IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 77 



alls deflexis, griseo fuscoque variis, posticis fuscis ; margine crassiori 

 albo." " Caput fulvum, oculis atris. Palpi fusci apice albicantes. 

 Thorax et abdomen cinerea. Alse anticae griseae basi ad marginem, 

 crassiorem macula magna fusca, in qua maculae ordinaries. Pone hanc 

 puncta tria parva alba marginis crassioris et aliquot fusca sparsa in 

 disco. Margo denique et macula ad angulum ani fuscse. Posticae supra 

 fuscae margine exteriori et postico albidis. Subtus pallidae puncto ar- 

 cuque fuscis " (' Entomologia Systematical p. 618). This is an 

 exceedingly variable species, and the gradation and different phases of 

 development as shown in its variation are very interesting. The vari- 

 ation strikes off in two distinct directions, both resulting in the 

 production of distinct, almost uiiicolorous forms. The first group has 

 the prevailing colours yellowish-ochreous and bright red, the second 

 group has the prevailing colour brown. The first group appears to 

 run from the type, with whitish-grey ground colour, to the var. ochrea, 

 an ochreous yellow form with distinct red markings, through the var. 

 intermedia, with red ground colour and distinct darker red markings, 

 to flavo-rufa, an unicolorous form of a yellowish-red ground colour. 

 The second group commences with the var. putris, of Hiibner, of a 

 dark ochreous ground colour, with deep red-brown markings, leading 

 up to the combusta of Haw., a fuscous-brown form, much clouded with 

 darker, through the alopecurus of Esper, a deep reddish-brown form, 

 with black costal streaks, and only the reniforrn marked, culminating 

 in var. nigro-rubida, a deep reddish-black form, with no markings. The 

 type (grey form) is, perhaps, the rarest, except the beautiful var. 

 argentea, of all the different forms occurring in Britain. I have only 

 specimens in my cabinet from Mr. Percy Euss of Sligo, and from 

 Rannoch, although Mr. Tugwell has informed me that it occurs in the 

 Isle of Man. There is no doubt that this and var. argentea are the 

 most beautiful of all the rurea varieties, some of the grey specimens of 

 the type having a peculiar glaucous tinge. This form is the hepatica 

 of Haworth, and possibly the hepatica of Linnaeus, although the latter 

 is doubtful. Mr. T. Salvage writes : " I took two very beautiful sil- 

 very varieties of this species (rurea) in Rannoch ten years ago, but 

 have never seen the like before or since " (in litt., '88). Mr. Kenneth 

 Dingwall sent me a fine white variety of this species captured in 

 Scotland in 1888. This is described below as var. argentea. We thus 

 have the following groups : 



I. i. argentea white, with the faintest trace of markings. 



2. rurea the greyish-white type. 



3. ochrea yellowish ground colour, with typical markings. 



4.. intermedia reddish ground colour, with typical markings. 



5. flavo-rufa unicolorous, yello wish-red specimens. 

 II. 1 . putris, Hb. pale brownish-grey ground colour, with a dark 

 brown central band. 



2. combusta, Haw. dark fuscous brown, with reniform outlined 

 in white. 



3. alopecurus, Esper dark reddish-brown, with black costal 

 streaks, and the reniform with black circumscription. 



4. nigro-rubida a deep, reddish-black, unicolorous form. 



Of the varieties of this species from the Hebrides, Mr. J. Jenner 

 Weir writes : " A very fine series was taken, showing a number of 



