TRIFlDsE. 219 



form stigma deep black, except a grey-brown cloud in its 

 middle; across it from the costa is a black transverse cloud 

 or central shade, sometimes broken, but reaching the dorsal 

 margin, and often thickened there into a broad spot ; clavi- 

 form stigma a small black loop attached to an angle of the 

 first line ; hind margin spotted with black ; cilia dark brown 

 dashed with white. Hind wings rounded, silvery-white in 

 the middle ; basal portion much streaked with smoky-black 

 clouding ; whole hind-marginal region occupied by a broad 

 regular smoky-black band which often unites with a more 

 smoky cloud along the dorsal region ; the central spot rather 

 large, crescentic, dull black ; cilia white. Female very 

 similar. 



Underside of the fore wings slate-white ; reniform stigma 

 black; beyond it is a curved transverse stripe of black 

 dusting ; hind margin also dusted with black, and a similar 

 spot lies before the apex. Hind wings white, broadly dusted 

 from the base with black; central spot large, crescentic, 

 black, as also is a broad hind-marginal band ; cilia white. 

 Body and legs black but shaggy, with long white hairs, 

 except the tibias, which are brown, barred with yellowish- 

 white. 



There is some variation in the ground colour from greyish- 

 white to grey-black, and in the Shetland Isles to very pale 

 yellow. In the collection of Mr. S. J. Capper is a specimen 

 with blacker fore wings and the blackness on the hind wings 

 so extended as to leave only a small yellowish-white central 

 spot preceded by a similar streak. An extremely neat and 

 pretty dark form. 



On the wing in May and the beginning of June. 



Lakva of the usual Noctua form, tapering a little forwards 

 from the fifth segment, and the thirteenth sloping rapidly off; 

 the skin soft and velvety ; head dark purplish-brown with 

 darker reticulations ; ground colour deep purplish-pink ; dorsal 

 line ochreous-brown, boldly outlined with black, but inter- 



