IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 155 



Haworth as follows : " Alls griseis stigmatibus distantibus obsoletis 

 fuscis griseo cinctis, strigisque duabus obsoletis punctulorum fuscorum " 

 " Praecedente (junctus) minor, sed antennae magis pectinatse rachi ferru- 

 ginea radiis griseis. Alae anticse griseo-ferruginese punctis sparsis 

 baseos fuscis. Stigmata distantia, anticum parvum subinde obliteratum ; 

 posticum reniforme, et pone hoc ordo extus arcuatus punctulorum 

 minutorum fuscorum, alterque magis obsoletus ad marginein posticum. 

 Alae posticae fuscescentes. Femina magis obscura " (' Lepidoptera 

 Britannica,' pp. 123-124). This most common variety I have from 

 Hereford, Halstead (Essex), Epping, Eltham, Strood and many other 

 localities. 



8. var. rufa, mihi. This is the rarest variety of the species, and 

 I am indebted to Dr. Chapman for almost all my bright red (often quite 

 rosy) specimens. This form of variation is much rarer among the 

 females than the males. 



c. var. cruda, mihi. Hiibner's cruda (ambigua by error) is a dark 

 grey-brown form, with a reddish tint and distinct characteristic lines 

 and markings (fig. 173). I have a long series of this dark greyish- 

 brown form from Hereford. 



Tceniocampa, Gn., miniosa, Fab. 



This pretty species varies but little. The greyest specimens have 

 a slightly greenish tinge, and the reddest are very bright rosy. The 

 pale basal and elbowed lines frequently contain between them a redder 

 central area, and thus produce a banded form. The pale subterminal 

 line has frequently a transverse row of dark dots on its inner edge, 

 giving a clue to the origin of the wedge-shaped spots so characteristic 

 of certain species, and developed as black dots in certain varieties of 

 the allied species in Tceniocampa. There is also a trace of orange dots 

 outside the subterminal, suggesting the origin of the mottling fre- 

 quently found in pulverulenta and gothica. It is wonderful how dark 

 specimens become when rubbed or worn. I have never seen a naturally 

 dark variety, and, if such occur, they should be carefully examined to 

 see if such tendency is not really due to the absence of scales, which 

 causes the specimens to present, as it were, a pseudo-melanic tendency. 

 The hind wings of this species are pure white, with a transverse row of 

 dots or a wavy line, and a dark lunule. Sometimes the white is 

 tinged with a most lovely delicate rose colour. Humphrey and 

 Westwood write : " There is some difference in the tone, both of the 

 ground colour of the wings and of the strigae of this handsome species " 

 (' British Moths,' p. 137). The description of the type is as follows : 

 "Noctua Isevis, alis deflexis: strigis tribus undatis maculisque ordinariis, 

 miniaceis." " Statura omnino N. trapezince. Antennae pectinatae 

 ferruginese strigis tribus miniaceis. Versus marginem striga punctorum 

 nigrorum. Posticae albidae striga marginali f usca " (' Mantissa,' pp. 

 145-146). The following are the principal varieties : 

 1. Dull greenish-grey, with red central band = var. virgata. 

 2. Pale ochreous-grey, unicolorous = var. pallida. 

 3. Pale reddish, unicolorous = miniosa, Fab. 

 4. Pale reddish, with dark red central band = var. rubricosa, Esp. 



a. var. virgata, mihi. This variety has the basal and outer areas 

 of a pale grey with a greenish tint, which is especially noticeable 

 when the specimens are fresh. The central area, from the complete 

 basal line to the elbowed line, filled in with red, forming a distinct 



