8 VARIETIES oir 



Agrotis, Och., nigricans, Linn. 



This is another variable species, and the different varieties have 

 been described by several authors as different species. Owing, how- 

 ever, to the dull appearance of the species, and the want of decided 

 characters in the markings, the varieties which have been named are 

 most difficult to classify. The type is blackish-fuscous, with the 

 transverse lines somewhat paler than the ground colour. The Linna3an 

 description is : " Ph. Noctua nigricans spirilinguis cristata, alis nigri- 

 cantibus maculis ordinariis pallidioribus." " Rustica media. Ala3 

 superiores fusco-nigricantes magis quam in alia ulla nostratum, uti 

 etiam totum corpus. Inferiores ala3 parum albescentes " (' Fauna 

 Suecicse,' p. 322, No. 1220). Generally our species are black, blackish- 

 grey, reddish-brown or red, but pale greyish varieties occasionally 

 occur, although they do not appear to be noticed by Continental 

 authors. The transverse lines and stigmata are sometimes darker than 

 the ground colour, at other times obsolete, sometimes paler, and 

 occasionally bright yellowish in colour. Very rarely, a row of white 

 dots is found parallel to the hind margin, modified occasionally into 

 a white line. The name fumosa has been applied by different authors 

 to different varieties, Fabricius and Treitschke only, agreeing in their 

 definition as to what the form is. There is (as is usual in this genus), 

 some variation in the shape and position of the stigmata, and there is 

 also considerable variation in the colour of the hind wings, those of 

 the females being darker than those of the males. Among the red 

 varieties, we find specimens not only with the transverse lines and 

 stigmata yellow, but with the nervures dusted (sometimes throughout 

 their whole length) with yellow scales. 



This is a species treated at length by Bentley (' Entomologist,' 

 vol. i.), who was the first British author to connect the various 

 forms as one species. He writes as follows : " Agrotis nigricans, 

 fumosa, ruris, dubia, obeliscata. These varieties are found in most of 

 our counties ; and I have selected this genus because I know many of 

 your correspondents have taken them, and can therefore examine and 

 judge for themselves. I have taken them in woods, marshes and 

 gardens ; and we have taken several varieties in our little garden in 

 Critchell Place, from the flowers of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus). 

 Var. 1. Anterior wings dark fuscous or blackish, with an obscure 

 black line from the base, united to the teliform stigma, and a 

 transverse waved line from before the anterior stigma ; posterior wings 

 ashy with dusky margins. Var. 2, nigricans. Anterior wings dusky, 

 with three transverse, dark, waved strigas and three stigmata, all 

 margined with black ; posterior wings ashy with dusky margins. 

 Var. 3. All the wings dark fuscous, with the three stigmata margined 

 with deep black. Var. 4, fumosa. All the wings blackish, with the 

 posterior stigma tinged with yellow, the teliform stigma entirely 

 wanting. Var. 5. Anterior wings fuscous, with a conspicuous waved 

 line before the anterior stigma, and a quadrate black spot between the 

 stigmata, posterior wings white, margins black. Var. 6. Anterior 

 wings fuscous, with two transverse, yellow, waved strigas ; posterior 

 stigma yellow. Var. 7, dubia. The beautiful specimen before me 

 is a female ; with four transverse yellow strigse, the first near the 

 base and interrupted, the second before the anterior stigma, the third 

 behind the posterior, and the fourth parallel with the posterior margin, 



