178 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



that the wing has the appearance of being crossed with alternate 

 striations of black and white lines ; a very dark, almost black, 

 shade runs under the median nervure, the central dot and row 

 of dots present, as in the variety rufolinea, but more inconspicuous, 

 owing to the suffusion. Posterior wings much irrorated with dark 

 atoms, giving them a very dark appearance. Females of this 

 variety are very rare. My series of this form are chiefly males. 



Leucania, Och., impura, Hb. 



The type of this species is represented by Hiibner's fig. 396. 

 The species was previously figured by Albin, plate xxx. : — g, upper 

 side ; h, under side. As, however, none of his figures are named, 

 Hiibner's name and description must stand. His fig. 396 may be 

 described as follows : — Anterior wings of a pale wainscot-brown 

 colour, with a dark longitudinal shade under the base of the 

 median nervure, broad, but not reaching to the end of the 

 discoidal cell ; a black dot at the end of the discoidal cell, and 

 four dots are developed of the transverse row parallel to the hind 

 margin, viz., two towards the apex, one just below the outer edge 

 of the median nervure, and one just above the inner margin ; 

 nervures dusky. Posterior wings grey, nervures darker, extreme 

 border spotted. It must be noticed that the peculiar development 

 of the short longitudinal streak under the base of the median 

 nervure is very unusual, and that the posterior wings are much 

 paler than in our specimens. 



a. var. fidigos'ma, Haw. — This is our ordinary form of impura, 

 which, as I have pointed out above, differs from Hiibner's type. 

 *' The anterior wings are ochreous, with or without a reddish 

 tinge, with three minute and often almost obliterated black dots, 

 placed as in a triangle ; the extreme hind margin marked with 

 very minute black dots ; the nervures white towards the outer 

 margin. The posterior wings fuscous or smoky, with pale cilia, 

 and an indistinct lunule " (Haworth's ' Lepidoptera Britannica,' 

 p. 174). It will be seen that the variety has not the double spot 

 above the median nervure (only one being developed), nor the 

 spot above the inner margin (just beyond the anal angle), which 

 characterise the type, and the hind wings are darker. The Scotch 

 specimens are smaller, with clearer fore wings and darker hind 

 wings than our southern specimens. 



/3. var. punctina, Haw. — This is the red form of impura : "The 



