92 VARIETIES OF NOCTTJJB 



otherwise, almost unicolorous, except the longitudinal wing-rays 

 which are somewhat darker than the ground colour ; the reniform of 

 this form may be outlined either in ochreous or white. Next to this 

 we get the most common form, viz., the area of the wing almost uni- 

 colorous, but with the ordinary transverse markings of the group (the 

 basilinea-like forms), with the reniform more or less clearly marked 

 in ochreous or white, and with the orbicular sometimes developed and 

 sometimes not developed into an >-<-like mark. The next group is the 

 banded one, generally with the HH_like mark, but occasionally without, 

 with the transverse lines before and beyond the stigmata well de- 

 veloped, and the contained median area somewhat darker than the rest 

 of the wing ; the reniform, again, either ochreous or whitish. We 

 have now come to the most extreme form, viz., the dark costal area 

 form, where the ground colour stands out conspicuously pale, leaving 

 a large dark costal blotch extending from just before the apex to the 

 base of the wing and enclosing the stigmata, while the pale ground 

 colour covers the whole of the outer and inner margins of the wing ; 

 the reniform may be ochreous or whitish, but the >-H -like mark is un- 

 developed ; a dark costal specimen with the i -like mark developed 

 would, almost of necessity, pass into the banded form. As I have 

 previously remarked, the dark costal group shows up the ground colour 

 most distinctly, and the grey form has some specimens quite whitish 

 grey, others dull grey, others inclined to yellowish grey. So among 

 those with a red ground colour, some are quite ferruginous red, others 

 reddish brown, while others have a decidedly purplish tinge. We 

 now reach the " black " group. I have a specimen with no transverse 

 lines, agreeing thus with the " unicolorous " group of the previous 

 sections. Generally, however, the black specimens have the ordinary 

 transverse lines, characteristic of the " reticulated " form ; these lines 

 are generally tinted with ochreous ; the reniform may be either white 

 or yellowish, and occasionally a specimen is obtained with the i -like 

 mark developed distinctly in intense black. A peculiar development 

 of the subterminal line takes place in many of these black specimens, 

 viz., its being broken up into ochreous dots, and recalling the same 

 character in Mamestra persicarice. I have also in my series (some 200 

 picked specimens) one grey specimen presenting this same peculiar 

 characteristic, but I never saw a specimen with red ground colour ex- 

 hibiting it, although it is very probable such exist. It is, of course, 

 impossible to expect any development of the "dark costal" or "banded" 

 varieties in the " black " group. The ground colour obscures any 

 tendency in this direction, although in " black " specimens there is a 

 good deal of difference in the intensity of the black ground colour. I 

 have, therefore, in dealing with these varieties, proceeded on distinct 

 lines, which I think will commend themselves, and enable those with- 

 out any previous knowledge to follow out the lines of classification 

 laid down. Thus there is : 



1. The unicolorous form, with no transverse markings. 



2. The reticulated form, with transverse markings. 



3. The banded form, with darker central area. 



4. The dark costal form, with a dark costal mark. 

 Intermediates of almost every grade occur, and I have one peculiar red- 

 dish specimen, the left side with an < -like mark, and well-developed 



