1.64: VARIETIES OF NOCTUvE 



cristata, alis deflexis fulvescenti-rufis stigmatibus flavescentibus, 

 macula intermedia fusco-rufa, postice fascia saturatiore, punctis con- 

 catenatis nigris terminata" (* Die Schmet. in Abbildungen ' &c., 

 p. 327). The figure to which this description refers has " the anterior 

 wings bright red, with dark basal line and outline to orbicular, reni- 

 forin dark outlined in paler, two rows of dots take the place of the 

 elbowed and subterminal lines, the nervures pale on the outer margin" 

 (I.e., pi. 123, fig. 1). 



t. var. punica, Bork. This has a yellowish ground colour 

 with dark bands. Borkhausen writes : " Ground colour yellowish 

 with purplish brown bands ; not far from the base is a red- 

 dish-brown band, bordered on both sides by a yellowish-brown 

 line ; then follow the ordinary stigmata outlined in yellowish ; the 

 orbicular is scarcely noticeable, the reniform is more distinct and in 

 its lower part filled with blackish ; it also interrupts the brown central 

 shade which forms an angle at the point of interruption ; the reniform 

 is followed by a second reddish-brown band, with yellow margins and 

 bordered on both sides by a row of elongated dark brown chain-like 

 spots, which have a yellow tinge ; on the outer margin runs a row 

 of blackish-brown spots ; the fringes are of the ground colour. The 

 hind wings are ashy-grey with a darker band and yellowish ( ? reddish) 

 hind margin " (' Naturgeschichte ' &c., p. 687, No. 300). I have 

 specimens from Kannoch, Reading and the New Forest. 



Anchocelis, Och., pistacina, Fab. 



This species in the range of its variation ranks with Agrotis tritici 

 and Tceniocampa instdbilis, and, like the former species, our early 

 authors separated this into a great number of what they considered 

 distinct species. Of its general variation, Humphrey and West wood 

 write : " This most variable insect measures from 1 J to 1-J inches in 

 the expanse of the fore wings, which vary from pale rufescent-buff 

 or stone colour, to bright fulvous-red, varied with grey shades. In 

 some specimens, the ordinary strigee and other markings are almost 

 obsolete ; whilst in others, they are distinct, consisting of a small 

 blackish dot near the base of the wing, followed by an oblique striga 

 formed of pale scallops, edged with blackish but becoming obsolete 

 towards the costa, which is, however, marked with two dots indi- 

 cating its place. This is succeeded by the anterior stigma, which 

 is very small, and forms an oblique blackish short line ; the other 

 stigma is much larger, but rather narrower and oblique in the opposite 

 direction ; to its inner edge is united a curved striga formed of small 

 dark scallops terminating in a black dot on the costa half-way below 

 the stigmata ; another black stigmal dot is placed in front of the 

 second stigma, beyond which is a slightly curved pale striga edged 

 before and behind with dusky scallops, followed by another sub-margi- 

 nal, pale, very indistinct striga indicated by black dots, and by a black 

 patch on the costa ; the extreme margin of the wing is also marked 

 with a row of black dots. Such is the variety represented in PI. 28, 

 fig. 6, whilst fig. 4 represents another variety, in which most of these 

 markings may be traced, appearing, however, only in a grey shade 

 upon the red-brown ground colour of the wing; whilst fig. 5 repre- 

 sents another beautiful variety, in which the ground colour is bright 

 red-brown, with nearly all the markings obliterated, except those of 

 the costa and the stigmata" ('British Moths,' pp. 138-131)); whilst 



