sombre aspect, the hind wing& 

 also being darkened. In the New Forest, Hants, specimens- 

 are occasionally taken having the two dark bauds tolerably 

 distinct or even well marked, but the ground colour entirely 



