94: VARIETIES OF NOCTILE 



but they are most certainly in error. The species varies excessively, 

 from pale whitish-grey to intense black, with beautiful vinous-red, 

 and brown intermediate forms. The hind wings, too, vary from white 

 and the palest yellow, to black with no trace of yellow in them. 

 The varieties in England appear to follow those in Central and 

 Southern Europe and are restricted to very narrow limits. The Scotch 

 specimens are the most variable, and the perfectly melanic condition 

 of some specimens is very remarkable. Some of these Scotch varie- 

 ties were figured in the ' Entom.,' vol. xxii., belonging to Mr. Clark, 

 who wrote of them as follows : " In the autumn of last year I obtained 

 a series of the variable Forres form of this species, together with a 

 number of ova. These hatched, and I reared the larvae through the 

 late autumn on dock leaves (Rumex pratensis) in a warm room, thereby 

 avoiding the large percentage of loss which usually occurs when it is 

 attempted to hybernate them. On December 3rd, the first of the 

 specimens appeared, and the bulk of the remainder by the 15th, a few 

 stragglers lagging behind till the last week in January. The result 

 was a fine series, consisting of thirty-six specimens, the whole of which 

 were totally different from our usual southern forms, and, inter se, 

 they presented a very considerable difference, both in shade and 

 markings, as will be seen from the accompanying plate. 



" The series may be divided into four main groups, and a fifth, 

 containing varieties which can hardly be collated with any of the 

 other forms. They are as follows : 



" GROUP A. The pallid or clay-coloured form, which more nearly 

 resembles the typical South of England form than any other. This 

 is illustrated by two examples. Fig. A, 1, where we have the mark- 

 ings similar to the usual South of England type, but the coloration 

 intensified. Fig. A, 2, like fig. 1, but the fore wings much suffused 

 with reddish colour, and the lunules on the fore wings rufous. 

 GROUP B. Fig. B, 1. Fore wings rufous, with but indistinct mark- 

 ings ; the submarginal line is almost absent. Fig. B, 2. A more 

 intensified form of fig. 1, with the subterminal line very distinctly 

 marked. Fig. B, 3. This is a beautiful variety, the fore wings having 

 a rich, almost crimson, shade suffused over them ; the stigmata are 

 darker, and delicately edged with a golden line ; on the costa is a 

 dark spot, which at the first glance gives the insect the appearance of 

 a rufous type of Triphcena orbona, Hufn., = subsequa, Hb.* Closer 

 inspection, however, proves that it is a true T. comes. GROUP C. 

 Var. curtisii. This is a richly-coloured series, quite distinct from 

 either of the foregoing, the colours indeed reminding one rather of 

 Triphcena inter jecta, Hb., than the ordinary comes. Fig. c, 1. The 

 colours of the fore wings of this variety are a rich claret-red, with no 

 dark markings, even the stigmata being only indicated by outlines of 

 golden yellow ; the hind wings are quite smoky throughout, and the 

 black border very broad. Fig. c, 2. This is a still darker form, the 

 fore wings being a rich ruddy umber, almost black, on the hind and 

 inner margins, and the discoidal spots are clearly defined by fine 

 golden outlines. GROUP D. Fig. D, 1. In this variety the general 

 tone of the fore wings is as intense as that of c, 2, but the claret colour 



* This synonymy is wrong. Orbona, Hufn. = comes, Hb. not subsequa, Hb. 

 as recorded in Staudiuger's ' Catalog.' 



