IN THE BRITISH ISLAHDS. 149 



v., p. 348). The type of this species is described as follows: 

 " Phalcena. Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis deflexis superioribus 

 fuscescentibus : arcu nigro linea alba marginato." " Alse in medio 

 arcu nigro extrorsum verso, niargine undique albo, oum adjecto puncto 

 nigro ad latus interius " (' Systema Naturae,' v., p. 516). My specimens 

 of the dark type have come from Hereford, Darlington, Morpeth, 

 Nottingham, Warrington and Chesham. 



The following is an attempt to classify the various forms : 

 1. Pale whitish-grey, with distinct black gothica-mark = var. 



pallida. 

 2. Dark grey, mottled with paler, and with a dark gro^/ca-mark var. 



variegata. 

 2a. Dark grey, mottled with paler, with pale or obsolete 0o^'ca-mark 



= sub-var. obsoleta-variegata. 



3. Dark blackish-grey, with dark ^o^eca-mark = gothica, Linn. 

 3a. Dark blackish-grey, with pale or obsolete gothica-maxls: = sub-var. 



obsoleta. 

 4. Pale reddish-grey, generally mottled, with dark gro^'ea-mark = 



var. rufescens. 

 4a. Pale reddish-grey, with pale or obsolete gothica-msrk = sub-var. 



obsoleta-rnfescens. 



5. Unicolorous reddish, with, dark gothica-m&rk = var. suffusa. 

 5a. Keddish, with pale or obsolete #o^'ca-mark = sub-var. gothicina, 



H.-S. 



6. Bright red with dark gothica-maxk = var. rufa. 

 6a. Bright red, with pale or obsolete gothica-m&rk = sub-var. obsoleta- 



rufa. 

 7. Deep red-brown (with purplish tinge), with dark gothica-maxk. 



= var. brunnea. 



a. var. pallida, mihi. This, the palest variety of the species, has 

 the ground colour whitish-grey, with a few darker marblings ; the 

 characteristic grotAfca-mark passing under the orbicular being blackish 

 or dark reddish-brown. Occasionally, some specimens have this 

 ordinarily dark mark of a pale colour and almost unicolorous with the 

 rest of the wing, forming sub-var. obsoleta-pallida. My specimens of 

 var. pallida have come from Morpeth. I once saw a specimen of the 

 var., bred by Mr. A. E. Hall of Sheffield. 



P. var. variegata, mihi. In this variety the whitish-grey ground 

 colour is rather darker grey, some of the specimens being very much 

 mottled with paler, especially about the central area and subterminal 

 line. The characteristic grotfMca-mark is well-developed, and it is very 

 rarely that a specimen is captured with this mark reduced completely 

 to the ground colour. Such, however, do occur, and form sub-var. 

 obsoleta-variegata. I have a specimen from Kannoch. My specimens 

 of var. variegata have come from Darlington, Morpeth, Chesham, 

 Strood, Warrington and Hereford. 



y. var. obsoleta, mihi. The sub-var. obsoleta has the same dark 

 blackish-grey coloration that characterises the type, but is without 

 the dark reddish-brown or blackish 0o^ca-mark around the orbicular. 

 A dark blackish form of this species with this mark obsolete is very 

 rare. I have only one specimen which was captured and given to me 

 by Mr. Milburn of Darlington. 



8. var. rufescens, mihi. This pale reddish-grey form varies con- 



