IK THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 9 



78). The description I made of Esper's figure (pi. 158, figs., 3-4) 

 is : " Anterior wings dark greyish-green, nervures darker, the pale 

 basal line followed by a blackish transverse shade (broader under the 

 orbicular) reaching almost to the inner margin, and stretching longi- 

 tudinally almost to the base ; the elbowed line pale, just beyond the 

 grey reniform ; a pale line parallel to hind margin edged internally 

 with blackish ; a short black longitudinal streak just above anal 

 angle. Hind wings dark grey with two double transverse lines." 

 Guenee writes of this variety : " Comprises all those specimens in 

 which the wings are more unicolorous green." " Same localities and 

 as common as the type " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 28). 



/3. var. mendacula, Hb. Of this variety Staudinger writes : 

 " minor, dilutior, grisescens." The description I have made of 

 Hiibner's fig. 520 is : " Anterior wings green with a few ochreous 

 marks, several blackish grey transverse lines and ochreous stigmata, 

 with very confused markings. Hind wings dark grey with two dark 

 bands, base pale." Guenee writes : " Smaller of a more greyish 

 green, paler, more unicolorous, median space concolorous." " Common 

 in the South of France " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 28). 



y. var. calligrapha, Bkh.,Hb. Staudinger's diagnosis is: "al. 

 ant. flavo-(aurantiaco-) variegatis ." My own short description of 

 Hiibner's fig. 520 is : bright green with the stigmata and transverse 

 lines reddish ochreous, edged with black." Guenee writes : " Of a 

 more yellowish green ; two large basal spots, one on the disc and a 

 wavy line (adjacent to the subterminal) of a bright orange colour." 

 " South of France, always rare " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 28). 



Bryophila, Tr., muralis, Forst., (1771). 



The type of this species is thus described in Forster's ' Novae 

 Species Insectorum,' p. 74, No. 74, where the habits of the larvae are 

 also given: "Noctua spirilinguis subcristata, alis supra albidis; fascia 

 undata, stigmate in medio alae, macula et fascia altera ad basin vires- 

 centibus nigro fimbriatis." " Ala3 superiores supra albidae, fascia 

 virescente undata, nigro fimbria ad basin, connexa maculae concolori 

 interruptse, marginem exteriorem non tangente. Stigma virens in 

 medio alae, paululum a margine exteriore remotum. Ad marginem 

 inferiorem fascia lata virescens undata, lituris nigris inclusa. Margo 

 exterior nigro punctatis, sic et inferior ciliis nigro punctatis. Alae 

 inferiores supra albidae, fascia obscure fusca ad marginem inferiorem." 

 It will be noted that the bright green form, with white edging to the 

 black transverse lines, &c., is the type, the lines and shades being 

 arranged as in the figure, in Newman's ' British Moths,' p. 244. The 

 species, however, is exceedingly variable, the ground colour going 

 through every intermediate phase from white (with a faint green tinge), 

 to ochreous-brown and blackish-grey, the markings also undergoing 

 every possible gradation from clear black and white to almost total 

 absence. The glandifera of Hiibner and lichenes of Fabricius both 

 represent the typical form. 



a. var. par, Hb. Of this variety Dr. Staudinger writes : 

 " Dilutior, strigis al. ant. obsoletis." My own description of 



