244 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
these and others there was a goodly number taken, most of 
which I have had the good fortune to see. 
Mr. Wheeler has especially shown great kindness in 
lending for use in the ‘ Entomologist’ his fine series of eight 
specimens, two of which, male and female, I selected for 
figuring, and they appear at the head of this article. 
In examining these Pachnobia hypoborea, I find the first 
notable character is the wonderful variety of the markings ; 
I have scarcely seen two alike, and certainly not three. In 
Mr. Wheeler’s series, independently of those figured, is one 
which represents the true variely carnica; it is nearly like 
Herrich-Schiffer’s figure 421, in fact is devoid of all the 
conspicuous dark markings, with the reddish ground colour 
of Noctua festiva. Other specimens are of a deep rich red 
colour, with a bloom upon them like that upon a newly bred 
specimen of Agrotis agathina. But by far the most handsome 
specimen is one I have seen which has a ground colour of 
bright blue: this was taken by Mr. Robertson. 
As regards their comparison with continental examples, 
those from Finmark are very constant in the markings, while 
those from Central Europe are quite as variable as those 
from North Britain; in fact, were the two series mixed, it 
would be impossible to separate them, unless differently set. 
Dr. Staudinger, in his ‘ Catalog,’ says this species occurs 
in Lapland, Alpine Norway, the Swiss Alps, Mountains of 
Silesia, and Hungarian Alps. He adds, in a short note in 
E. M. M., p. 90, vol. xiii., “In 1860 I took this insect (in 
company with my friend Dr. Wocke), not unfrequently, in 
Finmark, in July ; and we found pupe, and also larve, at 
the end of May, in moss. Since then the species has been 
found on the Dovrefjeld in the centre of Norway, on the 
Riesengebirge (Silesia), and on the Alps of Switzerland and 
Tyrol. On the Alps of Carinthia it has a reddish (instead of 
bluish) coloration, and this form was described by Hering as 
carnica. * * * J saw in the Museum at Pesth a specimen, 
taken by the younger Frivaldsky in the Carpathian Moun- 
tains, which is intermediate between the two forms, * * * 
The species has a wide distribution on the Continent.” 
Mr. Wheeler, in a private letter, says :—“ I think (writing 
of P. hypoborea) it is generally, though sparingly, distributed 
over the Perthshire mountains, above the level of 2000 or 
7 
ee 
