IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 73 



obsolete ; posterior wings white with dusky nervures. Far. 2, radia, 

 $ . Anterior wings ashy-grey, with two large dusky spots upon the 

 costa, the first at the base, the other beyond the middle ; immediately 

 under the basal spot is an undulated black striga extending to the 

 inner margin ; anterior stigma obsolete, the teliform small, acute and 

 margined with black ; the posterior, large and reniform, also margined 

 with black ; united to the costal spot behind, are three black lines, 

 bifid towards the posterior margin, and a few undulations towards the 

 inner margin ; posterior wings ashy. This variety was bred by my 

 friend Mr. Chant, from a larva found at Colney Hatch. It changed 

 to a pupa on April 15th, and to the imago on the 28th of May 

 following. Far. 3, radiola, $ . Anterior wings fuscous, with an ashy 

 patch in the middle towards the costa, in which is placed the anterior 

 stigma, shuttle-shaped and margined with white ; posterior wings 

 fuscous, base cinereous. Far. 4, . Anterior wings fuscous, with an 

 ashy patch in the middle ; stigmata indistinct ; posterior wings 

 silvery white. I obtained this variety from the cabinet of Mr. Stone. 

 Far. 6, radia, $ . Anterior wings dark fuscous or blackish, anterior 

 stigmata small and shuttle-shaped, posterior large and reniform ; 

 behind which is a light brown waved striga ; posterior wings very 

 dark fuscous. The characters of the two supposed species are com- 

 pletely linked in the five varieties described above, which certainly 

 are but one variable species. Observation : It is singular that this 

 species should vary so much in the posterior wings in the same sex, as 

 shown in vars. 3, 4 and 5 ; I have not observed this in any other 

 species of the family." There is a great deal of variation in the hind 

 wings of this species. Most of the males have white hind wings, but 

 some have a dusky shade on the hind margin. In the females, 

 the wings vary from pure white to dark grey. The white form in 

 the female is, however, very rare. 



The forms, therefore, that have to be dealt with are : 

 1. Suffused with red = the type = puta, Hb. 



( Clear grey with basal mark, no central shade, orbicular stigma 

 <-> j indistinct or absent = renitens, $ , Hb. 



\ Dark grey, with basal area, stigmata and outer margin darker 



( = renitens, ? , Hb. 



i Grey, much reticulated with faint longitudinal lines = radius, 

 3. 1 $ , Haw. 



(^Brownish-grey, with central area paler = radiola, $ , St. 

 Grey, with transverse shade between orbicular and reniform 



= lignosa, , God. 

 Blackish-brown, with two black transverse bands = lignosa, $ , 



Godart. 



5. Greyish-black, much obscured markings = obscura, <$ . 

 6. Entirely black = nigra, J . 



With regard to the development of the central shade it must be 

 noticed, that, while in the type ( $ ) and var. lignosa ( $ ), the shade is 

 between the orbicular and reniform, in many specimens the dark shade 

 joins the dark costal spot in which the reniform is situated, and this 

 makes a continuous transverse band across the wing. I have forms 

 from Deal, exhibiting all these variations of character. The hind mar- 

 gin, too, varies, sometimes being very clear, at others much clouded 

 with fuscous. The var. obscura is a male, with the ordinary suffused 

 colouring of the female. 



4. 



