66 VARIETIES OF NOCTU2E 



being darker than the ground colour. This extreme melanic form is 

 rare here in the south : I have only obtained one in this (Greenwich) 

 neighbourhood, but I have received it from Mr. Percy Euss of Sligo, 

 and Mr. Reid of Pitcaple. In these localities it seems not uncommon. 

 e. var. grisea, mihi. Anterior wings of a pale, shiny, greyish white, 

 the transverse markings having the slightest possible trace of reddish 

 colour ; the stigmata very indistinct. The posterior wings greyish 

 white, with a dusky lunule, and transverse line, while some of these 

 grey forms have, and others have not, the ordinary transverse shade. 

 This form is the one more generally obtained in the marshes on the 

 banks of the Medway ; I have bred it from Greenwich, and have 

 received it from Mr. Percy Euss (Sligo). 



Hydrcecia, Gn., petasitis, Doubleday. 



Guenee, in his ' Noctuelles,' vol. v., pp. 127, 128, treats this as a 

 variety of H. vindelicia of Freyer and Herrich-Schaffer, but this latter 

 is sunk as a synonym by all modern authors. A full description of the 

 type is given by Newman in his ' British Moths,' p. 281 ; and on p. 

 282 of the same work, Newman points out that, if vindelicia is a less 

 obscure form, as mentioned by Guenee, petasitis is the prior name to 

 vindelicia, and the former therefore would become the type and the 

 latter be retained simply as a varietal name. Comparing petasitis with 

 vindelicia, Guenee writes : " Much smaller, the markings of the superior 

 wings very confused, and all the wings are more shining and more 

 thickly scaled " (' Noctuelles/ vol. v., p. 128). Our specimens of peta- 

 sitis present a slight sexual variation, the females being larger and 

 darker than the males. 



a. var. vindelicia, Frey. Guenee's description of vindelicia ( ' Noc- 

 tuelles,' vol. v., p. 127) is as follows : " Superior wings greyish brown 

 with a slight violet tinge, and all the exterior part of the median 

 space, the outer margin, and a streak from the apex of a deeper brown. 

 Nervures sprinkled with whitish. The two stigmata large, and of the 

 same hue as the ground colour. Inferior wings of a clearer grey, with 

 a darker lunule, median line and subterminal shade." This is there- 

 fore only a larger, brighter form than ours. Mr. Dobree writes : 

 " Guenee separated petasitis from England and vindelicia from Bavaria, 

 because in those early days it was not understood that British insects 

 are generally smaller, less distinctly marked, and less brilliantly 

 coloured than Continental specimens, especially as you approach 

 Southern Europe " (in litt.). I have received some exceptionally large 

 dark specimens from Mr. Collins, bred from larvae, captured near War- 

 rington, with the central band well developed. These are much larger 

 and brighter than specimens I bred myself from pupae taken at 

 Sheffield. 



/3. var. amurensis, Stdgr. Dr. Staudinger, in his trade list (1887) 

 included a variety of this species, from the Amur district, under the 

 name amurensis. Of this variety I know nothing, but Mr. Dobree has 

 kindly given me the following information : " I have v. amurensis, and 

 if the three or four I have illustrate them all, the markings are 

 possibly a little more distinct than ours, and the violet gloss very 

 decidedly more noticeable, but otherwise they do not differ from our 

 specimens " (in litt.}. 



