35i THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



in the whole group, and it is almost impossible in this species 

 either to classify or tabulate the numerous forms, for not only 

 have we every possible variety that can be compounded of the 

 basilinea- and pahulatricula -Wke forms, but these are combined 

 with ophiogramma-like forms with a result that defies classifi- 

 cation : we have in grey, oehreous, and red colour the transverse 

 lined or reticulated form ; we have in each colour the i-^-marked 

 form; we have in each colour an ophiogramma-m.Q.vkedi form 

 (dark costa), blended with the other forms of variation into 

 every possible intermediate form ; and, lastly, we have the 

 unicolorous leucostigma-like forms in grey, red, and black. 



Apamea, Och., basilinea, Fab. 

 This species is very constant in its markings for a member of 

 such a variable genus, but the ground colour varies from a pale 

 whitish oehreous, with transverse lines and stigmata still paler, 

 to a deep, almost unicolorous, reddish brown form, some speci- 

 mens being of the pale or a darker ground colour, with the 

 median area reddish, the other parts of the wings being also 

 suffused. This intermediate form would appear to be tbe type 

 from the description of Fabricius, which is as follows : — *' Noctua 

 cristata alis deflexis fuscis griseis undatis, lineola baseos atra, 

 thoracis crista bifida." " Color variat ferrugineis griseisque, 

 distincta lineola j)arva flexuosa atra baseos. Antennae albidse." 

 Guenee (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 206) mentions an allied species 

 under the name oifinitima, which Mr. Dobree assures me is only 

 a climatic variety of basilinea. It would appear that this species 

 is subject to a good deal of colour variation, according to its 

 geographical range, as the Huddersfield and Hartlepool si)eci- 

 mens are generally somewhat different in ground colour to the 

 South of England forms. 



a. var. pallida, mihi. — Ground colour of the anterior wings pale 

 oehreous grey, not " fuscous," with still paler transverse lines, and no 

 ferruginous or reddish clouds, otherwise like the type. The palest form I 

 have seen of this species came from Mr. Russ, and was captured at Sligo. 



B. var. unicolor, mihi. — The ground colour of a dark reddish brown, 

 with a slight purplish tint ; the orbicular scarcely traceable ; the reniform 

 indistinct, but outlined in a slightly paler hue than the ground colour ; 

 the subterminal line just traceable. Hind wings very dark grey, nervures 

 dusky, luuule indistinct. Captured in Westcombe Park, June, 1886. 

 Mr. Porritt writes : — " Reddish brown forms occur not uncommonly at 

 Huddersfield, quite different to the southern clay-coloured specimens " {in 

 litt.); and again he writes (' Transactions of Yorkshire Naturalists' Union,' 

 part vi., p. 76), "I have taken some very beautiful strongly-coloured 

 specimens at Huddersfield"; so that what would appear to be a very 

 unusual form in the London district is closely allied to the ordinary one at 

 Huddersfield. 



y. var. nehdosa, Vieweg. — Vieweg,i n his ' Tabellarisches Verzeichniss, 

 &c., pi. i., fig- 6, figures a variety under this name. It has " The anterior 



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