VARIETIES OP NOCTU.E IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 307 



specimens of this variety, but Mr. Russ occasionall}^ takei? it 

 at Sligo. 



/5. var. cypriaca, Haw. — I am uncertain whether Hiibner's 

 fig. 224 ought to be referred to this variet}', which I would have 

 include all the bright red ros}^ forms from which it has derived 

 its English name '^ rosy rustic"; I base this opinion on Haworth's 

 description, " alis roseis, fusco strigatis," but I believe such 

 forms as are represented by Hiibner's figure should be included. 

 These rosy forms are the more general in the South of England, 

 but apparently rare in the North, where the darker and greyer 

 forms are more abundant. 



y. var. ruhicla, mihi. — The anterior wings of a rich red 

 colour, with a tendency to a purplish tinge. The posterior 

 wings strongly marked with a dark lunule, transverse line and 

 shade. I consider this the finest variety of the species, and have 

 never seen specimens except those I have bred from this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



^. var. brunnea, mihi. — An extreme development of var. 

 ruhida where the dark red is entirely replaced by a deep, shiny, 

 brown colour. The hind wings are very much suffused with fuscous, 

 the ground colour being of a dull grey; the lunule, transverse 

 line and shade being darker than the ground colour. This 

 extreme melanic form is rare in the South ; I have only obtained 

 one in this (Greenwich) neighbourhood, but I have received it 

 from Mr. Percy Russ, of Sligo, and Mr. Reid, of Pitcaple. In 

 these localities it seems not uncommon. 



£. var. grisea, mihi. — Anterior wings of a pale, shiny, greyish 



white, the transverse markings having the slightest possible trace 



of reddish colour ; the stigmata very indistinct. The posterior 



wings greyish white, with a dusky lunule, and transverse line, 



while some of these grey forms have, and others have not, the 



ordinary transverse shade. This form is the one more generally 



obtained in the marshes on the banks of the Medway ; I have 



bred it from Greenwich and have received it from Mr. Percy 



Ptuss (Sligo). 



Hydrcecia, Gn., nictitans, L. 



[After a great deal of careful study, I have come to the 

 conclusion that we probably have, under the name of nictitans, L., 

 two distinct species, one of which I at first thought was the 

 lucens of Freyer ; but this is not so, the latter being merely a 



2 D 2 



