IK THE BttlTISli ISLANDS. 163 



series of dark oval patches filling up the space between the elbowed 

 and subterminal lines. Occasionally these three characteristic patches 

 are almost lost in the ground colour, whilst now and then, these mark- 

 ings are very dark and then become very striking. The claviform is 

 generally obsolete, the reniform and orbicular ochreous and usually dis- 

 tinct, the lower part of the reniform is frequently dark and shows in a 

 minor way, the more complete development found in lot a and maciienta. 

 duenee writes of it : " The number of names this species has received 

 is due to want of study on the part of different authors. Even Linnaeus 

 used two names. It varies very little " (* Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 364). 

 I do not think Guenee could have known much about the species, or he 

 would not have said that it varied very little. To me, it appears to 

 vary a great deal. The Linnasan description of the type is : " Bombyx 

 spirilinguis, alis runs : fasciis suffuscescentibus : postica latiore, subtus 

 rufescentibus " (' Systema Naturae,' x., p. 507). The chief forms are : 



1. Ochreous with greenish tinge, and three reddish fasciae = var. 



ochrea. 



la. Ochreous, with dark purplish bands = var. punica, Bork. 

 2. Dull reddish, with the fasciae indistinct, almost unicolorous = 



var. unicolor. 



2a. Dull reddish, with the three fasciae dark = helvola, Linn. 

 3. Bright red, fasciae indistinct, almost unicolorous = var. rufa. 

 3a. Bright red, fasciae distinct (tending to purplish) = var. rufina, 

 Linn. = catenata, Esp. 



a. var. ochrea, mihi. The anterior wings with the ground colour 

 ochreous and having a greenish tinge. This ground colour is broken 

 by three distinct transverse fascise of a reddish colour, one, between 

 the pale abbreviated and complete transverse lines, a second, in the 

 form of an angulated central transverse shade crossing the wing between 

 the stigmata, a third, between the pale elbowed and subterminal lines, 

 made up of a series of oval patches, the ochreous ground colour cutting 

 through the band on the nervures. The hind wings with the outer 

 area reddish, as in the type. My specimens have come from Beading, 

 Wolverton, Farnboro' (Kent), Sandburn, New Forest, Botherham and 

 Aberdeen. 



/3. var. unicolor, mihi. The anterior wings of an unicolorous 

 reddish tint, the characteristic fascia being but little distinguishable 

 from the ground colour. This form is comparatively rare. I have 

 specimens only from Wolverton, Derby, Brentwood and the New 

 Forest. This is really only an obsolete form of the same reddish 

 ground colour as the type. 



y. var. rufa, mihi. This is a bright red almost unicolorous form, 

 with the fasciae almost obsolete, and only just traceable as darker 

 lines. It bears the same relation to the bright red form, rujiiia, that 

 var. unicolor bears to the duller red type, helvola. I have specimens 

 of this variety from Aberdeen only. 



8. var. rufina, Linn. This is the most beautiful of all the helvola 

 vars. The anterior wings are of a rich red, with reddish-fuscous 

 fasciae inclining to purplish. The Linna3an description is : " Bombyx 

 spirilinguis, alis depressis runs : fasciis f uscescentibus : postica latiore, 

 subtus rufescentibus" ('Systema Natunu,' xii., p. 830). I have 

 specimens from Aberdeen and Reading. It is also, I believe, the 

 catenata of Esper. Esper's diagnosis is : Noctua spirilinguis sub- 



