TRIFIDJE. 389 



grey with a gloss of slate-grey, and appearing of a thick 

 texture; markings very obscure, but when visible a faint, 

 irregular, darker grey basal line, edged with paler; first 

 line perpendicular, much indented, dark grey, obscurely 

 edged inside with pale clouds ; second line obscurely dark 

 grey, indented and curved but not very oblique, faintly 

 edged outside with paler clouds ; orbicular and reniform 

 stigmata merely indicated by obscure pale clouds ; between 

 them a darker grey transverse central shade ; subterminal 

 line, when visible, merely a broken irregular edge of darker 

 clouding ; cilia smoky-grey. Hind wings rather short, dull 

 brownish-grey, darkest, and appearing smoky, toward the 

 hind margin ; central lunule faintly blackish ; cilia snowy 

 white. Female with threadlike, ciliated antennae ; in general 

 colour hardly differing from the male, except that often 

 there is a smoky clouding over the hinder area of the fore 

 wings. 



Underside much paler than the upper ; margins of the 

 fore wings yellowish-white or whitish, remainder grey-brown, 

 shining ; hind wings ashy-white with a broad dark grey 

 hind-marginal band, or with the entire surface grey-brown, 

 except the costal region. Body and leg tufts ashy-white ; 

 legs dark grey barred with yellowish-white. 



Variation in this species appears to be mainly local or 

 climatal, and exists principally in the intensity of the 

 colour. On the south coast of England, and especially at 

 Portland, the general tint is pale smoky-grey, much darker 

 toward the hind margin, and with the markings moderately 

 distinct ; inland mountainous districts, especially in North 

 Wales, jjroduce a still paler form ; coast districts in the 

 West and North a decidedly darker; and in the far West, 

 as in Kerry, some specimens are actually slate-black, without 

 more than the faintest trace of markings. The Isle of 

 Wight produces deep slate-coloured specimens, darker than 

 those from the Isle of Man, which are brown-grey. Shetland 

 specimens are large and dark, even to glossy blue- black. 



