IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 13 



1. Pale yellow, with dark basal and outer bands == aurayo, Fab. 



2. Pale orange, with basal and outer bands = var. viryniu. 



3. Pale orange, almost unicolorous = var. unicolor. 



4. Deep orange-red, with basal and outer bands =-. var. rutilayo, 



Fab. 

 5. Deep purplish-red, almost unicolorous = var. fucata, Esp. 



The type is thus described by Fabricius : " Noctua cristata alis 

 deflexis fuscescentibus : litura baseos fasciaque media late flavis." 

 " Statura praecedentium (croceayo). Alse anticae basi apiceque fuscaa 

 litura flavescente. In medio fascia lata dentata flava. Posticse cinerere " 

 (< Mantissa,' p. 159). 



a. var. viryata, mihi. This variety differs from the type only 

 in having the central fascia of an orange colour instead of pale yellow. 

 It appears to be as common as the type. 



ft. var. unicolor, mihi. This has the dark basal and outer areas 

 almost obsolete, the orange of the central fascia spreading over and 

 occupying the whole of the wing space. This is not at all a 

 common form, the unicolorous varieties usually being more or less 

 purplish, and inclining to var. fucata. 



y. var. rutilayo, Fab. The form with the central area of a deep 

 reddish-orange colour, is described by several authors under the name 

 of rutilayo. Guenee writes : " The rutilayo of Borkhausen must be 

 considered as intermediate between the type and the var. fucata " 

 (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., p. 394), whilst Hiibner's rutilayo (' Beitraege ' &c., 

 vol i., plate 2, fig. L) and his aurayo (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.' &c., 

 fig. 196) are orange-red with purplish basal and outer areas. It is 

 the fucata of Staudinger's 'Catalog,' p. 117 where he writes: 

 " Magis unicolor, al. ant. fascia media aurantiaca." 



8. var. fucata, Esp. This is the unicolorous purplish-red form of 

 the species and is the exact opposite in development to var. unicolor ; 

 for whilst the latter is produced by the normal purplish-red of the 

 basal and outer areas being suppressed and the central orange fascia 

 spreading over the whole wing area, fucata is produced by the orange 

 of the central area being suppressed and the purplish-red of the basal 

 and outer fascia spreading over that area. Although this variety looks 

 almost unicolorous, the central band is slightly more orange than the 

 basal and outer fascia, but the difference is very slight. I have such 

 varieties in my collection. In sending me a var. for examination 

 Mr. Clarke of Reading wrote : " This is the most extreme dark 

 variety of X. aurayo taken here " (in litt.). Guenee writes of this 

 variety : " The median space powdered with reddish and almost 

 concolorous with the rest of the wing ; the stigmata and transverse 

 lines almost obsolete. It is found with the type and is no more rare 

 than its type " (' Noctuelles,' vol. v., page 394). Of Esper's figure I 

 made the following description : " The anterior wings unicolorous 

 reddish with the basal and elbowed lines paler " (' Die Schmet. in 

 Abbildungen ' &c., pi. 124, fig. 3). 



c. var. lutea, mihi. A series of aurayo sent for my inspection 

 from Mr. Chittenden, and captured near Ashford, in Kent, contained 

 two specimens presenting forms quite new to me. One specimen was 

 unicolorous, clear yellow- orange, with the exception of fine faint wavy 



