IN THE BRITISfi ISLANDS. 125 



grdminis. There is also a considerable amount of difference in the 

 intensity of the dark grey border to the hind wings of the males. In 

 some it may be described as black, so intense is it ; while in other speci- 

 mens there is every grade of intensity to an almost total absence. In 

 both sexes there is a great deal of difference in the development of the 

 dark wedge-shaped marks parallel to the hind margin, but the males 

 vary most in this respect. There is a great deal of sexual difference, 

 the males being, as a rule, much smaller than the females. Mr. 

 Dobree writes : " In a male I have from Central Russia, the ground 

 colour is slate-grey " (in litt.). 



a. var. graminis, Hb. Hiibner's fig. 59 has " all the pale longi- 

 tudinal and transverse markings with a distinct pinkish tinge, hind 

 wings also pinkish." The markings are as in our British specimens, 

 the only difference being that of colour, although our British speci- 

 mens often have the nervures tinged with pink. 



Neuria, Gn., reticulata, Vill. 



The type of this species is described in De Villers' ' Caroli Linnaei 

 Entomologia Fauna Suecicse,' &c., ii., p. 254, as follows : " Phalcena 

 Noctua (le reticulee) spirilinguis, thorace cristato-angularie, alis deflexis 

 fuscis, rivulis reticulatis griseis. Alas superiores brunneae, lineis 

 strigisquegriseis quasi reticulatse; in medio prope marginem exteriorem, 

 macula grisea ovaliformi duplicique circulo. Alse inferiores infra et 

 supra grisese." This is one of our most constant species in Britain. 

 In the series I have, the only noticeable point of variation is in the 

 shape and direction of the stigmata (orbicular and reniform) ; but it 

 does not appear to be so invariable, in the ground colour at least, on 

 the Continent. Hiibner, under the name of typica, figures a rich 

 purple-brown variety ; while Guenee says of the French specimens : 

 " The two median lines geminated, tinted with rose colour " (' Noc- 

 tuelles,' vol. v., p. 167). Probably these brightly-coloured forms exist 

 in collections in Britain. Mr. N. F. Dobree writes : "N. reticulata is 

 so scarce in this part of the E. Eiding (Beverley) that I have never 

 taken more than two ; but these still retain a decided vinous tinge, 

 though taken five years ago " (in litt.). Our ordinary British form was 

 described by Haworth under the name of marginosa (' Lepidoptera 

 Britannica,' p. 195, No. 101). 



a. var. typica, Hb. Hiibner figures (58) the type of this variety, 

 of which I made the following description : " Anterior wings of a 

 rich purplish brown, with the longitudinal nervures nearly absent, 

 otherwise much like our own specimens ; the three pale transverse 

 lines and stigmata outlined in pinkish grey. Hind wings grey, hind 

 margin darker, with three white dots in centre of extreme outer 

 margin ; a distinct transverse line and lunule." 



(3. var. unicolor, Stdgr. This variety is mentioned by Staudinger 

 in his trade list, and in answer to a query Mr. Dobree has written : 

 " The var. unicolor derives its name from being a uniform brown-grey, 

 the nervures and markings being pricked out in a lighter shade of the 

 ground colour. My specimens are from Kaschgar, in Russian Turkes- 

 tan " (in litt.). 



Heliophobus, Bdv., hispida, Hb.-Gey. 



Geyer's figures 784-86, in his Supplement to Hiibner's ' Schmet- 



