IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



8. var. clams, Esp. " This has the ground colour of a clear reddish- 

 brown, almost ochreous, with a black line on the extreme outer margin, 

 then a row of seven wedge-shaped spots, followed by a large renif orm, 

 black centred and surrounded with a black line, the reniform and 

 orbicular joined by a short dusky shade, with a double transverse line 

 (the lower half of the elbowed line) from the lower end of the reniform 

 to the inner margin, a transverse basal line with the black claviform 

 situated on it ; quite at the base is a short longitudinal line. Hind 

 wings grey with darker margin and lunule " (' Die Schmet. in Abbil- 

 dungen ' &c., Plate 63, fig. 5). I have the clear ochreous-brown form 

 from Spurn, in Yorkshire, Sligo (where it appears to be a common 

 form) and Deal (where it is very rare ) ; the brown forms at the latter 

 locality, being generally much darker than Esper's variety. 



e. var. valligera, Bork. The colour of the anterior wings of a 

 deep, rich mahogany-brown, with very distinct markings. This is a 

 very intense development of the var. clavis of Esper. The females are 

 rather darker than the males. Borkhausen writes of it : " Ground 

 colour of anterior wings dark brown, much clouded with darker brown, 

 ashy-grey in centre of wing. Hind wings ashy-grey or whitish with 

 darker band and lunule " (' Naturegeschichte ' &c., p. 551, No 224). 

 This is the common brown form at Deal, where it is, however, much 

 rarer than the greyish-fuscous forms. I have also a male of this 

 variety from Spurn. 



Hubner's valligera, as figured in his ' Sammlung europaischer 

 Schmet.' &c., fig. 170, is a sub- variety of Borkhausen's valligera, with 

 " the basal half (to beyond the reniform) dull brownish, a black spot 

 in the centre of the basal line is the only remnant of the basal streak ; 

 the claviform, orbicular and reniform dark grey, outlined in darker ; 

 a wavy elbowed line beyond reniform, with 6 cuneiform spots standing 

 on the subterminal line, the latter having two reddish blotches between 

 it and the outer margin of the wing. Hind wings grey with pale base 

 and distinct lunule " (' Sammlung europaischer Schmet.', fig. 150). It 

 will be seen that this is somewhat intermediate in colour between the 

 sagittiferus of Hiibner and the valligera of Borkhausen. 



. var obsoleta, mihi. This variety has all the markings more or 

 less obscured, owing to the duskiness or increased depth of the ground 

 colour. Esper's trigonalis is really the obscure grey form, there are also an 

 obscure reddish-brown form and another blackish-brown. (l)Brunnea- 

 obsoleta. This has the ground colour of a deep dusky brown with a 

 reddish tinge, with the markings obscured by the ground colour, 

 although all are present ; thus giving the specimens a more suffused or 

 unicolorous appearance. (2) Nigra-obsoleta. Another sub- variety, with 

 the ground colour blackish-grey instead of brown, although occasion- 

 ally there is the faintest tinge of brown present. It is advisable to 

 notice that the most obscure specimens have a pale longitudinal area 

 about the median nervure. 



p. var. nigra, mihi. The anterior wings dark blackish-fuscous, 

 except a rather paler area along the median nervure, and the 

 transverse lines which are dusky-grey in colour. The reniform and 

 orbicular are included in the dark area of the costa, and thus form a 

 large costal blotch ; in some specimens the area round the claviform is 

 intensely dark, and this makes another large black blotch, thus making, 



o2 



