TRIFID^. 341 



marginal stripe black ; " also Stephens's sagittifcra — " fore 

 wing's grey clouded with white, with a longitudinal black arrow- 

 shaped line from the base, upper stigmata whitish, centred with 

 grey, hind wings white ;" vitta — " smaller than the last, fore 

 wings reddish-brown, subcostal stripe whitish, median 

 nervure also whitish to tbe middle, upper stigmata whitish 

 centred with grey, and preceded and separated by black 

 interspaces ; hind margin greyish with a whitish subterminal 

 line ; " -pif^jillata — " fore wings brownish, transverse lines 

 grey, margined with dusky or black, middle of the wing 

 rather pale, upper stigmata greyish, hinder part of the wing 

 rather uniform brown ; " liortovmn — " fore wings greyish-black 

 with the ordinary stigmata reddish margined with black, hind 

 wings fuscous with darker margins ; " ocellina — " fore wings 

 reddish or dusky with a dusky costal stripe, lines black, 

 stigmata pale grey ocellated with reddish, hind wings 

 dusky " — are all supposed to refer to varieties of this species. 

 The late Mr. Bentley, fifty years ago, characterised twelve 

 varieties, but very judiciously refrained from giving tbe 

 majority of them names, remarking, " It is useless to de- 

 scribe more varieties ; it is difficult to find two specimens 

 alike. In some the teleform (claviform) stigma is wanting, 

 in others very large ; some have no transverse lines, some 

 one to four ; some have no pale costal stripe, some are grey, 

 others dark fuscous ; some dark at base, others at the hind 

 margin ; all are but one variable species." Excellent ! But 

 it is doubtful whether he — or I even at this great length 

 — have done full justice to the variability of this interesting 

 species. 



On the wing in July and August, often lasting into 

 September. 



Larva plump, rather short, extremities both small; head 

 rounded, shining, dirty grey or sometimes dark brown ; 

 general colour dusky grey, rather shining, minutely dusted 

 with blackish ; dorsal line slender, of the ground colour, edged 



