162 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



(' Sammhmg enrop. Schmet.,' fig. 418). The flarilmea of Ha worth is 

 also the type. His diagnosis is : " Noctua alis rufescentibus, striga 

 postica obliqua rectissima flavicante intus rufa, punctoque basi f usco." 

 " Simillima precedenti (cerasi). Antennae maris hirto pectinate, nee 

 radiis validis. Alse antics minus venose. Stigmata ordinaria magis 

 distantia et lente obsolete flavicantia, basi postici saspe fusco. Striga 

 postica magis recta, magisque flava, sed ad costam obsoletior et parum 

 geniculata. Alas posticas longe saturatiores, barba abdominis ciliisque 

 magis runs " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 243). The following 

 appear to be the principal forms : 



1. Pale straw colour, with distinct central dot = var. straminea. 

 la. Pale straw colour, without distinct central dot = var. obsoleta- 



straminca. 

 2. Deep yellowish or reddish-ochreous, with central dot = macilenta, 



Hb. 

 2a. Deep yellowish or reddish-ochreous, without central dot = var. 



obsoleta. 



a. var. obsoleta, mihi. Of the same dark yellow-ochreous colour 

 as the type, but without the characteristic black spot which is developed 

 in the lower part of the reniform. It appears to be found in most 

 localities with the type. I have it from Frome, Aberdeen, Bristol, 

 Clevedon, Sligo, Reading etc. I certainly have only the type from 

 other localities, but do not think it betokens the absence of the 

 variety. 



/?. var. straminea, mihi. This variety differs from the type in 

 having the ground colour very much paler. The markings are as in 

 the type, and the characteristic black spot is present in the reniform. 

 I have specimens from Clevedon, Bucks, Sligo, Hartley Wintney, 

 Bristol, Aberdeen and Frome. A sub- var. of straminea (-obsoleta} occurs, 

 in which the characteristic black spot is absent. I have such specimens 

 from Farnboro' (Kent), Hartley Wintney, Aberdeen, Reading and 

 Clevedon. This sub-variety appears to be the rarest form of the 

 species. 



Anchocelis, Gn. 



Of our British species, Guenee places lielvola, pistacina, lunosa and 

 litura in this genus, whilst Staudinger restricts it to lunosa, placing the 

 other species in Ortliosia. The two species, pistacina and lunosa, vary 

 much, and are peculiar in having strongly marked longitudinal 

 striations, which, almost typical in lunosa, are sometimes entirely 

 absent both in that species and in pistacina, and at other times as 

 strongly marked in pistacina as in the former species, the third species, 

 litura, appears never to have this form. Another peculiar character 

 of our three species left in the genus is the development of the tiny 

 black costal streak at the commencement of the subterminal line. 

 A. pistacina is by far the most variable species in the genus. 



Anchocelis, Gn., lielvola, Linn. 



This beautiful species had two names given to it by Linnasus, hekola 

 (the older) and rufina (the one in more common use). It is an exceed- 

 ingly variable species, and the bright red of some specimens is very 

 striking. In all its forms of variation, however, there are three fixed 

 characters : (1) a dark basal patch between the abbreviated and 

 complete basal lines, (2) an angulated central fascia, (3) a transverse 



