IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 37 



the bases of the median and sub-costal nervures ; the claviform and 

 orbicular finely outlined in ochreous, the reniform distinctly ochreous ; 

 the elbowed line complete and ochreous in colour ; the subterminal 

 line composed of ochreous dots ; the space between the orbicular and 

 reniform dark. The posterior wings grey with the outer margin 

 darker. Captured at Deal in 1886. 



D. Ground colour blackish-brown or blackish-fuscous. 



a. var. dubia, Haw. Haworth's diagnosis of this variety is as 

 follows :-" Noctua. Alis fuscis vel nigris, strigis stigmatibusque ordi- 

 nariis saturatioribus, strigaque alia postica conspicua undulata alba " 

 (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 222). Haworth then adds : " Simillima 

 penultimse (nigricans), at vix varietas." This is a rare variety, and I 

 have never seen, to my recollection, a specimen with a really white 

 line parallel to the hind margin. I have seen such very pale, but not 

 white. This and fumosa, God. are the forms that come nearest to the 

 type, the last (nigricans, Linn.) being practically intermediate between 

 them. It will be noted that Bentley in his descriptions already quoted, 

 refers Haworth's name, dubia, to the form which is really the vilis of 

 Hiibner, with four transverse yellow strigas. As will be seen from 

 the above, the ordinary strigge in dubia are darker not paler. 



P. var. fumosa, God. This variety is described as follows: 

 " The superior wings of a shiny smoky-brown with two undulated, 

 transverse, black lines, enclosing, besides the two ordinary stigmata 

 an oblong ring and a faint streak equally black ; the reniform is out- 

 lined with yellowish-white on its outer edge ; the wing is also 

 traversed by a yellowish wavy line. The inferior wings are whitish 

 with a blackish terminal band, darker in the $ than the $ " (' Histoire 

 naturelle,' p. 264). It is also figured, Plate Ixx., fig. 3 ( $ ), fig. 4 ( ? ). 

 The figures are of a smoky-brown colour, with paler transverse lines 

 and ochreous reniform. This appears to be a very common form both 

 in the South and North of England and in Scotland. 



y. var. marshallana, Westwood. This variety has the dark ground 

 colour and dark stigmata of var. dubia, but differs from it in having 

 the strigas pale yellowish like so many of the varieties of this species. 

 It was first described, named and figured in Humphrey and Westwood's 

 * British Moths.' The description is as follows : " This new species 

 appears to be most nearly allied to the variety of A. nigricans, which 

 has been named dubia.* The fore wings measure an inch and a half 

 in expanse, and are of a dark sooty-brown colour, slightly varied along 

 the principal veins with a lighter gloss, the extreme base being rather 

 lighter than the rest of the wing, and partaking of the colour of the 

 grey-brown thorax. Close to the base of the wing is a very slender 

 dentate, pale transverse line interrupted behind ; then follows, at 

 about one fourth of the length of the wing from the base, another 

 more waved pale line, edged on both sides with black, with the base 

 of the black teliform stigma resting on its penultimate wave. The 

 two ordinary stigmata are present, but very indistinct, margined with 

 black, the outer one succeeded at a short distance, by a slightly-waved 

 transverse row of pale arches (but very much incurved towards the 

 costa), and with a fourth pale streak more irregularly waved and less 



* These authors incorrectly refer those specimens belonging to var. vilis 

 to var. dubia. 



