10 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



Hiibner's figure is : "Anterior wings dull ochreous grey with the base 

 brownish, then a pale band with a greyish patch around the orbicular; 

 the reniform outlined in grey ; two dark grey transverse bands outside 

 reniform ; several short black costal streaks. Hind wings ochreous 

 grey with two transverse dark shades." This variety is without the 

 dark markings which characterise the type ; the green is practically 

 obsolete and much mixed with grey, giving the insect a very mealy 

 appearance. It is not so common as the type, but occurs occasionally in 

 most (if not all) localities with it. I have this variety from Cardiff, and 

 have captured it at Folkestone, Deal and Sandwich. Herr Hoffmann 

 (Hanover) has specimens of this variety in his collection from the 

 Simplon (Swiss Alps). Guenee writes of it: "Of a pale greyish 

 green with all the black markings faintly indicated in ferruginous 

 grey and only remaining black on thecosta " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 

 -29). 



/?. var. viridis, mihi. Like var. par, this has the black markings 

 very indistinct, but there is in addition a total absence of the grey 

 colour which gives var. par its mealy appearance. The whole of the 

 forewings are of a very rich green colour. I have beautiful specimens 

 from Folkestone, captured by Mr. Austin, and some exceedingly 

 rich specimens captured at the same place by Mr. Wellman, are in the 

 cabinet of Mr. Tugwell. 



y. var. flavescens, mihi. Like the type but with the ground- 

 colour of a yellowish shade instead of green. I used to think these 

 were faded until I bred specimens from larvae taken at Deal, which 

 had no green in the ground-colour. 



8. var. pallida, mihi. Marked like the type, but the ground colour 

 of a pale whitish grey. I have this form from Deal and Folkestone. 



e. var. obscura, mihi. The ground colour of a dull brownish grey, 

 markings obscure, as in var. par, and a little darker than the ground 

 colour. It is the darkest and most obscure form of the species I have 

 seen, and has no trace of green. The type of this variety was cap- 

 tured by Mr. Austin at Folkestone. I took one specimen of the same 

 form at Sandwich, in August, 1886. All the above varieties, I am 

 informed by Mr. Kane, are obtained at Queenstown, in Ireland. I have 

 seen specimens of var. par and var. viridis from that locality. An 

 interesting account of the variation of this species at Queenstown, 

 Ireland, by Mr. Kane, may be found in the ' Proceedings of the Royal 

 Irish Academy,' vol. iv., p. 113. Guenee gives a description of 

 another variety, which he calls var. B, and says of it that "the 

 markings are still more obsolete than in var. par." 



. var. impar, Warren. Impar must not- be confounded with B. 

 muralis var. par, Hb., as it is quite distinct from that variety. Many 

 lepidopterists consider this a local form of muralis, and with this 

 opinion I am now inclined to concur, as I have looked over a long 

 series, and find no satisfactory point of distinction between this and 

 muralis varieties. A full account of impar is given in the ' Entomolo- 

 gist,' vol. xiii., pp. 225-6, under the name of Bryopliila par, Hb., also 

 in the ' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol xxi., p. 22. 



