NOTES ON BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 137 
colour, are not conspicuous. Milliére, in 1869 (‘ Iconographie,’ 
ili. p. 267, pl. 181, fig. 7), described and figured a form of fluctuata 
under the name of var. neapolisata. He says that in the neigh- 
bourhood of Naples this variety is the dominant form of the 
species, but he appears to have met with males only; and it is 
worthy of note that he says of these that the antenne are more 
strongly pectinated than in typical males. In 1887 Millicre 
received Aberdeen specimens of jluctuata, and figured a female 
specimen as this sex of his var. neapolisata (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 
(6), vil. p. 218, pl. v. fig. 7, 2). Probably Milliére was correct 
in his identification, but if the Aberdeen form of jfluctuata is 
identical with that from Naples in colour and marking, the males 
do not agree in the character of the antenne, as the Aberdeen 
males of jluctuata have these organs just exactly as much pecti- 
nated as males of the type form, and no more. It seems a 
pity that the type female of var. neapolisata was not obtained 
from the same locality as the male of that form. 
Mr. McArthur informs me that fluctuata is very rare in the 
Shetlands, and that the specimens are dark in colour, but the 
central band is not complete. Specimens from Dumbarton and 
Clydesdale, in my series, have the wings suffused with dark grey, 
but they are not so dark as those from Aberdeen. The central 
band is generally continued to inner margin, but it is paler 
than in typical specimens ; the whitish band following the fascia 
is very conspicuous towards costa. Arran specimens are 
“very dark, and much suffused with black” (Weir, Entom. xy. 
p- 258). 
I have but one example of the species from Ireland (kindly 
sent to me some years ago by Mr. P. Russ, of Sligo) ; this is 
identical with Dumbarton specimens. Mr. Fitz-Gibbon, of 
Dublin, has most kindly sent me for examination a very pretty 
specimen, which he captured on the blossom of Japanese privet 
at Howth, August, 1891. This example is rather smaller than 
the largest Aberdeen specimen in my series; the ground colour 
is silvery grey, and the central band unusually broad, especially 
the costal half, which contains a large patch of the ground 
colour enclosing a black dot. 
Seeing how very variable MW. fluctuata is in tone of colour and 
definition of marking, it does not seem advisable to trouble our- 
selves very much about names for the various forms. At the 
same time, one may find almost endless amusement in endea- 
vouring tO arrange and group into detachments the numerous 
varieties of this species. 
Var. B, Guence=var. 4, Haworth, has the fore wings deep 
olive-grey, bands and marks obscured by the dark ground colour. 
Hind wings uniform grey. Duponchel represents a form inter- 
mediate between vars. A and B of Guenée. 
Var. C, Guenee, All the lines of the fore wings are evane- 
