IN TTIE BIITTTSII TSL\NPS. 15 



darker, and also the basal area. My specimens have come from Cam- 

 bridge, Rotherham and Reading. 



Mellinia, Hb. 



The species circellari* (ferrnginea), is difficult to locate. 

 I incline to the opinion that it belongs to Orthosia, rather 

 than to Xanthia. Certainly, judged by superficial appearance, the 

 difference between the species of Orthosia and ferruginea, is no greater 

 than between our species of Xanthia and the latter. There are 

 besides many superficial characters which point to the neighbourhood 

 of this genus as a better location for it than Xanthia, and I think our 

 old lepidopterists were more correct in placing it apart, rather than 

 in Orthosia as does Staudinger, or in Xanthia as is done by Guenee. 



Mellmia, Hb., cir cellar-in, Hufn. 



This common species varies somewhat in the depth of the ground 

 colour. Some specimens are pale ochreous, others bright red, whilst 

 some are very much suffused with fuscous. The former is the type, 

 the second = var. ferruginea, Esp., whilst the last = var. macilenta, 

 Hb. Hufnagel's description of the type is : " Phalcena circellaris. 

 Ground colour yellowish with a brown tint; with a small blackish- 

 grey spot, and a circular one in the centre of the wings " &c. (' Berlin- 

 isches Magazin,' iii., 404). The ochreous form is also the fmcago of 

 Esper, ' Die Schmet.' &c., iii., PI. 75, fig. 5. 



a. var. ferruginea, Hb. This is the commonest form we have in 

 Britain. The fore wings are of a reddish-ochreous colour. Esper's 

 description is : " Alis ferrugineis, fasciis nigricantibus nubeculosis," 

 whilst the figure to which this refers has the " anterior wings dark 

 reddish with fuscous, but rather indistinct, transverse markings " 

 ('Die Schmet. in Abbil.,' p. 246, PI. 47, fig. 6). The undata of Vieweg 

 is also the red form. The rubecula of Esper, PI. 157, fig. 4, appears to 

 refer also to the same variety. Hiibner's figure of ferruginea may be 

 described as: " Anterior wings reddish, with two dark basal, trans- 

 verse streaks ; the orbicular yellowish ; a dark central shade from 

 costa to base of reniform and continued on to inner margin ; reniform 

 pale ; the angulated line pale ; area beyond angulated line to outer 

 margin greyish, through which passes the pale subterminal. Hind 

 wings dark grey, base ochreous " (' Sammlung europaischer Schmet.,' 

 fig. 181). This red form is very common. 



/3. var. macilenta, Hb. Hiibner's figure of this dark suffused form 

 of circellaris may be described as follows : " Anterior wings dark red- 

 dish ochreous, much suffused with blackish, nervures very dark, basal 

 line dark, reniform and orbicular pale, outlined in dusky, central 

 transverse shade between the stigmata very dark, the elbowed line 

 blackish, the subterminal shaded with black interiorly, edged with 

 pale exteriorly. Hind wings dark grey, base paler, distinct lunule " 

 (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.,' fig. G88). 



Cirrcedia, Gn., xerampelina, Hb. 



This beautiful species varies somewhat in ground colour, the 

 range extending from pale yellow, through orange to red. The former 

 is Hiibner's type, which may be described as : " Anterior wings of 



