56 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



minutissimis numerosissimis fuscis, absque lente vix conspicuis, 

 punctisque aliis circiter sex majoribus posticis, in strigam arcuatarn 

 dispositis. Alae posticae f uscse, ciliis luteseentibus " (' Insecta Britannica,' 

 p. 173). This name is given to those greyish-ochreous or pale wainscot- 

 coloured specimens which are thickly irrorated with fuscous scales, 

 with a distinct transverse row of black dots on the anterior wings and 

 continued on the posterior. The minute fuscous atoms form three 

 very distinct dark longitudinal shades, one extending on either side of 

 the median nervure, another extending from the base just under the 

 costa, a third just above, but parallel with the inner margin. Hind 

 wings dark grey, with a transverse row of dots. The spaces between 

 the nervures of the anterior wings also much suffused. I have this 

 variety from Clevedon (Somerset), Beverley (Yorks), Hull and 

 Warrington. 



y. var. rufescens, mihi. With the markings practically obsolete 

 as in the type, but with the ground colour reddish or reddish-ochreous, 

 the longitudinal shades and the transverse row of dots absent on the 

 anterior wings. My specimens are from Warrington, Clevedon, &c. 

 I find this variety and the type the two rarest forms of the species* 



8. var. cannce, Steph. (non. Och.). Ked varieties of this species 

 without the dark longitudinal shades, but with the transverse row of 

 dots, were incorrectly referred by the early British authors to the 

 cannce of Ochsenheimer, which is a totally distinct species. The 

 anterior wings of this variety are reddish ochreous, sparingly irrorated 

 with dusky atoms, with the transverse row of dots more or less dis- 

 tinctly marked. My specimens of this variety have come from 

 Somerset, East Yorkshire, Warrington, &c., and vary much in size. 

 For the splendid series of varieties of this species I have, I am largely 

 indebted to Mr. Mason of Clevedon and Mr. Collins of Warrington, 

 who have been exceedingly good to me, not only by giving 

 me a large number of specimens, but also a great deal of infor- 

 mation. " Stephens' description of var. cannce is : ' Expanse, 

 If inches. Head and thorax pale reddish or yellowish ash ; anterior 

 wings the same, with a few minute dusky atoms, with some larger 

 spots at the base, and a row still more distinct towards the hinder mar- 

 gin, and forming an arcuated striga : in the middle of the disc is a 

 single spot of similar hue ; posterior wings reddish or yellowish ash ' ' 

 Humphrey & Westwood's ' British Moths,' vol. i., p. 215. It is 

 advisable to remember that this description was written at a time 

 when the species was almost unknown in Britain, isolated examples in 

 one or two cabinets being all that the British collectors then had. 

 This variety is therefore intermediate between var. rufescens and var. 

 rufescens-suffusa and differs from pilicornis only in ground colour. 



c. var. rufescens-suffusa, mihi. An extreme development of var. 

 cannce, of a reddish ochreous colour, with a transverse row of dots and 

 strongly developed longitudinal shades as in var. crassicornis. I have 

 this from all localities whence I have obtained the other varieties ; my 

 specimens (especially females) from Clevedon and Warrington are, 

 however, much larger than those from other localities. 



