134 Mr. A. G. Butler o)t Heteroceroiis Lepidopteni 



Many lepidopterists would doubtless regard this as a 

 distinct species on account of the startling difference of 

 colour in the secondaries, which in C. ferruginescens 

 (typical) are of a dusky (almost leaden) though semi- 

 transparent, grey tint. I believe, however, that we have 

 here to deal with an extremely variable species ; indeed, 

 M. Blanchard, though he figures the dark form, may be 

 describing one of the lighter varieties, since he says : — 

 " Las alas posteriores blanquizcas con la extremidad de 

 un gris ceniciento." 



Var. 2 with primaries rather browner than the pre- 

 ceding, more heavily speckled with black. One pair. 



Var. 3 with primaries of a pale flesh-brown colour, 

 dusky at the base, and with pale grey external border. 

 Four examples, 



Var. 4 with primaries sericeous whity-brown ; second- 

 aries sometimes sordid ; otherwise as in the preceding. 

 Five examples. 



Var. 5 like the last, but without the usual transverse 

 double black lines representing the central belt of pri- 

 maries. One pair. 



These were, as I think rightly, associated together by 

 Mr. Edmonds ; with them, however, he placed the 

 following, which must certainly be distinct : it differs 

 from them all in having a broad continuous black stripe 

 close to the base of the fringe of primaries, and a grey 

 stripe near the base of the fringe of secondaries ; whereas 

 the darkest examples of C. ferruginescens only show a 

 more or less interrupted, and at the same time narrower 

 and undulated, stripe ; in coloration also it differs from 

 all the other examples, though coming nearest to the 

 variety last noted, in the total want of black lines 

 across its primaries. 



34. Cerastis minna, n. s. 



Primaries dark dove-brown, with slight bronzy re- 

 flections ; when seen through a lens, very finely irrorated 

 with black towards the internal and external borders, 

 but not coarselj mottled as in the preceding species ; 

 one or two blackish spots at the base of the cell ; discoidal 

 spots black, the " orbicular " small and almost ovoid, 

 the "reniform" reddish-centred, pterygoid; a small 

 black submedian dot ; a few small grey spots in an arched 



