IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 38 



Leucania, Och., turca, L. 



Until very recently I was of opinion that this species was a most 

 constant one in colour. Thanks to the Rev. G. H. Bay nor, of 

 Brentwood, I find the species has several shades of colour. The 

 ordinary red form is the type. The Linnaean description is : " Spiri- 

 linguis cristata, alis cinereo-rufis ; strigis duabus f uscis lunulaque alba ; 

 alae superiores absque stigmatibus ordinariis, sed in medio lunula alba 

 minuta" ('Systema Naturae,' p. 847, No. 140). Among our specimens, 

 we find some with a distinctly orange or yellow tint ; others of a dull, 

 dead, coppery colour, much suffused with black scales, and with the 

 dark transverse lines showing a tendency to become obsolete ; in fact, 

 the distinctness of these lines appears to be inversely proportional to 

 the depth of the ground colour, the pale specimens (lutescens) have the 

 lines very distinct, the darker ones, obscure. I am indebted to Mr. 

 Dobree for the following interesting information : " Siberian speci- 

 mens show the same variations of light and dark colour, but some of 

 the former strongly incline to grey, and in others, the small dark shade 

 which surrounds the white spot in our English specimens, is developed 

 into a large and conspicuous cloud of dark grey. To this form Dr. 

 Staudinger gives the name of grandis in his trade catalogue." The hind 

 wings of some specimens are beautifully rosy, in all the forms of 

 variation. 



a. var. lutescens, mihi. The ground colour of the anterior wings 

 of a brighter and more yellowish tint than in the type, and but 

 sparingly sprinkled with darker scales, the transverse lines very dis- 

 tinct, and the fringe of a pale shining yellowish-red colour, agreeing 

 with the ground colour of the wings. The posterior wings much paler 

 than in the type, with a darker shade in the centre. These pale forms 

 occur very sparingly with the type. I have them from the New Forest, 

 Brentwood, &c. 



ft. var. obscura, mihi. The anterior wings of an obscure smoky- 

 grey colour, with a dull reddish coppery tinge, much suffused with 

 dark scales. The white spot in the centre very indistinct, and the 

 transverse lines in some specimens much blurred. The Rev. G. H. 

 Raynor has in his collection a fine series of graduated forms of this 

 variety. 



7. var. lividus, mihi. Closely allied to var. obscura, of which it 

 is an extreme development ; of a greyish-ground colour with a slightly 

 yellowish tinge, altogether a much paler and characteristic variety 

 than any other. I have specimens only from Brentwood in Essex. 



8. var. grandis, Btl. "The small dark shade which surrounds 

 the white spot in English specimens is in some Siberian specimens 

 developed into a large and conspicuous cloud of dark grey. Such varie- 

 ties form the grandis of Staudinger's last trade catalogues, by whom it is 

 treated as a distinct species " (Dobree, in litt.). The Rev. G. H. Raynor 

 has a variety in his collection, captured at Brentwood, with this grey 

 shade very distinctly developed. 



Leucania, Och., unipuncta, Haw. 



A few specimens of this cosmopolitan species have been recorded 

 as taken in Britain at different times, spread over a great number of 



