206 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



a flat board ; whereas in the English method hardly any two 

 boards have the same pitch, and hardly two entomologists use 

 the same curve. As far as the smaller Geometers are concerned 

 it is impossible to set them to look well unless flat, as they 

 have such a tendency to droop, and when set on a curved surface 

 and low down on the pin, their wings invariably touch the 

 surface of the paper, and they are then subjects for mites. 



Might I suggest that if flat-setting becomes of more universal 

 use, it would be a good plan for those who avail themselves of 

 the exchange column in this magazine to state which style 

 they prefer, the flat or concave setting, so that a distinction 

 might be made in that column for the convenience and satisfaction 

 of both parties. 



A. E. Hall. 



Norbury, Sheffield, July, 1888. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A LIST OF THE VARIETIES 

 OF NOCTU^ OCCURRING IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



By J. W. TuTT, F.E.S. 

 (Continued from p. 181.) 



Senta, St., maritima, Tausch. 



The type of this species is of a silky grej^ colour, with the 

 stigmata j)ale but scarcely discernible, a faint row of black dots 

 in place of the angulated transverse line. Hind wings pure 

 white, with a faint trace of a row of black dots on the nervures. 



a. var. ulvce, Hb. — All Hiibner's figures are more or less red- 

 dish. As this is not at all usual, it is, perhaps, advisable to keep 

 Hiibner's as a varietal name. His figure 666 is the most marked 

 form, and may be described as : — A male with anterior wings all 

 reddish, except the costa which is dark grey ; the stigmata lined 

 in with white. A row of tiny black dots occurs just within the 

 fringe, then a dark shade parallel to the hind margin, then the 

 usual transverse row of black dots between this and the reniform. 

 Hind wings white, with a lunule and an indistinct row of dots on 

 the nervures. 



^. var. bipunctata, Haw. — Anterior wings with two black 

 spots, one near the centre of the wing, the other beyond the 

 centre. This variety is figured in Newman's ' British Moths,' 



