IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 147 



lb. Grey, with well-marked strigse and complete row of dots on 



subterminal = var. ocularis, Frr. 



2. Grey, with central area reddish-brown = var. donasa, Esp. 

 3. Dark grey-brown = var. intermedia, St. 

 4. Black = var. nigra. 



a. var. obsoleta, mihi. This is the most obsoletely marked form of 

 the species, of a pale greyish colour, with the slightest trace of purplish; 

 the stigmata almost or quite obsolete, as are also the basal lines ; the 

 elbowed line, when at all distinguishable, very pale. 



13. var. ocularis, Freyer. This is that grey form in which the 

 markings are very strongly developed, and a complete row of dots is 

 found on the subterminal line. Freyer writes : " It is of the size of 

 N. lota. The ground colour is of a mouse-grey, something like that 

 of N. respersa. There is a dark basal line, and the stigmata are 

 surrounded with pale ochreous, the reniform being filled in with a 

 darker tint than the ground colour. A pale, transverse zigzag line 

 runs between the reniform and the fringe, whilst another line, 

 consisting of a series of blackish dots, is edged with paler. The hind 

 wings are pale grey." The figure which illustrates this description 

 has " the anterior wings ashy-grey, with an abbreviated, followed by 

 a complete fuscous basal line ; the reniform and orbicular with a pale 

 outer margin, whilst a dark fuscous median shade runs from the base 

 of the reniform to the inner margin ; the subterminal line is pale and 

 has a series of seven black dots on it. The median nervure, and those 

 nervures on the outer margin, pale. Hind wings dark-brown" 

 ('Beitrage zur Geschichte ' &c., pp. 168-169, pi. 95, fig. 2). 



y. var. donasa, Esp. This variety has the central area of the 

 wing, especially around the stigmata, filled in with reddish-brown. 

 Esper's diagnosis is: " Alis cinerascentibus nebulosis, maculis rufis, 

 striga marginal! albida." The figure to which this description refers 

 has "the anterior wings grey (slightly purplish), with the central 

 area reddish ; the inner margin and extreme base also reddish ; the 

 transverse lines and outline of reniform paler " (' Die Schmet. in 

 Abbildungen,' p. 264, pi. 52, fig. 7). I have two specimens of this 

 variety from Rannoch with wavy basal and elbowed lines, the space 

 around the stigmata filled in with reddish-brown and red-brown 

 shading almost to the subterminal line. 



8. var. intermedia, St. This is the darkest ordinary form of the 

 species which Stephens describes as : " Alis anticis griseo-fuscis, 

 fasciis tribus saturatioribus, annulis duobus strigisque ordinarris 

 pallidis, striga postica duplice ; antennis maris valdk pectinatis " 

 (' Illus. Haust.,' II., p. 140) ; whilst Humphrey and Westwood write 

 of it : " This species measures 1 inches in the expansion of the fore 

 wings, and is closely allied to the preceding species, from which, 

 however, the much more strongly pectinated antennas of the males 

 remove it; the fore wings are of a grey-brown colour, with three 

 darker fascise, the stigmal circles and ordinary strigae being pale, the 

 hinder striga is duplicated. The hind wings are dusky ash, with the 

 cilia slightly rosy. Found in Richmond Park, by Mr. Stephens" 

 (' British Moths,' p. 135). Of this dark grey-brown form intermediate 

 between the pale grey and the black form, I have specimens from 

 Hereford, Darlington, Burton-on-Trent and Derby, but the form is 

 rare, and I have been able to pick out only a few specimens of this 



