112 VARIETIES OF NOCTILE: 



in Kent than any others, the pale ochreous and reddish ochreous forms 

 being rare. The var. renardii of Boisduval is an extreme development 

 of the pale ochreous form. Of the general variation of this species, 

 Guenee writes : " It varies much, but all its modifications are too un- 

 important and unstable to constitute distinct races " (' Noctuelles,' vol. 

 v., p. 195). There would thus appear to be fotfr fairly distinct 

 forms : 



1. A pale unicolorous grey form = var. renardii, Bdv. 

 2. A reddish ochreous form = var. ochracea. 

 3. A dark grey form, mottled with reddish ochreous = var. anceps, 



Hb. 

 4. A grey form, mottled with dirty brown = var. sordida, Bork. 



a. var. renardii, Bdv. This is a very pale unicolorous variety of 

 sordida, with the markings in its extreme forms almost entirely absent, 

 but leading up by intermediate forms into the other varieties. Guenee, 

 in his ' Noctuelles.' vol. v., p. 195, thus writes of this variety : " This 

 is certainly only a very pale variety of anceps. All the markings have 

 disappeared, and the upper wings are entirely of a whitish ochreous 

 colour, with the exception of the terminal space, where there remains 

 traces of greyish colour. The lower wings and the underside are of a 

 pale shining whitish, without markings. North of France." This 

 variety apparently occurs but rarely in England. 1 have taken it at 

 Sandwich, Deal, and Strood, but have never met with it in any other 

 locality, although I have received it from Brighton. It occurs in both 

 sexes, and the hind wings show a large amount of difference in the 

 quantity of grey shading ; some having a distinct dark marginal band, 

 others agreeing with the above description, and being without any 

 very definite trace of it. 



P. var. ochracea, mihi. This is a very pretty variety. It is of a 

 very pale yellowish ochreous ground colour, strongly tinged with red 

 (I have one specimen entirely reddish ochreous), with the stigmata and 

 transverse lines very pale grey. As in var. renardii there is scarcely 

 any of the dirty grey colour present in the type, except on the outer 

 margin. The variety occurs in both sexes. I have captured it at Deal 

 and Strood, and received it from Cambridge, but it is apparently a rare 

 form. 



y. var. anceps, Hb. The anceps of Hiibner is an extreme develop- 

 ment of the last variety, with the ground colour dark brown instead of 

 pale ochreous, but much mottled with reddish, as in that form. Hiib- 

 ner figures it in his ' Schmetterlinge,' &c., 484, the following being 

 the description made of it : "Anterior wings ochreous brown, tinged 

 with reddish ; an abbreviated transverse line followed by a complete 

 basal line ; claviform outlined in blackish, the reniform and orbicular 

 in whitish ; directly beyond reniform, a double line internally edged 

 with black ; a pale wavy line close to hind margin, with a W-shaped 

 mark in its centre. Hind wings dark grey, with pale base ; two pale 

 transverse lines pass through the dark grey margin." I would include 

 under this varietal name all dark brownish forms mottled with red. 

 This is the most abundant form occurring in Kent, being much more 

 abundant than the type, which is of a greyish colour, marked with 

 dirty brown. The anceps of Hiibner is the usual form found near 

 London. 



