IN TTIE BRITISH ISLANDS. 187 



Britain, (riienee erroneously refers this form to ruletra, Esp., and writes 

 of it : " Of a bright reddish fawn colour, almost unicolorous and with- 

 out markings, with the nervures concolorous ; the costa often white, 

 and always strongly marked with black at the origin of the lines ; the 

 two stigmata very narrow and well marked in blackish. It is one of the 

 most common and at the same time most constant varieties " ('Noctuelles,' 

 vol. v., p. 365). 



. var. lineola, Haw. This is a bright red form with well- 

 developed markings. Ha worth's diagnosis is: " Noctua alis satura- 

 tissime ferrugineis, strigis punctorum fasciisque duabus posticis fuscis." 

 " Prgecedentibus (pistacina, Haw.) nimis affinis, et forte varietas ; at 

 alee longe saturations sunt. Strigas duaa obsoletissimas punctorum 

 fuscoruui ante stigmata divaricata oblonga : striga tertia a stigmate 

 postico : tune fascia obsoletissima saturatior, aliaque in ipso margine. 

 Camera ut in penultima (spJicerulatina), at stigmata obsoletiora et fusco- 

 brunnea" (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 231). This appears to be 

 (next to the last), the most common form of the species in Britain. I 

 have specimens from Nottingham, Frome, Chester, Sligo, Hartley 

 Wintney, Bromley and Farnboro' (Kent). 



17. var. rubetra, Esp. This is a sub- variety of ferrea almost as 

 unicolorous as that variety, but with the extreme costal margin white. 

 Esper's diagnosis is : "Alis deflexis superioribus fulvis, punctis albis 

 marginis anterioris, striis punctisque disci nigris ; inferioribus cinereis, 

 fulvo marginatis." The figure to which this refers may be described 

 as : " Anterior wings bright red, with darker nervures and short dark 

 costal streaks, which are not continued into transverse lines in the 

 basal area ; the orbicular dark inside, the reniform 8-shaped with two 

 black centres ; the elbowed and subterminal lines dark ; central shade 

 developed " ('Die Schmet. in Abbildungen,' p. 523, PL 156, iigs. 314). 

 Staudinger says of this : " Al. ant. fere unicoloribus run's " (' Catalog,' 

 p. 116). This is hardly correct, and applies much more readily to var. 

 ferrea. 



9. var. lyclinidis, Fab. Of this variety Guenee writes : " The 

 principal character of this variety is in having the nervures well- 

 marked in pale ; yet, according to Fabricius, these ought not to pass 

 beyond the elbowed line. The fact is, it is almost the same form as 

 the type, but its colour is more ferruginous. This is the greatest 

 difference " (< Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 365). This very bright red form 

 with pale nervures I have so far found rare in Britain and have only 

 specimens from Farnborough. 



i. var. unicolor-brunnea, mihi. This variety is of a distinct dull 

 brownish hue, with scarcely any trace of red in the ground colour. It 

 is a parallel variety to the obsolete forms pallida, unicolor and ferrea. 

 I have it from Charlbury, Nottingham &c. 



K. var. brunnea, mihi. This variety also has the anterior wings of 

 a brown tint, with distinct costal streaks, stigmata and transverse lines, 

 thus forming a parallel variety to vars. spJicerulatina and lineola. 



A. var. venosji, Haw. This is the commonest of the brown forms 

 so far as my experience enables me to judge. Haworth's diagnosis 

 is : Noctua alis sordide ferrugineis strigis duabus pallidioribus ; 

 margine postico late fuscescente venis ferrugineis obsolete intersecto " 

 " Priced entibus (ferrea) simillima at distincta. Ala3 anticaa puncto 

 imperfecto basi, tune striga obsoleta pallida ante, alteraque arcuata 

 pone stigmata oblonga obsoleta divaricata fulvo-cincta. Pone has 



