NOTES ON BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 113 
but I am not aware of specimens of a second brood having been 
captured. . 
The respective larve of these two insects are very similar, 
and feed on Galium mollugo. A comparative description by the 
late Mr. Hellins will be found in Newman’s ‘British Moths,’ 
p- 161. 
MELANIPPE MONTANATA. 
In colour this species varies from chalk-white to creamy 
white. The markings of fore wings consist of a grey or ochreous 
grey basal patch (sometimes absent) ; beyond is a curved line, 
indicated by a brownish grey spot on the costa, one on the 
median nervure, and ashort upright streak on the inner margin; 
the central band, which varies in width, is generally continuous 
from costa to inner margin, and ranges in colour from very pale 
rusty brown, through grey-brown to dark grey, or almost black ; 
the upper portion of this band usually contains a patch, varying 
in size, of the ground colour, and in this is placed the black dis- 
coidal spot. This central band is almost invariably contracted 
below the middle, and not infrequently it is completely severed 
at this point, or sometimes nearer the inner margin.* The outer 
marginal area is suffused with pale fuliginous grey or pale smoky 
brown ; this area is sometimes limited inwardly by a brown line, 
bordered by a line of the ground colour, and intersected by a 
wavy whitish line; all these characters of the outer margin are, 
however, subject to modification in the direction of complete 
effacement. The hind wings have the outer marginal border, 
submarginal and three central lines, greyish and more distinct 
in the female; but the lines especially are often indistinct 
towards costa, or altogether absent in both sexes. 
Var. shetlandica, Weir, Entom. xiii. p. 291, pl. 4, figs. 10, 3, 
LPS 93 save p: 280: 
_ This is the Shetland mainland form of the species. The fore 
wings are more or less suffused with pale ochreous brown ; in the 
specimens figured only the margins of the central band are 
clearly defined, the median portions being nearly filled up with 
the ground colour ; the outer marginal area is brownish, and the 
submarginal line is very conspicuous. Hind wings are paler, 
but suffused ; the outer margin is bordered with greyish, pre- 
ceded by some greyish lines, which, in the male, do not reach 
the costa. 
Referring to the specimens from Unst, the most northern isle 
of the Shetland group, Mr. Weir (Entom. xvii. p. 3) says :—“ It 
is singular to find that the specimens of this insect from Unst 
are finer than those from mainland. They vary considerably in 
the intensity of the ground colour of the wings, from light to 
* A specimen with the band separated into three portions is recorded 
(Entom. xix. p. 283). 
