IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 70 



margin and enclosing the orbicular stigmata. The transverse shade 

 then coalesces with the quadrate spot between the stigmata 

 (characteristic of ashworthii] and forms a blackish-brown band extending 

 to the complete basal line. The subterminal line also is generally 

 well developed in the banded form. A good figure of this variety may 

 be found in Newman's ' British Moths,' p. 337, fig. 2. 



Agrotis, Och., lucernea, Linn. 



The type of this species is thus described by Linn ce us : " Noctua 

 spirilinguis laevis, alis cinereis immaculatis : strigis tribus repandis 

 albidis, collari bifido." " Alee absque macula, complanatae, fere canse ; 

 collare erectum cordis instar bifidum " (< Systema Naturae', Editio x., p. 

 510). This almost unicolorous whitish-grey form, with no stigmata, 

 and three pale transverse strigse, is not at all a common form in Britain. 

 Koughly speaking, our specimens are generally either (1). Dark 

 unicolorous leaden grey = renigera, St. (2). Pale grey with a dark 

 central band = cataleuca, Bdv. (3). Grey much speckled with ochreous 

 (renigera, H. and Wd.). The specimens obtained in the South of 

 England and the Isle of Wight are much paler than those from 

 Aberdeen and other Scotch localities, although naturally, there are 

 intermediate forms where they overlap. The extremes, however, are 

 distinct, the pale typical form, obtained in the Isle of Wight being 

 practically absent in Scotland, whilst the darkest Scotch form (renigera, 

 St.) rarely occurs in the Isle of Wight. 



a. var. cataleuca, Bdv. This only differs from the type in having 

 a well-developed dark, central, transverse shade between the positions 

 of the orbicular and reniform stigmata, the latter being almost entirely 

 obsolete. 



/?. var. renigera, St. This would appear to be the ordinary dark 

 Scotch form of lucernea with the ground colour blackish-grey, the 

 transverse lines, median shade and outer margin being still darker. 

 Stephens' description is: "This species varies from 1| to 1^ inch in 

 the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a blackish-grey colour, 

 varied more or less distinctly with darker markings and irrorations ; 

 the base of the wing is dark, and has a slender pale fascia preceding 

 the very much curved and lunulated pale strigse, margined with 

 dusky, before the place of the anterior stigma, which is obsolete ; 

 the middle of the wing is occupied by a dusky bar, broadest towards 

 the costa and oblique behind, in which appears, but indistinctly, the 

 hinder stigma ; then follows a curved row of dark arches pointed 

 outwardly, but often very indistinct, with an irregular rather broad 

 dusky subapical fascia, and a row of indistinct apical brownish lunules. 

 The hind wings with the base paler, and the anal angle greyish. The 

 female is much more strongly marked than the male, and has the cilia 

 of the hind wings pale ochre, whilst in the male it is pale brown. 

 This is a rare but widely dispersed species, occurring in July, in 

 Derbyshire, Westmoreland, and near Forfar" (Humphrey and 

 Westwood's < British Moths,' p. 126). This is the form known 

 (erroneously of course) on the Continent as latens, St., which is 

 undoubtedly referable to simulans. 



7. var. renigera, Humph, and Westd. Humphrey and Westwood 

 )opy Stephens' description of renigera, but their figures 2 and 3, Plate 

 xxv, exhibit a very different form, the anterior wings being ochreous, 

 he transverse strigse, median shade, and subterminal shade dark 



