168 VARIETIES OP KOCTtLS 



which Duponchel calls Icevis, he writes : " The superior wings vary 

 from yellowish-grey to ferruginous, but, whatever the shade of the 

 ground colour, the designs are always the same, &c." " The sexes 

 differ neither in colour, nor markings " (' Histoire naturelle ' &c., vi., 

 pi. 76, fig. 5, p. 65). 



c. var. variegata, mihi. The ground colour of the anterior 

 wings bright red, as in var. rufa, but with a distinct ochreous transverse 

 band running parallel to the hind margin. It occurs with var. rufa. 

 This would appear to be the var. B of Guenee, who writes : " This is 

 the opposite to congener, Gey.; it is of a brick red almost unicolorous, 

 but with the subterminal more continued and much enlarged 

 and widened ; the stigmata are as distinct as in var. congener " 

 (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 161). My specimens came from Aberdeen. 



. var. nigrescens, mihi. This is the darkest form of the species, 

 It is of a deep blackish-red, the black being sometimes much more pro- 

 nounced. The whole appearance of the variety is most sombre. The 

 markings are indistinct and merge into the ground colour. I have 

 specimens varying from deep dull sombre blackish-red to one speci- 

 men almost entirely black. I am indebted almost entirely to the Scotch 

 collectors for this darkest form, although I have it from Thome Moor 

 in Yorkshire, and I believe, it occurs occasionally with the other vars. 

 in Askham Bog. 



77. var. nigrescens-variegata, mihi. This is the form of suspecta, 

 in which var. nigrescens exhibits the transverse band in connection 

 with the subterminal line as in vars. variegata and congener. Again I 

 find myself indebted entirely to the Aberdeen collectors for all the 

 specimens I have of this variety. 



B. var. iners, Dup. I agree with Guenee in throwing out 

 Treitschke's description, as I am totally unable to apply it to this 

 species. Duponchel's figure is of a greyish ochreous, darker on the 

 costa, and a very little more ochreous on the outer and inner margins ; 

 the reniform and orbicular distinctly outlined, transverse lines 

 distinct" ('Histoire naturelle' &c., pi. xxvii., fig. 2A). I have 

 specimens from Pitcaple, varying to almost pure ochreous. 



i. var. grisea, mihi. Of this dark grey form with no tinge 

 of red, I have seen but few specimens in Britain. Duponchel's vol. iv., 

 pi. 27, fig. 26, represents this grey form. The anterior wings dark 

 grey, with the stigmata and transverse lines indistinct, and almost 

 lost in the general ground colour. This is a decidedly rare variety. I 

 have one specimen from Askham, and one or two others from Aberdeen. 



Dyschorista, Ld., fissipuncta, Haw. (ypsilon, Bkh.). 



This is a species which varies but little, and, with a short series, 

 a lepidopterist might readily form the idea that it does not vary at all. 

 This, however, is not so, as, besides the ordinary pale grey specimens, 

 a few specimens are reddish- ochreous and a still smaller proportion 

 blackish ; whilst a mottled variegated form occurs, which, in its extreme 

 forms is with difficulty recognised as this species. The stigmata offer 

 in this species the most striking forms of variation. The orbicular 

 and reniform are generally placed well apart, and separated in their 

 upper parts by a dark triangular patch, but at the lower parts they 

 shew a tendency to coalesce, and frequently the orbicular extends at its 

 lower end into a pale longitudinal patch running for a short distance 

 along the median nervure to join the reniform. The peculiar way in 



