130 VARIETIES OF NOCTIL2E 



This should include all reddish forms with ochreous markings. I have 

 this variety from Sligo, Glasgow, Morpeth, &c. Continental lepi- 

 dopterists often send out as tricuspis, Esp., varieties which differ very 

 much from Esper's figure ; many of the specimens have a white 

 central line instead of ochreous, and others are more like Haworth's 

 gramineus. 



y. var. rufa, mihi. No. 4, above. This is Hiibner's tricuspis, fig. 

 143, which may be described as : " Anterior wings dark reddish, with 

 a pale streak below the costa ; orbicular indistinct ; the pale median 

 nervure, touching the base of the orbicular and reniform, makes at 

 the base of the reniform two distinct white branches ; the wedge- 

 shaped spots parallel to the hind margin are preceded by a pale band." 

 Of this variety Guene'e says : " Hiibner's fig. 143 is a strongly- 

 marked variety, but entirely accidental " ('Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 176). 

 Herr Sven, on the other hand, as may be noted in the extract from his 

 paper just quoted, says : " Hiibner's fig. 143 varies but little from the 

 type." I quite agree with Guene'e that it is a strongly marked form. 

 Staudinger's description of tricuspis, Esp., does not apply so well to that 

 form as to var. rufa. He says : " Al. ant. unicolor rufescentibus, 

 mac. magnatrifida alba" ('Catalog,' p. 89). This name should include all 

 red forms with white markings. I have this variety from Sligo, Glas- 

 gow, Yorkshire, &o. 



8. var. rufo-costa, mihi. No. 5, above. This is Hiibner's graminis, 

 fig. 480, which may be described as : " Anterior wings grey, with 

 bright red costa from base to apex ; stigmata ochreous, median nervure 

 branched, ochreous ; that part of the wing just around the stigmata 

 dark reddish brown ; beyond the reniform a broad red patch extends 

 from the costa to the inner margin ; the ordinary row of wedge- 

 shaped spots parallel to the hind margin." I would include all forms 

 with a red costa under this name. I have only specimens from the 

 Hebrides of this variety, but it undoubtedly occurs elsewhere. 



e. var. hibernicus, Curt. Curtis' description (' British Entomology,' 

 p. 451) is as follows : "Dull yellowish brown ; superior wings with an 

 elongated pale ochreous spot at the base above the central nervure, and 

 another subelliptical one more towards the middle, with a lemon- 

 shaped one above it ; beyond the middle is a trapezoid spot resting on 

 a trifid character all of the same pale colour, some of them being par- 

 tially relieved by a dark brown ; between the nervures, at the posterior 

 margin, are obscure, elongate-trigonate brown marks ; abdomen and 

 inferior wings fuscous, cilia pale ochreous." He then adds : "I am fully 

 aware that C. graminis is a most variable species ; but as I have never 

 seen one similar to the specimen figured, I consider it may be a dis- 

 tinct species. It was captured last September, in the county of Mayo, 

 Ireland." I have this variety from Mr. Russ, of Sligo ; and Mr. 

 Gregson ('Entom. iv., 51) records it from Staleybridge Brushes. 



J. var. ochrea, mihi. No. 7, above. Anterior wings of a pale 

 ochreous yellow, with dark nervures, with whitish or ochreous reni- 

 form and orbicular, the former joined with a bifid line, the extension 

 of the pale central line. It is figured by Esper (pi. Ixviii., fig. 3), as 

 a ? of var. tricuspis. I have never seen specimens of this variety. 

 The nearest approach that I have to this form came from Mr. Russ of 

 Sligo. 



