100 VARIETIES OF NOCTTLffl 



total absence to well-developed, strongly marked, transverse lines and 

 stigmata. Newman says of the variation in this species : " In different 

 specimens, the fore wings vary in general colour, from pale wainscot- 

 brown to rich umber-brown, and occur with almost every intermediate 

 shade ; the discoidal spots are generally clearly defined, the circum- 

 scription being paler than the ground colour ; in some specimens, the 

 orbicular is entirely pale ; there are many transverse lines, some 

 darker and some paler, but these are very variable and inconstant ; 

 there is, however, a pale line parallel with the hind margin almost 

 invariably present, and adjoining the upper or costal extremity of this 

 is a double black spot. The hind wings are orange-yellow without a 

 discoidal spot, but having a narrow waved black band parallel to the 

 hind margin ; the head and thorax are of the same colour as the fore 

 wings, the body paler and inclining to reddish-yellow towards the 

 tip : on the last segment but one is a transverse black spot. In a 

 beautiful variety, in which the fore wings are much variegated, the 

 head and collar are pale brown" (' British Moths,' p. 342). In this 

 species the variation is of a distinctly Agrotid character. There are 

 two forms, one, almost unicolorous, the other, with a pale costa, a dark 

 quadrate spot between the reniform and orbicular stigmata, extending 

 as a wedge-shaped mark beyond the orbicular, inner part of reniform 

 dark, and dark marbling under these stigmata. This is only clearly 

 seen in the darker forms, where the costa and transverse lines retain 

 the ground colour and stand out distinctly from the darker shading 

 surrounding these paler markings. These paler areas and markings 

 (costa, &c.) are generally grey or ochreous, sometimes standing out 

 conspicuously, at other times gradually blending with the darker areas, 

 and hence approach the intermediate forms. 



The following is an attempt to classify the various forms : 



1. Pale greyish, almost unicolorous = pronuba, Linn. 



2. Greyish-ochreous, almost unicolororous = var. ochrea. 



3. Keddish-ochreous, almost unicolorous = var. rufa. 



4. Eed-brown, almost unicolorous = var brunnea. 



4a. Ked-brown, with ochreous costa, dark space between stigmata, 



&c. = sub- var. ochrea-brunnea. 

 4b. Ked-brown, with greyish costa, dark space between stigmata, &c. 



= sub- var. grisea-brunnea. 



5. Black-brown, almost unicolorous = var. innuba, Tr. 

 5a. Black-brown, with ochreous costa, dark space between stigmata, 



&c. = sub-var. ochrea-innuba. 

 5b. Black-brown, with greyish costa, dark space between stigmata, 



&c. = sub-var. grisea-innuba. 



6. Slaty-grey, almost unicolorous = var. ccerulescens. 

 6a. Slaty-grey, with dark reniform, dark space between stigmata, 



&c. = sub-var. distincta-ccerulescens. 

 7. With a black lunule on hind wings = var. Jtoeget, H.-S. 



The variety hoegei of Herrich-Schaffer is peculiar in having a 

 black lunular spot on the hind wing. This is rare, and shows a 

 tendency in this species to produce what is normal in another closely 

 allied one (orbona) ; the opposite condition is also occasionally found, 

 i.e. orbona in its var. connuba follows typical pronuba in having no such 

 lunule. Guenee writes : "Innuba, Tr., which German authors have 

 for a long time considered to have a distinct larva, divides itself between 



