IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 83 



the reniform. Esper's description is as follows : " Alis superioribus 

 cinerascenti-brunneis, stigmate ovali et reniformi dimidiato, albidis, 

 interjectis maculis duabus angustioribus nigris, strigis crenatis 

 albidis ; inferioribus albis " (' Die Schmet. in Abbildungen ' &c., 

 p. 490). Esper's figure (PI. 150, fig. 2) referring to this description 

 may be described as follows : " Anterior wings of a dull brown, 

 black between the pale stigmata and also beyond the orbicular ; 

 the elbowed line paler." Like obducta, this is not at all a common 

 form in Britain. I have seen but very few specimens. 



8. var. rufa, mihi. This is that form of the species in which the 

 whole of the ground colour is of a reddish tint. The transverse lines 

 fuscous and the stigmata pale, usually lined with black at their lower 

 extremities. The subterminal line paler than the ground colour. The 

 hind wings grey as in the other varieties. This is the ravida of 

 Hiibner, fig. 600 (not fig. 126), which has " the fore wings reddish 

 inclining to reddish-brown, with the costa slightly paler, the transverse 

 lines and stigmata as in the allied varieties. The hind wings pale grey 

 at the base, hind margin darker " (' Sammlung europaischer Schmet./ 

 fig. 600). I have a number of Yorkshire specimens chiefly of this red 

 variety. 



e. var. austera, Esp. This is described by Esper as: "Alis 

 deflexis fusco-brunneis, macula triangulari nigra, stigmate orbiculari 

 et reniformi pallidis in sitis " ('Die Schmet. in Abbildungen' &c., p. 

 452). Esper's PI. 142, fig. 5, to which this description refers, is of an 

 unicolorous reddish-brown with the stigmata outlined in greyish and 

 with a dark spot between the reniform and orbicular. This unicolorous 

 reddish form is not at all uncommon, although our specimens of this 

 coloration rarely have the dark spot between the stigmata. It is the 

 crassa of Haworth, which is described as follows : " Thorax perf uscus 

 antice rufescens. Alee basi, lineola nigra, vel atra, aliisque irregularibus 

 inter et circa stigmata ordinaria obsoleta. Stigma tertium imperf ectum 

 vel interdum omnino obliteratum. Ssepe strigse obsoletissimas palli- 

 diores ordinarise plurimaruin Noctuarum, fusco plus minus adnatae, 

 viz., una basi, altera ante, tertia pone stigmata quartaque juxta marginem 

 posticum pallida absque fusco. Alas posticas albidaa venis fimbriaque 

 fuliginosis. Exemplaria perpauca solum vidi " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' 

 p. 220). 



. var. suffusa, mihi. This is the darkest variety of the species 

 that I have seen. Anterior wings blackish-fuscous, with a short longi- 

 tudinal, black streak under base of median nervure ; the ordinary 

 transverse lines and stigmata very indistinct and almost unicolorous 

 with the rest of the wing. Hind wings rather darker than in the other 

 forms. 



There are also two varieties represented in the British Museum 

 collection not included in the above. These are : 



a. var. dandestina, Harr. Anterior wings obscurely marked, and 

 the costal area greyish and not red as in the type. 



j3. var. unicolor, nom. ? This is a Canadian form, almost typical, 

 with only the slightest tinge of red on the costal area. 



Agrotis, Och., fennica, Tausch. 



Tauscher, in the < Memoires de la Societe des Naturalistes de 

 Moscou,' vol. i., Plate 13, fig. 4, describes this species as follows : 



G2 



