50 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BoMBYCOIDiE, Bdv. 



The chief genus of this family is the Acronycta. In this 

 genus we find two distinct types of ornamentation, the typical 

 forms having a pale grey or white ground colour with black or 

 brown markings ; the varietal forms are more or less suffused 

 with the darker colour to the exclusion of the paler ground 

 colour, thus making the markings more obscure, and giving the 

 insect a much darker or banded appearance. 



Moma, Hb., orion, Esp. 

 Var. runica, Haw. — Less strongly marked than the type and 

 has altogether a lighter appearance. There is a figure of this 

 variety in Newman's ' British Moths,' p. 247. Mr. Newman's 

 remarks, p. 248, show that he believed this variety would 

 ultimately prove to be a distinct species. 



Acronycta, Och., tridens, Schiff. 

 Var. virga, mihi. — The ground colour rather darker than in 

 the type ; the space in the anterior wings between the hind 

 margin and the transverse line containing the 4'-like mark much 

 suffused with dark scales, giving it the appearance of a band, the 

 space between the black basal streak and the inner margin much 

 suffused. There is a figure of this variety in Newman's * British 

 Moths,' p. 248, second figure. 



Acronycta, Och., 'psi, L. 



a. var. hivirgcs, mihi. — The anterior wings darker than in the 

 type, the space between the hind margin and the transverse 

 line containing the ^--like mark completely suffused with black 

 scales ; the basal part of the wing also completely suffused, so 

 that the insect has the appearance of two bands crossing these 

 wino-s. This beautiful variety was captured on the racecourse 

 at York by Mr. J. T. Carrington, and is now in the collection of 

 the late Mr. Sidebotham. 



ft. var. siiffusa, mihi. — The whole of the ground colour is 

 much suffused with dark scales, giving the insect a very dark 

 appearance. The posterior wings are also much darker than in 

 the type in both sexes. This is the form generally, if not 

 always, taken in the London district, and occasionally found in 



