52^ LEPIDOPTERA. 



nervure snowy-white, the claviform stigma and the spots 

 before and between the other stigmata brilliant black, the 

 hind margin blackened, and the middle of the wing clouded 

 with rich piirplish-red, shading off to brownish-white, or 

 ashy-white. Another beautiful form from the same district 

 is dark purple-brown or red-brown with the transverse lines 

 black, the two upper stigmata dark with sharp white out- 

 lines, the claviform black-margined, and the hind margin 

 rich dark purple-brown. For these lovely forms I am much 

 indebted to Mr. Arthur Home of Aberdeen. An extreme 

 variety from this district is deep black-brown but showing 

 the typical shape of the elbowed second line ; others have the 

 central portion of the fore wings entirely deep black or 

 black-brown, and the transverse lines obliterated ; and 

 others again in unbroken sequence shade off to dull dark- 

 brown, pale brown and pale buff, all the typical markings 

 more or less obliterated, until the species is hardly recog- 

 nisable ; one specimen is of the colour and appearance of 

 Raclcna chcnopodii, another bears a most curious resemblance 

 to Af/rotis sufusa, and a dark purple-brown example so 

 closely resembles one of the varieties of A. tntici that it can 

 only be recognised with any certainty by its underside. A 

 curious form brought from the Orkneys by Mr. McArthur 

 is dark slate-colour, smooth and unicolorous except the two 

 whitish stigmata ; others from that locality are much more 

 ordinary. Those obtained from Unst, Shetland, have the 

 rich fulvous or tawny colouring, with strong markings, like 

 those from Aberdeenshire, and they vary comparatively 

 little. A specimen in the collection of Dr. P. B. Mason, and 

 taken in Norfolk, differs from all others that I have seen. 

 It is almost smooth straw colour, but with the transverse 

 lines thick and complicated, the spaces between stigmata 

 and hind marginal cloud red-brown, and the whole wings 

 beautifully variegated. 



In many of the forms the hind wings are occasionally 

 quite white, or on the other hand wholly tinged with greyish- 



