4:8 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



13. var. costa-ccerulea, mihi. Of the same slaty ground colour as the 

 last, but with a distinct pale longitudinal costal streak, distinctly pale 

 median nervure, and a series of long, pale dashes between the cunei- 

 form spots ; the orbicular round and pale, the reniform ochreous, but 

 outlined in pale ; the spaces between and beyond the stigmata fuscous 

 but very variable in intensity. The transverse lines also variable as 

 to the extent of development, and fuscous costal spots represent their 

 origin. In the type these lines are well developed, but in others 

 entirely absent. Hind wings whitish, with dark grey margin, in some 

 $ 's entirely grey. I have had this form sent me from the Continent 

 for vitta, Hb., but this can hardly be correct, although the slaty tinge 

 was most distinct in the specimen called vitta, which I received. I 

 have a sub- var. of this form minor -ccerulea with all the characters of 

 costa-ccerulea, but not more than two-thirds of the normal expanse, 

 some running under an inch in size, and thus forming an almost 

 parallel variety to the nana of Zeller in the obsoleta series. 



C. Ground colour slaty-fuscous. 



a. var. eruta, Hb. This variety is an extreme form of var. ccerulea, 

 in which the slaty -colour, although still evident, is reduced to a mini- 

 mum, and the fuscous colour begins to make itself particularly promi- 

 nent. It is a fairly abundant variety at Deal, although apparently 

 rare enough in most other British localities. I have received it from 

 the Swiss Alps. It appears to be fairly well distributed on the Conti- 

 nent, especially at moderately high altitudes. It also occurs occasionally 

 in British localities other than Deal, but compared with the brown 

 and fuscous forms appears to be generally rare. Hiibner describes it 

 as : " Anterior wings pale greyish-brown, the orbicular small and 

 white, the reniform dark-centred, with fine blackish transverse lines, 

 and dotted with white towards the hind margin. The hind wings 

 whitish-grey shaded with darker " (' Sammlung europaischer Schmet.,' 

 p. 181). Hiibner's fig. 623 of the same work may be described as 

 follows : " The anterior wings greyish-brown, shaded with red- 

 brown ; two basal streaks of paler grey shaded with dark brown, the 

 orbicular and reniform both outlined in paler, a dark shade from the 

 base of the reniform to the inner margin, a pale wavy line outlined in 

 darker directly beyond the reniform, whilst another near the hind 

 margin forms the base of five wedge-shaped marks ; the extreme outer 

 area dark brown. The hind wings grey, base paler, lunule distinct." 

 The purple tinge sometimes seen on this variety appears to be due to 

 the combination of the slaty colour in group B, with the dark-brown 

 with which the ground-colour is shaded. Dr. Staudinger says of the 

 variety : " Magis unicolor." There is a considerable amount of varia- 

 tion in the development of the stigmata and transverse lines, but I 

 would include all those specimens which generally satisfy the descrip- 

 tion under this name. 



/3. var. vitta, Hb. Staudinger treats this as a distinct species and 

 he may be correct. Guende treats it as a var. of aquilina, which, even 

 if aquilina, Hb. were admitted to rank as a species, must be incorrect. 

 For myself, I have varieties of tritici taken at Deal identical with 

 Hiibner's figures, whilst some so-called vitta received from Dr. 

 Staudinger, in no way resemble Hiibner's figures, although still 

 practically indistinguishable from other Deal varieties. Hiibner's 



