VARIETIES OF NOCTU^ IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 205 



albse margine interdum fuscescente." Hiibner figures (428) 

 cespitis as *' brown with a reddish tinge ; a pale abbreviated, fol- 

 lowed by a complete basal, streak, outlined in black ; stigmata 

 outlined in yellowish ; a pale wavy line beyond the reniform, 

 edged externally with black ; another pale transverse line parallel 

 to hind margin. Hind wings dark grey, base paler, a pale line 

 parallel to hind margin," There appears to be a little variation 

 in size. I have some specimens from South Wales much larger than 

 some from Lancashire and Sussex. There is also a slight sexual 

 variation, the hind wings of the female being darker than those 

 of the male. The hind wings of the male vary in colour, as 

 •noticed by Newman in his ' British Moths,' pp. 397, 298 : — " The 

 hind wings of the male are very pale, almost white, sometimes with 

 one, sometimes with two darker bars, parallel with the hind mar- 

 gin : in some specimens I find scarcely any trace of these bars." 

 Var. confinis, St. ? — In Humphrey and Westwood's ' British Moths 

 (vol. i. p. Ill) we read : — " Mr. Stephens in his ' Catalogue ' regarded as 

 a doubtful variety of this species a unique specimen obtained from the 

 Marshamian collection, which in his ' Illustrations ' he described as distinct, 

 under the name of Chareas confinis, which differs from the foregoing 

 (cespitis) in the paler colour and narrowness of the fore wings, nearly uni- 

 formly coloured hind wings, and slightly pectinated antennae." 



Luperina, Bdv., testacea, Hb. 

 The type of this most variable species is figured by Hiibner 

 in his ' Schmetterlinge, &c.,' fig. 139. It has the " anterior wings 

 of a very deep (for this species) brown, with a dark outer margin, 

 and clouded with darker around and under the stigmata. The 

 mark, on which Haworth named his varieties, not complete. Hind 

 wings white, lunule clearly marked, with a clouded hind margin." 

 Hiibner's type has a central band almost as in Newman's ' British 

 Moths,' J). 29G, fig. 1, but has the outer margin darker, and a 

 shade on the outer margin of the inferior wings. This common 

 species varies very much throughout Britain. I have specimens 

 of a clear whitish grey colour, with scarcely a trace of typical 

 markings (var. ohsoleta), and other extreme forms almost black 

 (var. nigrescens). The specimens from the coast districts of 

 Lancashire, and the neighbourhood of Deal and Sligo, some- 

 times show a great tendency to melanism. The markings also 

 are very variable. Some specimens have a distinct, dark, central 

 band, others have no trace of it. On the hind wings, too, our 

 specimens rarely have the lunule well-marked. In Britain the 

 specimens are not generally brown, although a certain percentage 

 are ; grey is the prevailing colour, diffeiing greatly, however, in 

 intensity in different specimens. The Hartlepool specimens are, 

 as a rule, much browner than those I have from any other 

 locality. One specimen from this locality, captured by Mr. 

 Robson, has the nervures of the anterior wings much dusted with 



