IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 55 



aquilina, and which stands in most collections as such. The true 

 aquilina is a duller, more obsoletely marked form and comparatively 

 rare in Britain. I have a long series of fictilis from Deal. Guenee 

 writes of fictilis : " It does not merit a varietal name, and only differs 

 from the type (aquilina), in having the stigmata more distinctly sepa- 

 rated, and the latter being preceded and followed by black. The 

 claviform stigma is filled in with the same colour. It is astonishing 

 how M. Boisduval has referred this variety to tritici " (' Noctuelles,' 

 vol. v., p. 289). It is more astonishing to me how aquilina was con- 

 sidered a distinct species, although Guenee was undoubtedly correct 

 in referring fictilis rather to aquilina, since it was considered a species, 

 than to tritici. The tritici of God art and Duponchel must undoubt- 

 edly be referred to this variety. It is " dull brown in colour, with a 

 distinct costal streak, two transverse basal streaks, one abbreviated, 

 the other nearly complete (except at costa) ; claviform black, orbicular 

 black-centred, reniforin of the ground colour. Between the reniform 

 and orbicular, a black patch, and between the orbicular and base, rest- 

 ing on orbicular, a black wedge-shaped spot. Hind wings dark grey, 

 base paler, dark nervures " (< Histoire naturelle ' &c., PI. 65, fig. 5). 



8. var. aquilina, Hb. The type of aquilina is represented by Hiibner's 

 fig. 135. " The anterior wings of a dull dark brown, of a still darker 

 shade just outside the reniform and between the stigmata ; a dark 

 streak under the median nervure at the base ; the costa pale brownish ; 

 five cuneiform spots parallel to the hind margin. Hind wings with 

 a dark marginal line, dark nervures and lunule " (' Sammlung 

 europaischer Schmet.' &c.). Hiibner's figs. 535 and 536, also called 

 aquilina, are entirely different forms of tritici. His figure 535 has the 

 anterior wings dull brown, with a broad yellowish costal streak ; 

 white median nervure ; two black costal dashes show the commence- 

 ment of the basal streak ; orbicular indistinct but paler, reniform also 

 paler, the space between these dark brown ; costa, at apex, dark 

 brown ; narrow elbowed line ; outer space beyond subterminal line 

 darker, with four cuneiform spots on subterminal. Hind wings white 

 with a slight ochreous shade on hind margin. The figure 536 of the 

 same work, must undoubtedly be referred to var. albilinea, Haw. 

 This dull and badly marked form is rather rare in England, although, 

 in the course of some years, I have taken several specimens at Deal. 



K. Ground colour blackish-brown. 



a. var. venosa, Stphs. " It differs from cuneigera in being more 

 dusky, in appearing more irrorated with dark specks, and having the 

 base of the anterior wings considerably varied with dark marks and 

 waves, the supplemental stigma is wanting, the dark spaces near the 

 ordinary stigma are here visible, a much- waved pale striga runs from 

 the hind part of the posterior stigma, and there is a sub-marginal un- 

 dulated striga preceded by black wedge-shaped marks ; the body and 

 hind wings are like those of cuneigera. Taken in Cumberland and near 

 Edinburgh, in July " (' Humphrey and Westwood's ' British Moths,' p. 

 120). It is considered as a var of cuneigera in this work. These 

 blackish-brown specimens are much more common in some localities 

 than others. At Deal, I have obtained some very fine forms which I 

 have never obtained elsewhere, but some of the varieties sent out by 

 the Aberdeen collectors are much like them, and must be included 

 under the same varietal name. 



