98 VARIETIES OP NOCTTJ.E 



8. var. albistigma, mihi. Like leucostiyma, with the anterior wings 

 black ; > i-like mark in more intense black ; a broken subterminal line 

 composed of dots ; but the reniform " white," not " ochreous." This 

 would meet Dr. Staudinger's description, " albo-maculatis." The last 

 two varieties are much rarer in Britain than var. lugens. It is doubt- 

 ful whether Guenee knew the intense black forms which we get, as he 

 does not mention them, and moreover, refers the lugens of Haworth to 

 nictitans, Esper and Hiibner, an evident error. He also mentions the 

 following as a surprising fact : " I have seen a specimen from North 

 America, which is larger than ours, of a brown almost black colour, 

 with the subterminal line forming a series of irregular yellowish dots " 

 (< Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 211). 



Miana, St. 



This genus consists of a group of little moths, so closely allied to 

 the genus Apamea, that it is very dubious whether any really distinctive 

 characters, sufficient to separate it from Apamea, exist. In most of 

 the different forms of strigilis and fasciuncula, the transverse lines are 

 almost identical in shape and position with those in the species of 

 Apamea. In certain mottled forms of bicoloria, this is also the case ; 

 but generally in this latter species, literosa and captiuncula, the upper 

 half of the elbowed line is indistinct, and the lower half is continued 

 upwards to the costa, inside the reniform, forming a line dividing the 

 wing into two distinct halves. The >-< -like mark under the stigmata, 

 which was noted as being much developed in some of the species of 

 Apamea, becomes almost normal in strigilis and is frequently well- 

 developed in certain forms of bicoloria and literosa. The anterior 

 wings in this genus are normally divided into : (1) a basal area, (2) a 

 central (more or less banded) area, (3) a pale outer area. Bicoloria is 

 by far the most variable species, strigilis also is very variable, and me- 

 lanic forms are common throughout Britain, although in Central and 

 Southern Europe such forms are apparently rare. Pretty mottled 

 ochreous varieties of bicoloria occur on the flowers of Centaurea scabiosa, 

 on the coast near Deal and Dover, reminding one much of small speci- 

 mens of Eremobia ochroleuca as they sit by day on the flowers. In 

 fact, bicoloria offers a great deal of response to environment in the de- 

 velopment of certain local forms. It may be advisable to note here 

 that French lepidopterists consider fasciuncula a variety of strigilis. 

 German and British lepidopterists treat these as distinct species. 

 Guenee says: "All the European Miana are well known. They 

 vary no less than certain species of the genus Apamea above all 

 strigilis and furuncula (bicoloria) " ('Noctuelles/ vol. v., p. 214). 

 1 have specimens myself, which prove that atrigilis and fasciun- 

 cula are connected by intermediates, so that there is no distinct 

 line of demarcation between them, and a series of ttrigilis-fasciuncula 

 sent to me by the Kev. W. F. Johnson, captured in 1890, near Armagh, 

 are perfectly inseparable. This series, which extends from the 

 brightest red fasciuncula to the blackest strigilis, led me to write a note 

 in the * Entomologist's Eecord,' vol. i., pp. 242, 3U6, entitled " Is Miana 

 fasciuncula a var. of M. strigilis ? " and from these specimens I con- 

 cluded that it was. Such rank heresy has led to a great deal of 

 discussion, but, after exhibiting the specimens at the City of London 



