20 VARIETIES OP NOCTUJE 



parallel to the hind margin, and a distinct lumile. The dots 

 bordering the hind wings are the bases of the fringe geminations and 

 are not nearly so distinct as in the fore wings. Some of the females, 

 owing to the peculiar and extreme development of the dusky nervures 

 on the hind margin of the posterior wings (between the hind margin 

 and transverse shade), while the remainder of the wing is comparatively 

 without such markings, have a peculiar striated looking band running 

 round the hind margin." All the early descriptions of the species are 

 unsatisfactory, the diagnosis of Fabricius in the ' Mantissa,' appears to 

 be the best of a bad lot. He writes : " Alis deflexis cinereis, macula 

 atris trifidis ; postico albidis," but this would do almost equally well 

 for other allied species. 



a. var. virga, mihi. The ground colour rather darker than in the 

 type ; the space in the anterior wings between the hind margin and 

 the transverse line containing the t/'-like mark much suffused with 

 dark scales, giving it the appearance of a band, the space between the 

 black basal streak and the inner margin much suffused There is a 

 figure of this variety in Newman's ' British Moths,' p. 248, second 

 figure. 



/3. var. rosea, mihi. Like the type but with the whole of the 

 wings suffused with a beautiful rosy tinge. Same localities with the 

 type. 



y. var. bidens, mihi. With the basal mark characteristic of tridens, 

 -f--, not having the central longitudinal line produced beyond the 

 bifurcation which proceeds along the transverse line, thus f^. 



8. var. quinquedentata, mihi. With the basal mark produced through 

 the ordinary bifurcation as in tridens, but with two bifurcations, thus 

 making five points, -(-(. 



e. var. juncta, mihi. With the orbicular and reniform united on 

 their inner margins. A rather common form of variation. 



Acronycta, Och. ( Cuspidia, Chapman), psi, L. 



This common British species undergoes a fair amount of variation' 

 especially with regard to the ground colour, which varies from an 

 almost pure whitish grey, to a very dark grey, much suffused with 

 black. A considerable amount of variation also exists in the character 

 of the markings, and it is particularly to be noticed how variable are 

 the size, position, and arrangement of the stigmata. The very pale 

 form is the type, for Linnaeus writes : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, 

 alis deflexis canis, super ioribus character ibus ^ nigris " (' Fauna 

 Suecicae,' 1181 ; ' Systema Naturae,' p. 846, No. 135). Dr. Chapman 

 sent me a very long series for examination, and especially directed my 

 attention to some of the minor points of variation apt to be over- 

 looked : First, with regard to the longitudinal basal line. It will be 

 noticed on referring to this line, that the central stem extends, at its 

 outer point, beyond the two transverse cross pieces to form a trident 

 thus, ~~, the side pieces being parts of the transverse basal line. In 

 some specimens, however, that Dr. Chapman kindly gave me, this 

 central part does not thus project, but forms a simple forked mark, 

 thus, (^, and, for this variety, he proposes the name bidens. Secondly, 

 that the characteristic ^-like mark at the anal angle of the wing 



