IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 5 



2. Unicolorous, except greyish-white subterminal band = var. 



polita, Hb. 

 3. Pale outline to stigmata, pale nervures, ochreous (almost orange) 



subterminal band = var. ochrea. 



4. Unicolorous, except ochreous subterminal = var. subniyra, Haw. 

 5. Unicolorous, subterminal obsolete = subspadicea, Stdgr. = polita, 



Dup. = spadicea, Haw. 



a. var. polita, Hb. Like the type this has a greyish-white 

 subterminal band, but unlike the type has no pale nervures &c., these 

 being (if developed at all), darker than the ground colour. The form 

 is therefore very unicolorous. Hiibner's figure may be described as 

 follows : "Anterior wings very dark reddish, almost unicolorous, 

 with the four ordinary transverse lines dark, slightly tinged with 

 slaty-grey, the stigmata indistinct. Hind wings dark grey, base 

 paler, a darker transverse line, lunule indistinct " (' Sammlung europ. 

 Schmet.' &c., fig. 178). Staudinger writes of it: "Nigricans plus 

 minusve cinereo-marmoratis " (' Catalog,' p. 119). This author there- 

 fore makes the essential difference between the type ligula, and var. 

 polita, consist of the white subterminal fascia of the former, and the 

 ashy-grey fascia of the latter. This is the brigensis of Boisduval, of 

 which Guenee writes : " The superior wings appear more oblong ; 

 they are of an ashy colour, more or less washed with reddish, with all 

 the designs obliterated. The inferior wings are equally ashy, with the 

 fringe almost concolorous." Guenee then goes on to say : " This 

 form presents numerous subvarieties. Sometimes specimens are 

 entirely of an ashen colour ; sometimes the basal and subterminal 

 spaces are blackish, whilst the median and terminal areas are tinged 

 with red ; at other times, the red extends over the whole wing, being 

 mixed with the ashy colour, giving such specimens a clear violet tint 

 &c." "Valais" (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 382). It is very rare in 

 Britain. I am indebted to Dr. Chapman for a specimen of this 

 variety. I have seen others captured by Capt. Kobertson, near 

 Winchfield. 



ft. var. ochrea, mihi. This and the following appear to be the 

 more ordinary forms of the species taken in Britain. The anterior 

 wings are of a deep reddish-black, with pale nervures and a distinctly 

 broad ochreous subterminal band, making the variety very striking. 

 My specimens have come from Brentwood. This variety always 

 seems to run very near to the var. sujfusa of vaccinn, and it is sometimes 

 most difficult to separate this form from the allied species, the shape 

 of the outer margin being almost the only guide. 



y. var. subnigra, Haw. This is the commonest form of the species 

 in Britain. It is like the former in having a broad, ochreous subter- 

 minal band, but has no pale nervures &c. My specimens have come 

 from Clevedon, Hartley. Wintney &c. Ha worth's description of this 

 variety is : " Noctua abdomine maris subdepresso, alis castaneo-nigris 

 fascia pallida postica subinterrupta, ex maculis confluentibus " (' Lepi- 

 r'optera Britannica,' p. 234). Humphrey and Westwood figure this 

 form (rather unsatisfactorily), on pi. xxx., fig. 8, and write of it (sub- 

 nigra) : " This species is rather smaller than the preceding (vaccinii), 

 measuring 1^ inches in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a 



