VARIETIES OF NOCTU^ IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 181 



fully re-described and figured in Newman's ' British Moths,' pp. 390, 391. 

 There seems to have been a great deal of confusion attending these early 

 specimens, the dark varieties of conspersa, since added in tolerably large 

 numbers to our cabinets, having been discovered about the same time, and 

 frequently mistaken for them. 



The following remarks on the occurrence of this variety in 

 Ireland are interesting: — " D. barrettil is now considered to be a 

 remarkable variety of D. luteago, a species which occurs rarely in 

 Central Europe. One object I proposed to myself this summer 

 (1884) was the further investigation of this group, Dianthcecia. 

 The occurrence of D. barrettii only in one very restricted locality 

 at Hovvth, while its food-plant flourishes luxuriantly everywhere 

 on the littoral, seemed a remarkable anomaly. I was successful 

 in taking it on the coast of Waterford, and, I believe, the larvae 

 on the Wicklow shores, but unfortunately an accident killed the 

 pupse before they hatched out. I have no doubt that the insect 

 occurs elsewhere, but its habits are such as to render it very 

 difficult to capture. The divergence of this insect from its 

 original type is so great as to lead to the inference that a vast 

 period must have elapsed since its isolation from the parent 

 stock." (W. F. de V. Kane, in the ' Proceedings of the Eoyal Irish 

 Academy,' 1884, p. 107.) 



p. var. hrunneago, Esp. — Esper, vol. iv., pi. 196, fig. 8, represents the 

 type of this variety. This figure may be described as having : — " Anterior 

 wings dull yellow, with several (eight) short, dark red costal streaks ; 

 nervures at base dark reddish, with a single arched basal line of the same 

 colour; directly beyond reniform another transverse waved line, at its 

 centre in contact with lower part of reniform ; a narrow streak of dull 

 brownish orange colour along the costa, continued a short distance from the 

 apex down the outer margin ; median space (between two transverse lines 

 mentioned) extending from costa to inner margin, also dull brownish 

 orange ; stigmata dull grey ; a small yellowish patch between and under 

 orbicular and reniform ; outer margin below apical patch dull yellow; hind 

 margin with a darker line. Hind wings grey, with dark hind margin." His 

 fig. 3, on the same plate, represents a female which has " more orange tint 

 in ground colour, and two transverse orange bands, — one nearer base than 

 orbicular, one just beyond reniform; a curved series of arches of the same 

 colour parallel to hind margin. Hind wings grey, distinct lunule and 

 transverse line, hind margin orange." 



y. olbiena, Hb.-Gey. — Geyer's figure 839 is considered by Guenee to 

 represent a form of this species. It may be described as, " Anterior wings 

 of a deep orange colour, with an abbreviated and complete double basal 

 transverse line outlined in reddish; stigmata also outlined in reddish; two 

 double transverse lines beyond the reniform, the outer one wavy." Geyer's 

 fig. 830 is the under side of 829. 



^. var. argillacea, Hb. — According to Dr. Staudinger, Hilbner's argillacea 

 is a variety of luteago. This variety, represented by Hiibner's fig. 590, may 

 be described as: — " (?. Anterior wings hnving the ground colour bright 

 yellow, tinted slightly with orange, and much clouded with grey atoms; the 



