88 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



development of the transverse lines, occur. The form most closely 

 allied to these is that in which the dark HH -like mark* is developed 

 under the stigmata (var. intermedia), and as the space above is generally 

 shaded it gives the specimens a rather banded appearance, as in New- 

 man's ' British Moths,' p. 304:, fig. 1, although generally more strongly 

 marked. Of this variety there are two shades of colour, grey and 

 reddish brown. Var. intermedia is distinctly intermediate between the 

 type and the next var. (remissa, Hb.), where the black HH -like mark is ex- 

 tended into a large blackish or brownish patch, extending upwards to 

 the costa between the reniform and orbicular, and connected with 

 another dark patch developed between the two short, longitudinal 

 basal streaks, and with the space outside the subterminal line of the 

 same dark shade, especially in its central area and at the anal angle ; 

 the inner margin of the wing very clear, and almost immaculate. This 

 extreme form is apparently the remissa of Hiibner and of Treitschke. 

 Of this variety Staudinger writes, " dilutior, variegata." Var. remissa, 

 Tr., and var. intermedia appear to be united by Guenee to form his 

 var. A, " L^L Brouillee " of Engramelle (' Noctuelles, vol. v., p. 208), of 

 the general variation of which Guenee writes : " It is possible that 

 this may be distinct from gemina." " This Apamea differs from didyma 

 by its generally darker colour, its anterior wings generally a little 

 narrower, and above all by the black streak which unites the two 

 transverse lines below the submedian nervure, leaving between this 

 line and the inner margin a space generally paler than the ground 

 colour. Certain subvarieties have all the subterminal space equally 

 clear, and thus somewhat resemble Hadena genistce. These are known 

 in collections as submissa" This latter is a very rare development, and 

 appears to be the remissa of Hiibner, a slightly more extreme develop- 

 ment of the remissa of Treitschke. The only very extreme specimen 

 I have, in a very long series, came from Mr. Finlay, of Morpeth. 

 The remissa of Haworth (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 189, No. 79) 

 is apparently the same as remissa, Tr., to which many of our British 

 specimens are referable, while the var. ft of his remissa appears to refer 

 to Hiibner's rather more extreme form. The oblonga of Haworth is 

 simply a slight modification of var. intermedia, being a grey form with 

 the costal area, containing the grey stigmata, brownish, the HH -mark 

 developed, the subterminal line whitish ; the dark fuscous type 

 Haworth calls obscura. Mr. Porritt writes, concerning the general 

 variation of this species: " The pale variegated variety, as well as the 

 dark forms, occur at Huddersfield " (in litt.} ; and Mr. Gregson, ' Ento- 

 mologist,' vol. iv., p. 52, writes : " This does not vary so much here 

 (Liverpool) as in the South (of England). My best varieties of it were 

 given to me by Mr. Doubleday. One is a very genistce-like specimen." 

 Mr. W. Reid of Pitcaple (Aberdeen), writing of the Scotch speci- 

 mens, says : " The type, together with var. ritfescens and var. 

 intermedia (both -grisea and -rufa}, are all to be obtained in more or 

 less abundance in this district. I once captured a very fine var. 

 remissa, which agreed well with Guenee's description. It had a very 

 light ground colour, with distinct, dark almost black -markings. It 

 bore a very strong superficial resemblance to H. genistce" ( in litt.). 

 Tabulating the principal varieties we get : 



* Vide introductory notes to genus Apamea. ... 



