IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 09 



and South London Societies, and to many of our leading 1 British lepi- 

 dopterists privately, I obtained so many opinions that I was fairly well 

 satisfied of the correctness of my view. Of course, fdsciuncula and 

 strigilis in their typical forms are very different, and appear to have a 

 different facies, but this appears to be purely superficial, the apparent 

 distinction being more striking, owing to the fact, that each has a range 

 of variation of its own, but so have the different forms of Xylophasia 

 rurea, Apamea didyma (oculea), and probably Hydrcecia nictitans and 

 H. lucens. I am quite dissatisfied with my knowledge for and against 

 the specific identity of the latter, and therefore have kept them dis- 

 tinct. On the same ground, I shall keep fasciuncula and strigilis 

 distinct, trusting that future study of the early stages of these will clear 

 up what is at present rather a puzzle, but satisfied in my own mind that 

 my assumption, so far as the material I have allows me to judge, is 

 correct. 



Miana, St., strigilis, Clerck. 



The type of this species is represented by Clerck's Plate ix., fig. 

 6, of the l Icones Insectorum rariorum,' which may be described as 

 follows : " Anterior wings of a very pale grey, with a slightly red- 

 dish tinge, collar whitish ; three black costal streaks near the base and 

 an abbreviated basal line followed by a double complete one made of 

 three curved arches, the two lower being white ; the orbicular, reni- 

 form, and claviform of the ground colour, outlined in black ; two short 

 costal streaks just above the reniform with white between ; three other 

 costal streaks between these and the apex of the wing; an angulated 

 white line edged with a wavy black line internally, starts from the 

 costa (just outside the reniform) to the inner margin (at the anal 

 angle), another white line starting from near the apex, joins the angu- 

 lated line ; between these lines and the outer margin the colour is 

 bluish grey. Hind wings, the same colour as anteriors but a little 

 paler, and a double line parallel to the hind margin." Like the rest 

 of the genus this species is very variable, and the extremes of vari- 

 ation are very great. Besides the type a pale reddish grey form, with 

 the outer margin and the bases of the transverse lines white we get 

 a form with an ashy-grey ground colour, and another of a black ground 

 colour, each with the same white markings as in the type. Another 

 form has all the white markings of the type of a grey colour, and yet 

 another has the ordinary white parts reddish, while another form is 

 unicolorous. The most extreme form is intensely black. All these forms 

 vary in themselves, and have, in some specimens, the dark longitudinal 

 streak under the stigmata, whilst in others there is no trace of it. 

 The following is an attempt to tabulate the various forms of variation : 



A. Ground colour ashy-grey (rarely tinged with brownish). 

 1. With whitish or whitish-grey outer fascia = prceduncula, Haw. 

 2. With reddish or reddish-grey outer fascia = su/uruncula, Freyer. 

 3. With reddish median band = virgata (La Bronz&e, Eng., Guende). 



B. Ground colour reddish-grey or reddish-brown. 

 1. With whitish or whitish-grey outer fascia = strigilis, 01. ( = fur- 



uncula, Bork). 

 2. With pale reddish or reddish-grey outer fascia = cerata, Esp. 



( == latruncula, Hb.) 

 3. Unicolorous = latruncula, Haw. 



