16 VAKTETIES OF NOCTtLflB 



P. var. rosea, Engr. Guende describes this variety as follows : 

 " Superior wings of a pale (whitish) rose, with all the markings very 

 distinct." He also says, " this variety is frequently reproduced. I 

 have seen several examples " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 50). I have 

 previously noted the rosy tinge on specimens bred by Mr. Dobree, and 

 I have specimens from different correspondents, tinged in the same 

 manner. Hiibner's fig. 11 is of this variety. 



y. var. ochrea, mihi. Like the type, but with the ground colour 

 of the anterior wings decidedly suffused with ochreous. This is not 

 at all a common form, but occurs occasionally with the type. 



Acronycta, Och. (Cuspidia, Chapman), strigosa. Fab. 



This species seems very invariable, and I have seen but few minor 

 variations in the species. Strange to say, Fabricius in his description 

 of the type, mentions nothing of the yellow basal mark or yellow 

 reniform, which are so characteristic. Esper named the species 

 favtUacea, probably on these characters. The Fabrician description 

 is : " Noctua laevis alis deflexis fusco cinereoque variis : lineolis tribus 

 atris ante marginem interiorem." " Parva. Corpus cinereum. Alaa 

 anticas variegatas striga apicis undata. Margo interior fuscescens 

 lineolis tribus longitudinalibus atris. Postica3 cinereae " (' Mantissa,' 

 p. 142, No. 61). 



Acronycta, Och. (Cuspidia, Chapman), alni, Linn. 



This species is thus described by Linnaeus : " Noctua spirilinguis 

 cristata, alis deflexis fuliginosis : areis duabus cinerascentibus : priore 

 puncto marginali nigro." Ala3 superiores supra fuliginosa-nigri- 

 cantes : areis 2 versus marginem exteriorem priore cinereo-albida, 

 oblonga puncta marginali nigro ; posteriore subrotunda, albo cineras- 

 cente. Margo posticus cinereus punctis 8 atris, in area fusca et linea, 

 longitudinal! atra. Subtus grisescente-nebulosas. Inferiores supra 

 albidae, subtus albae puncto nigro " (' Systema Naturae,' p. 846). This 

 species is undoubtedly very closely allied in the imago state to A. 

 trident and psi, and is the only British species that has, like them, the fine 

 longitudinal line, proceeding from the third fringe mark (counting 

 from the apex) which crosses the outer transverse line and forms, in 

 those species, a second \Mike mark. There are two very distinct 

 forms, one with the two patches described above pale ashy-grey 

 in colour, the other with the patches but a little paler than the ground 

 colour. Mr. Dale wrote me some time since that he had a specimen 

 in which these patches were almost unicolorous with the rest of the 

 wing. The hind wings of this species are very variable. Some males 

 have pure white hind wings, others, a small grey patch at the outer 

 angle ; some specimens of both sexes have a grey band round the 

 outer margin, others, in addition have a row of transverse spots on the 

 nervures ; the lunule is traceable in most of the females and occasion- 

 ally there is a tendency for the nervures to become black at their 

 extremities. Some of the fringes are strongly marked, others pure 

 white. 



