66 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJB5 



/?. var. horlorum, Stphs. This is also considered as a var. of 

 cuneigera in Humphrey and Westwood's ' British Moths,' where we 

 read : " Fore wings deep dusky ash, with four transverse paler strigae, 

 the three anterior of which are edged with dusky and placed nearly as 

 in tritici, but the posterior one is less undulated, and has a row of 

 elongated dusky or black streaks attached to the anterior edge as in 

 cuneigera ; on the hinder margin is a row of minute black spots ; the 

 usual stigmata are faintly rufescent and margined with black ; the third 

 is very slender, and the black margins alone are visible ; the posterior 

 wings are fuscous, with the nervures and margin darker. Body deep 

 fuscous. Taken in August, at Whittlesea Mere." It must be borne 

 in mind that these forms with the cuneiform spots well developed, but 

 with no pale costa, were looked upon as distinct but allied species, by 

 our early authors, and that, of these, cuneigera v, r as treated as the type, 

 as having these characteristic streaks more distinctly developed. The 

 forms are not uncommon in many British localities. 



y. var. nigro-fusca, Esp. Esper's diagnosis of this variety is as 

 follows : " A. spirilinguis cristata, alis superioribus fuscis, margine 

 crassiore dillusiori, stigmatibus ordinariis, minimis albidis, macula 

 rhomboidea intermedia, strigaqiie baseos nigris ; inferioribus albidis, 

 limbo nigricante "(' Die Schmet. in Abbildungen ' &o., p. 383). His 

 figure 6, PI. 127, is of a dull purplish-brown with a pale costa ; a large 

 wedge-shaped black spot contains the reniform and pale orbicular ; 

 the lower half of a transverse, black, basal streak is traceable ; also a 

 pale central longitudinal line ; a transverse row of linear marks where 

 cuneiform spots are generally developed. Hind wings dark grey. 

 This dark form in which the transverse markings are but ill-developed 

 is found occasionally in all localities, but is nothing like so generally 

 distributed as are the fuscous and reddish-brown varieties. I have 

 specimens from Deal, the Lancashire coast and Aberdeen coast. All 

 these dark blackish-brown specimens have a purplish gloss on them, 

 the black group (L) being also well tinged with the same shade. 



8. var. gypcetina, Gn. This would appear from Guenee's description 

 to be a variety of this species. His description is : " Superior wings 

 of a brownish-black, tinted slightly with violet, with the costa broadly 

 white from the base almost to the angulated line, broken by black 

 streaks which form the commencement of the transverse lines ; base 

 of the median nervure equally white ; the two stigmata concolorous 

 in the centre, but preceded, separated and followed by black. The 

 three first lines paler (almost white) than the ground colour, especially 

 the abbreviated and complete basal lines, which are much angulated 

 except at the top ; the subterminal line, preceded by small cuneiform 

 streaks, almost absent. Inferior wings white, with the edge and ner- 

 vures strongly powdered with blackish " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 290). 

 This description, taken from two fine male specimens captured at 

 Monte Video, would appear to belong to this species, and appears to 

 be not unlike some of the darker varieties captured in Britain. This 

 fine and distinctly marked variety is not very common in most locali- 

 ties, although I have received very well marked specimens from the 

 Aberdeen and Lancashire coasts, and have occasionally taken them at 

 Deal. 



L. Ground colour black, 

 a. var. nigra, mini. Absolutely black varieties of tritici are rare, 



