TRIFID^. 339 



stigmata ; and these various characters are combined or 

 separated in every proportion and variation of arrangement. 

 It is also a curious circumstance that these well-marked and 

 handsome forms, in all the colours, seem to be confined, or 

 almost confined, to the coast, and to the stretch of ancient 

 coast in the west of Norfolk and Suffolk, known as the 

 Breck Sand. In Sherwood Forest, as shown by Mr. G. T. 

 Porritt, a deep purple-brown form prevails, but the usual 

 inland forms, found mainly upon heaths, are pale umbreous 

 mottled all over the fore wings with darker umbreous, some- 

 times showing the stigmata faintly paler, or the transverse 

 lines rather darker, but often all obscured by the brown 

 mottling. In these the only distinct marking is sometimes a 

 well-defined dark brown cloud lying along the hind margin 

 beyond the subterminal line. Perhaps the tendency of this 

 range of variations may best be expressed by stating that 

 the more extreme forms bear in some cases a most curious 

 resemblance to Caradrina cuhicularis, and in others to 

 Hadcna cJumojJodii. In the coast varieties very curious 

 resemblances also occur, setting aside the constant resem- 

 blance of the browner forms to the very closely allied A. 

 aquilina, some take a purplish or lilac shade which makes 

 them resemble A. ohdisca ; others, with rich fawn colouring 

 and strong markings, A. cursoria ; others again, with strong 

 markings and rosy shades of colour, a somewhat more 

 distant approach to A. agathina ; while in other purple-red 

 forms an occasional specimen shows so red a subcostal stripe 

 as to remind one of Kodua 'plccta, and I have a specimen 

 from the north of Ireland which but for its far narrower wings 

 would surely be mistaken for a red Nodua (mnthographa with 

 distinct yellowish stigmata. These suggestions may seem 

 fanciful, but the actual resemblances are rather startling, 

 and no method suggests itself by which they may be realised 

 so good as that of pointing out the species which seem to be 

 imitated. That there is adual imitation is not, for a 

 moment, to be supposed. Perhaps the most curious apparent 



