VARIETIES OF NOCTU^ IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 311 



doubt that these are simply large nict'itans. I find also that 

 in the Doubleday collection, a number of large nictitans, which 

 differ in no way (except size) from ordinary nictitans, are 

 labelled as lucens. Careful study of Freyer's figures, pi. 4G8, figs 



3, 4, and Herrich-Sch^ffer's, figs. 285—288 (by error 85—88), 

 shows that their types are reallj'' nictitans and not distinct. I 

 have made the following notes of Freyer's figures : — " Fig. 3, ? . 

 Anterior wings reddish ochreous, with two red stigmata ; a dark 

 shade passing from the costa, between the stigmata, to the inner 

 margin ; a double abbreviated black line at the base, followed by 

 three very fine black lines before the orbicular ; two fine black 

 lines just beyond the reniform, with a slaty grey band at some 

 distance from, but parallel to, the hind margin." " Fig. 4. ? . 

 Strong red nictitans, with white reniform." Of Herrich-Schsefifer's 

 figures I noted : — " Strongly-marked nictitans, colour of reniform 

 variable." All these figures are strongly reticulated. 



[Before describing the next variety {paludis) I would make the 

 following remarks : — For reasons that I have just given under my 

 notes on nicticans, I am almost satisfied that this is a species 

 distinct from, but closely allied to, nictitans. Its different phases 

 of variation are shown on Plate I., figs. 1 — 6. The varieties of 

 this local race or species (whichever it may be) vary in colour 

 from yellow-ochreous to brownish ochreous and grey, with a 

 slight greenish tinge. The orbicular is yellow in all varieties, 

 the reniform is always white- or orange -yellow, never distinctly 

 red as in nictitans var. erythrostigma. The form is not figured by 

 any British or Continental author ; as far as I can find, the 

 nearest approach to it is Esper's, fig. v., pi. 125 ; although in 

 Humphrey ifeWestwood's 'British Moths,' vol. ii., pi. xxxvii., fig. 



4, there is a poor figure of what might possibly be its var. grisea. 

 Paludis and its vars. seem particularly marsh or coast-forms. The 

 palest I have ever seen were captured by Mr. Russ, at Sligo, in 

 Ireland ; but some captured by Mr. Ovenden and myself at 

 Strood, some by Mr. Coverdale at Shoeburyness, and some by 

 myself at Deal, are but little darker than the Irish specimens. 

 In Plate I., figs. 1 & 2 are the ochreous form (jJaludis) ; figs. 4, 5, 

 G, are the dark form (grisea) ; fig. 3 is intermediate {intermedia). 

 It must be noted that each of these figures has a form with both 

 white and yellow reniform stigmata, although a yellow form of 

 intermedia is not figured. I have therefore divided each of the 



