52 VARIETIES OF NOCTU2E 



tributed, and occurring in most of the localities whence I have obtained 

 the species. This is closely allied to the next, which has the transverse 

 markings less distinct and the central area paler. 



P. var. pupillatus, Haw. Haworth's description of this species is 

 as follows : " Alis fuscescentibus stigmatibus ordinariis subocellatis, 

 stigmateque tertio teliformi sesquialtero." " Ala3 f uscescentes strigis 

 duabus subflexuosis, et inter hac color pallidior, stigmata 2 subocellata, 

 lineolaque brevis duplex sesquialtera e media striga anteriori oriente " 

 (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 118). Bentley writes of it : " Anterior 

 wings fuscous with four transverse striga3 ; the first at the base, the 

 second before the anterior stigma, the third behind the posterior, and 

 the fourth near the hinder margin ; the costa is spotted with dusky 

 and white, the space between the second and third strigse rather pale ; 

 stigmata pale, anterior ocellated " (' Entoin.,' vol. i.). Bentley's 

 . description of pupillatus agrees more with the last var., sordida, so far 

 as the transverse lines are concerned. Haworth mentions only two 

 transverse lines, and appears to make a special point of the central 

 space between the basal and elbowed lines being paler. 



G. Ground colour pale yellowish-ochreous. 



a. var. ochracea, mihi. The anterior wings are of a pale yellow- 

 ochreou.s colour, generally with the transverse lines distinct, outlined 

 with darker, the stigmata pale and well marked ; but there is con- 

 siderable variation in the development of the cuneiform spots, which 

 are much more distinct in some specimens than in others. The hind 

 wings undergo a similar range of variation to all the other varieties of 

 this species. It is a rare variety. My best examples have come from 

 Deal and Shoeburyness. 



/3. var. detorta, Ev. In the British Museum collection are two 

 specimens from the Zeller collection, of a pale ochreous (reddish- 

 tinted) colour with distinct transverse lines ; the costa distinctly pale, 

 light brownish in colour. Hind wings grey, those of the male paler 

 at base. Guene'e's South American var. D would appear to come close 

 to this. He writes of it : " It comes near our var. C (fusca), but the 

 ground colour is more obscure, with a reddish tint ; it has no cuneiform 

 spots ; the space between the ordinary stigmata is blackish. The in- 

 ferior wings are almost as dark as in var. A " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 

 289). 



H. Ground colour reddish-brown. 



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

 follows : " Alis rufo-fuscis stigmatibus tribus, strigaque postica cuneo- 

 rum f uscorum." " Ultima (sordida) satis differt in strigis longe obscuri- 

 oribus, et in striga postica ex maculis acutissimis cuneiformibus fuscis. 

 Macula3 f uscaa ad stigmata pallida ut in pra3cedente. Alas posticas albaa, 

 margine venisque fuliginosis. Foeinina magis grisea antennis setaceis, 

 absque fuscedine ante et inter stigmata. Ala3 posticas minus albas " 

 (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' pp. 222-223). Haworth also adds : " Either 

 this or albilinea, if memory deceives not, is the Phalcena tritici of the 

 Linnamn cabinet, but probably not of his works." This is another 

 well distributed variety in the British Isles, occurring freely on the 

 coast of Lancashire, near Sligo, at Deal, and in many other localities. 

 At Sligo, the red-brown forms appear to predominate over all others, 

 although the costal-streaked varieties albilinea and lineolata are more 

 abundant than the unstreaked forms. 



