170 VARIETIES OF NOCTILS2 



due, perhaps, to the direct contrast of the pale nervures with the 

 ground colour. The anterior wings are brownish-grey with distinctly 

 paler nervures, the stigmata and transverse lines distinct, the sub- 

 terminal line pale, bordered inside with a row of dots, which is very 

 variable as to the number developed. The hind wings of the males 

 are whitish, of the females darker. I have specimens from Deal, 

 Sligo and Bournemouth. This would appear to be the humilis of 

 Humphrey and West wood who write: "The fore wings are of an 

 ochre-brown, with the costa and veins whitish " (' British Moths,' 

 p. 139). 



y. var. rufa, mihi. The red form of lunosa without pale nervures 

 is the type ; the red form with pale nervures is var. rufa. This appears 

 from my collection to be rarer than the type, as I have only specimens 

 from Sligo and Bournemouth. I presume, however, this is apparent 

 only, and that both forms are really equally common. 



8. var. brunnea, mihi. A very strong development of var. rufa is 

 found, in which the bright red colour becomes developed into a deep, 

 dark red-brown, but still retains the pale nervures. I have specimens 

 from Sligo, Bournemouth, Deal and Waterford. 



e. var. neurodes, H.-S. This variety would appear to be a slight 

 modification of var. brunnea, in which the red-brown of that variety 

 and the blackish-grey of var. agroto'ides are somewhat combined. 

 Herrich-Schaffer's figure may be described as : " Anterior wings very 

 dark grey-brown with the nervures white and fine ; the abbreviated 

 and complete basal lines pale, edged with black ; the orbicular indis- 

 tinct, the reniform dark inside ; a central shade from costa to inner 

 margin ; the elbowed line edged with black internally ; a black apical 

 mark on costal termination of subterminal line ; outer margin paler. 

 Posterior wings grey, with a transverse row of dark dots near 

 outer margin followed by a dark transverse shade and dark lunule " 

 (' Systematische Bearbeitung' &c., pi. 94, fig. 289 (89 by error). 

 This is the subjecta (fig. 3a) of Duponchel, which, however, has slaty 

 nervures, not white ones. 



. var. agroto'ides, Gn. This is the most extreme dark form of 

 lunosa. Guenee considers his agroto'ides and lunosa synonymous, and 

 writes : " We may consider as the type those specimens of which the 

 superior wings are grey-black, with the nervures marked distinctly in 

 pale yellowish, the two stigmata filled in with black " (' Noctuelles,' 

 vol. v., p. 367). This is one of the commonest forms in Britain. My 

 specimens have come from Portland, Deal, Bournemouth, Winchfield, 

 Waterford and Sligo. 



Anchocelis, Gn., litura, Linn. 



This species is subject to very little variation in Britain, the limit 

 in the way of colour being between a dark fuscous red and a bright 

 red, whilst the basal area is sometimes paler than at others. It is par- 

 ticularly constant for a member of an otherwise variable genus. The 

 Linnaaan description of the type is as follows : " Ph. Noctua Utura 

 spirilinguis cristata, alis canis fascia fusca liturisque quatuor margin- 

 alibus nigris." " Statura Ph. gothica sed minor. Alse superiores cana3 

 lituris quatuor, marginalibus, transversis, nigris, asquali spatio 

 remotis ; harum 1 ad basin ala? ; 2 connexa cum oppositse alaa 

 lineola undulata nigricante ; 2 connexa cum opposita fascia lata, obso- 

 leta, fuscescente, arcuata ; 4 ad apicem obliqua lineola, etiam subtus 



