IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 121 



the pale stigmata, but sometimes produced into a transverse shade ; 

 the paler elbowed line edged with darker ; the subterminal line pale ; 

 the space between the latter and elbowed line darker, and frequently 

 mottled with transverse rows of minute dots. My specimens are from 

 Chattenden (Kent), Rannoch and Perth. This var. I certainly believe to 

 be the conflua of Herrich-Schaffer, who says that his conflua is larger 

 and broader winged than f estiva, which is exactly the opposite to what 

 is really the case with true conflua. It is marvellous how much like 

 bright specimens of N. rubi, some of these vars. of festiva really are. 

 The conflua of Herrich-Schaffer would appear to be a reddish-ochreous 

 almost brownish-ochreous form of festiva, for he writes : " Often 

 larger, with broader fore wings and brighter ochreous and reddish- 

 brown mixture." " Fusco-testacea, umbra media et area tertia ante 

 lineam undulatam versus marginem anteriorem ferrugineis." "It 

 comes very near bella (rubi), but the pectinated antennae of the male 

 leave no doubt as to the specific difference. The fore wings increase 

 in width towards the outer margin, which is especially noticeable in 

 the female, where the margin appears more wavy and the apex much 

 more acute. The colour does not approach violet-red so much, but is 

 more yellow-brown. Between the two basal lines (abbreviated and 

 complete) is a black dot. The outer subterminal line runs somewhat 

 obliquely towards the inner margin. Of the claviform, only the black 

 dot at the end is visible" (' Systematische Bearbeitung' &c., Supp., 

 p. 358). 



/3. var. rufo-virgata, mihi. With the ground colour of the anterior 

 wings as in the last, but with the basal area paler ochreous, and also 

 the extreme outer margin beyond the subterminal line, the area 

 between the central transverse shade and the subterminal line being 

 darker red, and forming a sort of transverse band. My specimens of 

 this form have come from Perth, Liverpool and Chattenden. 



y. var. mendica, Fab. As in the previous vars, but with two dark 

 quadrate spots, sometimes almost black, but generally dark red, one 

 between the stigmata, the other beyond the orbicular. Fabricius' diag- 

 nosis is : " Noctua cristata,alis deflexis pallida incarnatis; macula media 

 fusca stigmatibus flavis " (' Mantissa,' p. 168, No, 221). My specimens 

 have come from Hampstead, Farnboro' (Kent), Carlisle, Perth, Pitcaple, 

 Chattenden and Shooter's Hill Woods. This is festtva var. ft of 

 Haworth, who writes : " Alis magis ferrugineis basin rersus minus 

 pallidis, strigis ordinariis posticis distinctioribus, maoula atra jam 

 trigona, jam subrhombea ante, alteraque quadrata inter >tigmata ; alis 

 posticis fere fuscis striga pone medium saturatiore ; caBtoris ut in a " 

 (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 227). 



C. Ground colour yellow-ochreous. 



a. var. ignicola, H.-S. Anterior wings yellow-ochreuus, with the 

 transverse lines fuscous ; the stigmata pale, with only the faintest 

 traces of a darker central transverse shade and dark coloration between 

 them, the elbowed and subterminal lines edged externally with 

 darker. I have specimens from Aberdeen, Chattenden and Hampstead. 

 This is one of the commonest forms of festiva. Herrich-Schaffer's 

 figure is a small one, more like some of the moorland specimens than 

 our larger southern forms. It is of a pale yellowish colour, with a 

 slight reddish tinge between the central shade and subterminal line " 

 (* Systematische Bearbeitung,' fig. 455). 



