166 VARIETIES OF 



a. var. pallida, mihi. This variety is, so far as I know, the palest 

 form of the species. The anterior wings are pale greyish-ochreous, or 

 yellowish, the ordinary stigmata and transverse lines and short dark 

 costal streaks being just traceable in a faint reddish colour ; altogether 

 it is a most pale and unicolorous variety. My specimens have come 

 from Farnboro' in Kent. 



/3. var. serina, Esp. This is also a very pale variety, the ground 

 colour as in the preceding var. but with the stigmata, costal streaks, and 

 transverse lines more distinct. Esper's diagnosis is : " Alis deflexis, 

 superioribus lutescentibus, stigmatibus nigris, margine anteriori nigro 

 punctato, interiori ciliisque postici fulvis ; inferioribus cinereis," 

 whilst the figure to which this description refers may be described 

 as : " Ground colour pale yellowish, with the reniform outlined in 

 darker, the orbicular linear and blackish ; the transverse lines all trace- 

 able with short black lines on the costa where they commence " (' Die 

 Schmet. in Abbildungen,' p. 522, pi. 156, fig. 2). For my specimens of 

 this variety I am indebted to Mr. Alderson of Farnboro', Kent, but 1 

 notice that in them, in every instance, the reniform has a paler outline 

 with darker shading inside. Staudinger writes : " Al. ant. pallidissimis 

 fere unicoloribus " (' Catalog,' p. 116), a remark which applies better to 

 the previous form. 



y. var. obsoleta, mihi. The anterior wings of this pale reddish 

 variety have the markings almost obsolete. It is Haworth's pistadna, 

 of which he writes : " Noctua alis pallide ferrugineis, strigis quinque 

 obsoletissimis punctorum subfuscorum." " Precedent! (sphwrulatina) 

 nimis affinis, et forte mera ejus varietas. Strigas omnes obsoletissimse 

 et fere obliterates, at costa punctis validis f uscis, tribus in medio, quarto 

 apicem versus : punctisque duobus aliis oblongis loco stigmatum 

 divaricatorum. Posticaa fuscaa ciliis runs " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' 

 p. 231). This variety is much commoner than either of the preceding. 

 1 have specimens from Charlbury, Hartley Wintney, Farnboro', Frome 

 &c. Guenee writes of this variety : " It differs only from A (rubetra 

 Esp.) in that the wings are of a pale reddish instead of a bright fawn 

 colour (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 365). 



8. var. sphcerulatina, Haw. This is a well marked variety of 

 pistacina, which is described by Haworth as : " Noctua alis ferrugineis 

 strigis numerosis punctorum nigrorum." " Alas ferrugineaa costa fusco 

 punctata strigisque decem vel duodecim punctulorum fuscorum : viz. 

 una basi imperfecta, secunda ante medium gemiriata, quarta obscura a 

 stigmate postico : tune quinta uiidata geminata, et inter hanc et apices 

 ciliorum quatuor vel sex alias confertae, at regulares et asquidistantes. 

 Stigmata ordinaria oblonga divaricata, nigra, vel grisea. Alaa posticae 

 perfuscas ciliis runs" (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' pp. 230-231). This pale 

 red form with distinct markings is very common. 



e. var. ferrea, Haw. This is the unicolorous form in which the 

 anterior wings are of a bright almost red colour. Haworth's diagnosis 

 is: "Noctua alis saturatissime ferreis punctis sex nigris." " Alas 

 saturatissime ferrugineaa unicolores, rnaculis sex nigris exceptis, in 

 locis ipsis punctorum penultimaa (pistacina, Haw.) species. Posticas alas 

 iiigras ciliis runs " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' pp. 231-232). I would in- 

 clude under this varietial name, not only the specimens with the four 

 short, transverse costal streaks and two dark streaks in place of 

 the reniform and orbicular, but those which are still more obsolete and 

 in which these marks are not developed. This is a common form in 



