IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 5 



hind margin, and deeper in colour in the females than in the males. 

 Of the general variation of this species, Newman (< British Moths,' p. 

 319) writes : "The colour of the fore wings is generally dull-brown, 

 with a strong tendency to become vinous-red on the costa, and 

 sometimes this colour pervades the whole of the wing ; but these shades 

 are very inconstant, indeed, the distribution and tint of the ground 

 colour seem very capricious, in some specimens the costal area is almost 

 black, as in the second figure, in others it is pale wainscot brown, as 

 in the third figure." Hiibner's fig. 378 (< Sammlung europaischer 

 Schmet.' &c.) represents the type of this species, of which I made the 

 following description : " The median nervure divides the anterior 

 wings longitudinally into two parts, that above being dark, or even 

 vinous, red-brown, that below dull blackish-grey ; these colours extend 

 from the base to the outer transverse line, beyond which, the wing 

 from the costa to the anal angle is pale drab or grey ; there is a pale 

 greyish, double, basal streak ; orbicular very indistinct, reniform 

 outlined in dull grey ; an indistinct wavy line directly beyond the 

 reniform and a transverse line from the costa near the apex to the inner 

 margin, just beyond the anal angle. Hind wings dark grey, paler at 

 base, lunule distinct." The most peculiar point about the airangement 

 of the colour in this species is, that the costal and inner marginal areas 

 of the anterior wings are generally of different colours, and the 

 colours of these areas are interchangeable, thus, one specimen may have 

 the costal area brownish-grey and the inner margin blackish, while 

 another specimen will have the inner margin brownish, and the costal 

 area black. There seem to be chiefly three different colours in 

 this species, deep red-brown, bright ochreous-brown and greyish- 

 fuscous. The following seems to be the best arrangement I can make 

 of the varieties of this species : 

 1. Grey, clouded with ashy = margaritosa, Haw. 

 2. Fuscous-grey, with black costa, = nigrocosta. 

 3. Blackish-grey ,with ochreous costa = ochrea-costa. 

 4. Blackish-grey, with vinous-red costa = saucia, Hb. 

 5. Unicolorous red = rufa. 

 6. Bed, with pale costa = cequa, Hb. 

 7. Bright brownish-ochreous = brunnea. 

 8. Unicolorous black = majuscula, Haw. 



a. var. margaritosa, Haw. Haworth treated this as a distinct 

 species and thus describes it : " N. alis griseo cinereis nebulosis, 

 stigmatibus tribus ordinariis, subobliteratis, macula apicis pallidiore : 

 posticis fuliginoso-albis tinctura violacei, venis, margineque postico, 

 angulum ani prsecipue versus fuscis " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' 

 p. 218). 



ft. var. nigrocosta, mihi. The anterior wings greyish fuscous 

 sometimes tinged with reddish or ochreous, with a broad black shade 

 along the whole of the costal area, sometimes extending far enough 

 across the wing to enclose the stigmata. 



7. var. ochrea-costa, mihi. The anterior wings blackish-grey 

 with a pale shade along the costa, showing out strongly against the 

 darker colour of the inner marginal area. 



8. var. rufa, mihi. The vinous-red colouring characteristic of the 

 type of saucia, covering the whole of the wings. I have one wholly 



