60 VARIETIES OF NOCTTL2B 



" Noctud spirilinguis cristata, alis ferrugineo-griseis, stigmate reniformi, 

 niveo, pupilla lunari lutea." The variation of this species lies chiefly 

 in the depth of ground colour, and colour of the renif orm stigma (' Ento- 

 mologist,' xxi., Plate i., figs. 7-12). The ground colour varies from pale 

 pinkish red through different shades of ferruginous red to almost 

 black. The reniform stigma varies from white, through various shades 

 of orange, to red. Mr. Porritt, in ' The Transactions of the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union,' Part vi., p. 73, writes of the Yorkshire specimens, 

 " often very strongly coloured." Hiibner figures f221) the type under 

 the name of chrysographa. 



The following is the best summary of varieties that I can 

 devise : 



1. Pale grey with reddish tinge, basal area much tinged with ochreous, 

 reniform white, var. pallida ; reniform yellow, subvar. pallida- 

 flavo ; reniform red, subvar. pallida-rufo. 



2. Bright clear red, basal area but little mottled, reniform white, var. 

 rosea; reniform yellow, subvar. rosea-flavo ; reniform red, 

 subvar. rosea-rufo. 



3. Deep red, basal area slightly mottled, reniform white = nictitans 

 (the type) ; with yellow reniform, auricula, Haw. ; with red 

 reniform, erythrostigma, Haw. 



4. Deep brownish-red, or blackish-red, reniform white, var. obscura ; 

 reniform yellow, subvar. obscura-flavo ; reniform red, subvar. 

 obscura-rufo. 



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

 a pale yellowish or greyish red colour. All the lines and markings 

 very distinct, and the basal area much marbled with yellowish. Both 

 stigmata are generally yellowish, but sometimes the reniform is whitish. 

 The posterior wings, paler than in the type. Guenee's var. B., ' Noc- 

 tuelles,' vol. v., p. 126, would appear to be this variety. His description 

 is : " Anterior wings a little more pointed at the apex, of a very pale, 

 rosy, yellowish colour, which makes the lines more distinct. Locality, 

 North America." The specimen from which this variety was figured 

 (' Entom.' xxi., fig. 8) was captured at Deal. Subvar. pattida-flavo, 

 has a yellow reniform ; subvar. pallida-rufo, a red or reddish-orange 

 reniform. 



/3. var. rosea, mihi. A bright, clear red form ('Entom.' xxi., Plate 

 I., fig. 9), with transverse lines very indistinct; the orange orbicular 

 scarcely noticeable, being but little different to the ground colour ; the 

 reniform large and well-defined, white in colour as in the type ; the 

 fringes of the hind wings very rosy, a distinct red line bordering the 

 hind wings, the red shade extending some distance within the outer 

 margin. The form is rare, and more particularly northern, although I 

 have occasionally taken specimens in the neighbourhood of Deal. 

 Mr. Harrison captures it at Barnsley, and Mr. Lawson has sent me 

 specimens from Perth. Fig. 9 ('Entom.,' xxi.) is taken from a speci- 

 men captured by Mr. Lawson at Perth. Subvar. roseaflavo, with 

 yellow reniform, appears to be very rare, as I have only one or two 

 specimens from Deal ; whilst of subvar. rosea-rufo, with red or orange- 

 red reniform, I have only one specimen from Perth. 



y. var. auricula, Haw. Treated by Haworth as a distinct species. 



