IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 41 



B. Ground colour greyish- white (slightly ochreous). 

 a. With obsolete markings = var. armena, Evers. 

 b. With distinct transverse markings = var. mixta, Fab. 

 c. With longitudinal markings = var. pallida. 



C. Ground colour yellow-ochreous. 

 a. With obsolete markings = var. obsoleta. 

 b. With distinct transverse markings = cursoria, Hufn. 

 c. With longitudinal markings = var. ochrea. 



D. 'Ground colour brown, with a reddish tint. 

 a. With obsolete markings = var. obscura, Stdgr. 

 b. With distinct transverse markings = var. brunnea. 

 c. With longitudinal markings = var. sagitta, Hiibn. 



A. Ground colour slaty-grey. 



a. var. ccerulea. mihi. The type of this variety has the anterior 

 wings of a pale slaty-grey (almost lilac) colour ; the abbreviated and 

 complete basal lines, elbowed line and subterminal line all pale greyish- 

 white edged with fuscous ; the orbicular pale grey in colour, the reniform 

 ochreous outlined in whitish, the claviform ochreous outlined with 

 darker. Hind wings grey, distinct lunule, outer margin darker. I 

 have only one specimen of this form, a $ , given to me by Mr. T. Baxter 

 and captured at St. Anne's-on-Sea (Lancashire). 



/?. var. co sta- ccerulea, mihi. The anterior wings with the ground 

 colour pale slaty-grey ; the two basal, elbowed and subterminal trans- 

 verse lines all pale grey edged with darker ; a pale ochreous costal 

 shade extending from the base to the reniform ; the claviform dark 

 brown, the orbicular and reniform outlined in whitish ; median ner- 

 vure grey ; a dark brown quadrate spot between the stigmata and a 

 brown shade under median nervure from base to elbowed line. The 

 upper part of transverse lines represented by pairs of short, dark costal 

 streaks. Posterior wings grey, distinct lunule, margin darker. I have 

 only one specimen, from Aberdeen. 



B. Ground colour pale greyish- white (slightly ochreous). 



a. var. armena, Evers. This is a pale greyish- white form, without 

 a pale costa, and with all the transverse markings more or less obsolete, 

 so far as can be judged from the specimens in the British Museum 

 collection. The pale whitish-grey form with obsolete markings, I 

 have in my collection, came from Sligo, Aberdeen and St. Anne's-on- 

 Sea. A sub-var. puncta occurs, unicolorous, with the exception of 

 the lower part of the reniform which is developed as a dark dot. This 

 variety (armena) differs from the mixta of Fabricius in having more 

 obsolete markings. 



/?. var. mixta, Fab. This pallid form is not uncommon in Britain, 

 occurring generally in all localities with the most yellow type. 

 Fabricius' description is : " Noctua Isevis alis deflexis pallidis fusco 

 subfasciatis : posticis basi pallidis apice fuscis." " Corpus medium, 

 album, immaculatum. Alee anticse pallid ae, fusco subfasciatas, posticse 

 basi pallidge, apice f uscse. Subtus omnes pallide " (' Entom. systematica 

 emendata et aucta ' &c., p. 36, No. 91). This pale form with distinct 

 transverse markings is more common than either of its near congeners 

 vars. armena and pallida. I have it from Sligo, St. Anne's-on-Sea, 

 Hunstanton and Liverpool. 



