VARIETIES OF NOCTU^ IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 49 



consider this a local form of muralis, but with this opinion I am 

 not inclined to concur, as those types that I have seen have the 

 transverse markings somewhat different to those in muralis, but 

 this difference may not hold in a long series. 



Bryo2)hila, Tr., peiia, F. 



a. var. flavescens, mihi. — In this variety the whole of the 

 anterior wings are strongly suffused with ochreous or orange- 

 coloured scales. I have taken a long series of this very pretty 

 form at Deal. On some walls it is almost as common as the 

 type. These walls are covered with orange-coloured lichens, and 

 there seems little doubt that in this case the orange-colour of the 

 variety is protective. 



/?. var. suffusa, mihi. — The grey reticulations and marbling, 

 which are pale in the type, are in this form very dark bluish 

 black, and suffuse the whole of the wing, absorbing almost all 

 the usual markings ; the discoidal spots are, however, very dark. 

 The hind wings have the space between the two black parallel 

 lines very much obscured, so as to form a broad dark band ; 

 the veins of the hind wings very dark. I have a fine series of 

 this form from Strood and Deal. The few Yorkshire specimens 

 I have of peiia are all of this form. There is no doubt that this 

 form is Guenee's var. A., ' Histoire des Insectes,' v. 28. 



y. var. dictincta, mihi. — The ground colour is white, and the 

 discoidal spots dark grey. A grey shade directly under the 

 orbicular, four short dark dashes near the centre of the costa, a 

 short basal streak and a grey shade on the costa near the tip of 

 the wing, are the only markings. The form is almost entirely 

 without the grey marbling of the type. I have six specimens in 

 my own series, four from Strood and two from Deal. I have 

 occasionally seen a specimen in other series, but the form is by 

 no means common. 



Bryopldla, Tr., algcE, F. 



a. var. mendacula, Hb. 520. — This variety is " smaller, paler, 

 and greyer than the tj'^pe."— Stdgr. 



/3. var. calUgraplia, Bkh. — The anterior wings *' much suffused 

 with yellow or orange scales." — Stdgr. 



y. var. degener, Esp. — The anterior wings of this variety are 

 " unicolorous, and of a dark green colour." — Stdgr. 



