2 VARIETIES OF NOCTTLE 



only see the median space more denuded of scales than the rest of the 

 wing " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p 12). In my opinion Linnaeus is per- 

 fectly correct, and Guenee wrong ; unless, indeed, the specimens 

 under the notice of Guene'e were different to our British specimens. 

 The following varieties are I believe unknown in Britain : 



a. var. intermedia, Brem. This variety is of an ashy grey colour 

 (" cinerascens," Staudinger), and is only recorded, so far, from the 

 eastern part of Dr. Staudinger's European fauna district, Amur and 

 Armenia. Dr. Staudinger thinks this variety may be the gloriosa of 

 Guenee's ' Noctuelles,' v., p. 12, which is considered by Guenee as a 

 variety of Thyatyra abrasa, an American species. 



P. var. derasoides, Dobree. Of this variety Mr. Dobree writes 

 me : " A very distinct variety, of a purple shade of grey, and no 

 trace of white. From the Amur district " (in litt.). 



Thyatyra, Och., batis, L. 



This pretty insect is another invariable species in Britain, the 

 coalescence of the two rosy spots near the apex of the wing, which 

 occasionally takes place, being the only noticeable feature. The 

 Linnasan description is as follows : "Noctua spirilinguis Ia3vis, alis 

 depressis : superioribus fuscis, maculis simul quinque albidis : 

 inferioribus albis." " Maculae orbiculares albide medio fusco, sparsse, 

 magnas " (< Systema Nature', p. 836, No. 97). It seems very strange 

 that the Linnsean description makes no note of the rosy colour of the 

 spots which are so characteristic of this species, but I have an Irish 

 specimen without a trace of this colour. I would draw attention, 

 however, to some little variation in the development of the cell on 

 the outer margin of the wing directly above the large spot in the 

 anal angle, and also to the fact that, between the apical spot and spot 

 at anal angle, an obsolete series of dots often shews some traces of 

 development ; I have specimens with none, one, two, and three of 

 these dots. I should be pleased to learn of specimens with a complete 

 series, as undoubtedly some such exist. 



a. var. juncta, mihi. The anterior wings with all the character- 

 istics of the type, but with the two rosy spots at the upper part of the 

 wing towards the costa joined together. The variety is taken with 

 the type. 



P. var. mexicana, Hy. Edw. Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell (' Entomolo- 

 gist,' vol. xxii., pp. 306-307) thus writes : " In looking over some 

 vols. of ' Papilio,' I came across (vol. iv., Jan. 1884, pp. 16-17), the 

 description of a new variety of T. batis named as above, which I 

 quote, as it is omitted from Mr. Tutt's valuable paper (Entom. xxi., 

 p. 46), and is presumably unknown to British lepidopterists. It 

 differs from the European form by its larger size, much darker 

 ground-colour of the wings, both primaries and secondaries, and by 

 the pinkish spots having a larger and darker internal shade. The 

 ground-colour of the primaries is rich dark olive-brown ; the 

 secondaries the same colour, with fainter median band, and a little 

 lighter shade at the base. Exp. wings 44 mm. This moth was taken in 

 Mexico by Mr. Wm. Schaus, Jr." 



