VARIETIES OF NOCTtJ^ IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 251 



insects." I have a very small specimen, but have never seen one 

 that could be called really brown, so that Mr. Gregson's specimen 

 must have been a very unusual form. Taking the mottled grey 

 insect as the type, we have the following forms : — 



1. Ashy grey, mottled with darker, no ochreous colouring, white 

 reniform, subterminal line more or less obsolete, = hrassicce. 



2. Grey, mottled with ochreous, distinct stigmata and sub- 

 terminal line, = var. alhicolon, St. 



3. Ochreous grey, mottled with darker, white reniform, sub- 

 terminal line present, = var. ochracea. 



4. Unicolorous blackish grey, white reniform, obsolete sub- 

 terminal line, = var. unicolor. 



5. Very black, white reniform, white subterminal line, = var. 

 alhidilinea, Haw. 



a. var. ochracea, mihi. — This is the fig. d of Engramelle, 456. 

 Hiibner's figure (88) may be described as: — "Anterior wings pale 

 ochreous, with darker fuscous shades ; all the characteristic lines and 

 markings of hrassictB of a pale whitish ochreous. Hind wings grey, margin 

 darker than base, lunule distinct." None of our British specimens appear 

 to be referable to this variety. Mr. Dobree, however, writes : — " I have 

 specimens from Amurland, where it is very common. These are of quite a 

 pale, warm ochreous ground colour, with typical faint markings. Reniform 

 white, and more compact than in British specimens, and outlined with 

 black. Orbicular, the same as ground colour, with strong black outline, 

 and beneath the orbicular a conspicuous semicircular black mark facing 

 inwards ; the subterminal line almost obsolete " (in litt.). 



(3. var. albicolon, St. — This would appear to be the more common form 

 of hrassiccB in the southern part of England, being mottled with ochreous 

 and dark fuscous, and with distinct stigmata and transverse lines outlined 

 in pale ochreous. Stephens' alhicolon, however, had an "obliterated 

 claviforu]," which is not usually the case with the mottled variety. 



y. var. unicolor, mihi. — Anterior wings dull blackish grey, with the 

 subterminal line almost obsolete, the markings, blending with the dark 

 ground colour, give it a very unicolorous appearance. The outer edge of 

 the reniform white, as in the type. My specimens are labelled Nottingham 

 and Westcombe Park, but I dare say it is found occasionally wherever the 

 type or var. albicolon is abundant. 



^. var. alhidilinea. Haw. — Haworth's description of alhidilinea is as 

 follows: — "Alls anticis nigricantibus, striga postica alte bidentata 

 albicante." " Statura et magnitudo fere N. hrassicce. Alae anticfe stigma- 

 tibus ordinariis, strigaque alte dentata ju.xta marginem posticum albicante, 

 exacte ut in Noctuis vulgo dictis 'Brocades.'" This extreme variety is, I 

 believe, rare. I have only one of this intensely black form with distinct white 

 markings. My specimen was bred from pupae, sent me by Mr. Mottershaw, 

 of Nottingham. Mr. Robson, in the 'Young Naturalist,' vol. ix., p, 103, 

 referring to Mr. Gregson's specimens, mentioned above, describes them, 

 and I have very little doubt they belong to this variety. I have seen 

 a specimen of Mr. Robson's belonging to this variety, but the sub- 

 terminal line is more ochreous than white. I would include all black 

 specimens with strongly-marked reniform and subterminal line under this 

 varietal name. 



