NOCTUAS 



275 



not perceptible : the hind wings are rather 

 darker than the fore wings, especially towards 

 the hind margin, and there is a small, faint 

 and scarcely perceptible discoidal spot : the 

 head and thorax are of the same colour as the 

 fore wings ; the body is paler. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, 

 and has been taken in the fens of Cambridge- 

 shire. (The scientific name is Tapinostola 

 concolor.) 



Obs. Guenee believes this species to be 

 Leucania extrema of Herrich-Schseffer, de- 

 scribed at great length in his " Systematische " 

 (Nocturni, p. 228, and figured 337); but 

 neither the description nor figure exactly 

 agrees with our English insect : the transverse 

 series of minute spots is not represented in 

 Herrich - Schsefier's figure, which, moreover, 

 has a marginal series of black dots wanting in 

 ours. 



465. The Mere Wainscot (Tapinostola Hellmannf). 



465. THE MERE WAINSCOT. The palpi are 

 rather long and projecting ; the antennae 

 are simple in both sexes ; the fore wings are 

 straight on the costa, pointed at the tip, and 

 have the hind margin straight for about two- 

 thirds of its length, and then bent rather 

 abruptly towards the anal angle ; their colour 

 is reddish-fulvous, all the wing -rays being 

 darker and speckled throughout ; both the 

 discoidal spots are plainly perceptible ; they 

 are outlined in pale ochreous, almost in white, 

 the enclosed space being nearly of the same 

 colour as the disk of the wing : the hind 

 wings are very ample, and their hind margin 

 is semicircular ; their colour is paler than that 

 of the fore wings, but still faintly clouded 



with brown towards the hind margin : the 

 head, thorax, and body are of the same colour 

 as the wings ; the female is usually smaller 

 and paler than the male. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, and 

 has been taken in the fens of Cambridgeshire. 

 (The scientific name is Nonagria Hellmanni.) 



466. The Lyme Grasa (Tapinostola Elymi). 



466. THE LYME GRASS. The palpi are 

 almost concealed by the long scales in which 

 they are clothed : the antennae are slightly 

 stouter in the male than in the female : the 

 fore wings are straight on the costa, very 

 blunt at the tip, and arched on the hind 

 margin ; their colour is pale wainscot-brown 

 with darker shades, more especially in the 

 male ; the darker colour forms two spreading 

 streaks, both extending towards the hind 

 margin : there is a double series of very in- 

 conspicuous spots on the wing-rays taking the 

 same curve as the hind margin ; in the male 

 there is an indication of the reniform and 

 orbicular spots paler than the general area, 

 and in the female there is a brown spot in the 

 place of the reniform ; in both sexes the 

 fringe is alternately darker and lighter, but 

 the contrast is not great ; the hind wings 

 are very pale and rather silky : the head 

 and thorax are precisely of the same colour 

 as the fore wings, the body of the hind 

 wings. 



The MOTH, according to Guenee, has been 

 taken in Prussia on the shores of the Baltic, 

 but is very rare : one or two specimens have 

 been taken in England. (The scientific name 

 is Tapinostola Elymi.) 



Obs. I am indebted to Mr. Doubleday ior 

 the loan of the continental specimen 1 have 

 figured : I have not an English one. 



