76 VARIETIES OF NOCTTL2G 



also a pair of dots near the edge of the inner margin at about one- 

 third from the base ;* the nervures with a slight purplish tinge ; the 

 hind margin dark fuscous. The hind wings dark grey, the base a 

 little paler, with a slight purplish tinge." It will at once strike those 

 who have a short series from our south coast how unlike this descrip- 

 tion is to our usual forms ; and yet when one looks at Esper's figure 

 one recognises at once that it is subluttris, although I must say that I have 

 seen no British specimens so dark as Esper's figure. The Irish 

 specimens that I have seen are all uniformly redder than my reddest 

 vars. (lithoxylea, Hb.) from Deal, and I have a very red specimen from 

 Portland. Besides an approach to Esper's very dark type and the 

 very red form mentioned, we appear to get two very distinct forms in 

 Britain, one, which is comparatively rare, whitish in ground colour, 

 the other greyish or yellowish-ochreous, sometimes with the faintest 

 suspicion of a green tinge ; these extremes being joined by inter- 

 mediate specimens, which vary much, inter se, both in the depth of 

 the ground colour and markings, although of a general greyish 

 ochreous hue. These forms I shall call : 



a. var. pallida, mihi. Ground colour whitish-ochreous, inclining 

 to the pale colour of lithoxylea, the dark shades very distinct and 

 standing out clearly in the pale ground colour ; the transverse markings 

 also very distinct, a transverse wavy line being formed by the union of the 

 transverse row of dots parallel to the hind margin, with lunular arches. 

 Hind wings dark grey, with a distinct lunule, a pale transverse line 

 outside the lunule, then a dark transverse shade followed by another 

 pale marginal line. I have only occasionally captured specimens of 

 this variety at Deal. 



P. var. intermedia, mihi. Intermediate between var. pallida and 

 the red var. lithoxylea of Hiibner. Ground colour yellowish-ochreous, 

 with a dark grey tinge, the typical shades variable in depth of colour, 

 and the transverse lines also variable in the extent of their develop- 

 ment. This is the ordinary form on the south-east coast of England. 



y. var. lithoxylea, Hb. This must not be confounded with the 

 lithoxylea of Fab., which is a distinct species. Hiibner 's fig. 24:0 may 

 be described as follows : " Anterior wings bright ochreous with a 

 reddish tinge, a bright red shade between the stigmata, and another 

 bright red shade along the hind margin ; a series of black dots on the 

 pale nervures beyond the reniform area. Hind margin of the hind 

 wings dark ochreous, with a dark transverse shade and lunule." 

 This is a very distinct form, with the ground colour redder than the 

 type, and the ordinary dark shades of the type of a distinctly bright 

 rust-red colour. I have looked over and captured a large number of 

 this species at Deal, but this form must be considered comparatively 

 rare there, as I have taken but few of them. I have seen odd 

 specimens amongst those taken by the Folkestone collectors, but I dare 

 say a larger number would occur there if specially looked for, as the 

 species is very abundant. The specimens from Sligo and one specimen 

 that I have from Portland, are extreme forms of this variety. 

 Xylophasia, St., rurea, F. 



Fabricius' description of the type is follows : " Noctna cristata ? 



* These two dots are very unusual in sublustris, although common in 

 lithowylea. I have one specimen of sublustris with both developed, many with 

 one, but the greater number of my long series have neither. 



