IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 43 



and no trace of red. This is the commonest form of the species, being 

 much more abundant than the type and var. riifescens in all localities 

 where I have found the species. It is also the common form at Wicken. 



Leucania, Och., litoralis, Curt. 



The type of this species is thus described in Curtis' ' British 

 Entomology,' vol. iv., p. 157 : " Litoralis. Pale and dull ochraceous. 

 Antennae pale above, dark beneath. Abdomen darkest towards the 

 apex. Superior wings fuscous in the middle with a white stripe down 

 the centre, slightly produced midway at the nervure and furcate 

 towards the extremity, three small white stripes upon the nervures 

 near the apex, and six fuscous lines between the nervures at 

 the posterior margin. Cilia fuscous. Inferior wings white, tinged 

 with yellow ; underside whitish, thorax and abdomen pale and dull 

 ochraceous, with a tuft of black hair at the base of the latter." There 

 is scarcely any variation in this species except in intensity of the dark 

 longitudinal shades. I know no more constant species, although in 

 Humphrey and Westwood's ' British Moths,' p. 217, we read : 

 " Varieties of a brownish tinge occur, and the dusky streaks between 

 the nervures are variable in intensity." 



Meliana, Curt., flammea, Curt. 



The type of this species is thus described by Curtis : " Fuscous, 

 with a pale reddish tinge. Superior wings with a brown flame-like space 

 along the centre (narrowed at the base), above which is a narrow 

 ochraceous stripe, 5 or 6 minute brown spots forming a curved line 

 near the posterior margin, upon which there are 7 minute black spots, 

 alternating with the nervures, which are pale, inclining to white to- 

 wards the costa, the internal margin sprinkled with dark spots. 

 Inferior wings rather paler, their cilia whitish." This species seems 

 to be most invariable. I have never seen a specimen that could in any 

 way be referred to as a variety. 



Tapinostola, Och., elymi, Tr. 



Treitschke's original description of the type is as follows : " alis 

 anticis solito longioribus pallide flavis atomis fuscis adspersis serie 

 externa striolarum fuscarum " (' Die Schmet. von Europa,' vol. v., p. 

 294). This species varies but little ; the females are generally 

 paler than the males, and the latter sex are in some specimens more 

 strongly powdered with brownish or fuscous scales than in others. 



Tapinostola, Ld., hellmanni, Evers. 



Eversmann's description of the type of this species is as follows : 

 " Alae anticae sordide lithargyreae, unicolores, strigis interna rectiuscula 

 obliqua, foras et externa maxime flexuosa crenatis fuscescentibus obso- 

 letis ; posticae sordide et pallide lutescentes, striga externa fuscescenti 

 diluta." " Alae anticas una cum ciliis unicolores eodem colore lithar- 

 gyreo ac Leucania Lythargyrea ; linea crenata interna et externa 

 solummodo in exemplaribus distinctis et recentibus reperiuntur, pariter 

 et striga alarum posticarurn plerumque deest. Subtus ala3 omnes 

 pallide lithargyreo-lutescentes, vel cum, vel sine striga externa fusces- 

 cente, plerumque autem adest. Volat mense Julio in promontorium 



