IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



Cymatophora, Tr., octdaris, L. 



The Linnrean description of this species is as follows : Noctua 

 elinguis lasvis, alis cinereis fascia pallidiore lineis nigris terminata 

 ocelloque notata." " Corpus mediaa magnitudinis, cinereum, non 

 cristatum. Alae superiores cinereaa, in medio fascia, in duas areas 

 divisse: Fascia albidior, antice posticeque linea nigra, terminata, 

 versus latera exteriora dilatata, ibique ocello parvo albo, pupilla nigra 

 notata ; in area anteriore punctum nigrum ; ad apicem alas lineola 

 atra ; margo alas posticus lineola nigra. Alas inferiores, omnesque 

 subtus albidaa absque area et puncto " (' Systema Nature', p. 837, No. 

 100). Guenee says : " The name (ocularis) was suggested to Linnaaus 

 by the resemblance which the reniform stigma offers to a pair of 

 spectacles " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 19). The above description 

 agrees with our ordinary form very well except with regard to the 

 stigmata which are usually joined and form a figure 80, the 8 being the 

 reniform the 0, the orbicular. It is remarkable that Linnasus should 

 name an insect on the peculiar character of the reniform, and then en- 

 tirely leave it out of his description, as he seems to have done. This 

 discrepancy has led to the use of Hiibner's name octogesima by almost 

 all our Continental entomologists. I have kept the Linnaean name, 

 but have added Hiibner's name below for our common form. This 

 species, too, is one in which a beautiful rosy tinge is found in some 

 specimens. 



o var. octogesima, Hb. = octogena, Esp. Hiibner's octogesima (fig. 

 209) is a good figure of the ordinary form captured on the Continent, 

 although small. It has the anterior wings of a grey colour with a 

 delicate rosy tinge, especially at the basal and costal areas of the wing, 

 with two double abbreviated basal lines having a dot at the extremity 

 of each ; a complete line just before orbicular ; stigmata pale, forming 

 the mark 80, with their centres black, transverse shade between 

 stigmata, another through reniform, whilst a third is found directly 

 beyond reniform ; hind margin a very little darker than ground colour. 

 Hind wings dark grey, lunule distinct, base paler. Our specimens are 

 somewhat darker in ground colour, but otherwise agree exactly with 

 Hiibner's octogesima. Esper's diagnosis of octogena also agrees with 

 this variety : " Alis superioribus cinereo-rufescentibus, strigis undatis, 

 parallelis fuscis, macula in medio albido, signo or sed 80, subsimili ; 

 subtus flavescenti cinereis, fasciis tribus fuscis." 



/3. var. rosea, mini. This variety is marked like the type, but 

 has the anterior wings entirely suffused with rich red colour. I am 

 informed that this is not an uncommon form. A beautiful specimen 

 in the Kev. G. H. Eaynor's collection, is the finest one I remember 

 having seen. I have strongly suffused specimens, but none equals his 

 beautiful specimen. 



Cymatophora, Tr., or, F. 



This species varies somewhat in the shade of the ground colour 

 and the more or less banded form that the transverse lines assume, the 

 transverse central band is also strikingly clear in some specimens. 

 Our British (especially Scotch^ specimens are beautifully tinged with 



B2 



