24 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJB 



genera Diantlwecia and Hadena are the largest. Dianthatcia is perhaps 

 one of the most important, and the variation of D. carpophaga and 

 D. nana (conspersa) is very extensive and most interesting, and it also 

 contains the material of one or two unsolved puzzles, notably the specific 

 distinctness or otherwise of D. capsophila. Hadena is also a large 

 genus and exhibits instances of fairly extreme variation in H. protea, 

 H. dentina, H. dissimilis and H. pisi, although the remaining species of 

 the genus are not at all excessive in their variability. A large 

 number of species present melanic features, e.g. Dianthcecia nana 

 (conspersa), D. ccesia, Cleoceris mminalis, Miselia oxyacanthce, Aplecta 

 occultd, A. nebulosa &c., whilst the change in colour due to response 

 to environment, noticeable particularly in D. nana, Folia chi, Epunda 

 lichenea etc. is a remarkable illustration of the action of " natural 

 selection," all these species developing some shade of green in their 

 tint, apparently for protective purposes. 



Eremobia, St., ochroleuca, Esp. 



There appears to be very little variation in this species in Britain. 

 The colour differs a little in intensity and the female is generally 

 larger than the male. Guenee writes : " Varies moderately, both in 

 the ochreous tint and also in that of the markings, which vary from 

 black to reddish and also in intensity " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., 

 p. 16). Esper's description of the type is : " Alis deflexis ochraceo- 

 albicantique variis, fasciis tribus latis macularibus, fuscis, linea alba 

 cinctis " (' Die Schmet. in Abbildungen ' &c., p. 373). Esper's figure 

 referring to this description is quite unrecognisable. 



Dianthcecia, Bdv. 



This interesting genus contains at least two very variable British 

 species, carpophaga and nana (conspersa), the former varying from 

 pale ochreous (almost white) to dark brown (and black, if capsophila 

 be really only an extreme form of it), whilst the latter varies from 

 pure white with black markings, to unicolorous blackish with an orange 

 tinge. A considerable amount of doubt is expressed as to the specific 

 distinctness of carpophaga and capsophila. Quite recently, Mr. C. G. 

 Barrett has suggested that the latter is only a dark variety of the 

 former. Capsophila has, I believe, only once been bred from ova and 

 then it bred true, and no one ever gets a capsophila among the 

 thousands of bred carpophaga. Where the species occur side by side 

 on the coasts of Lancashire and Cumberland, there appears to be no 

 doubt as to their distinctness, and although it must be allowed that 

 there is no more structural difference between these than between 

 many species and their varieties, yet they are more readily discrimi- 

 nated than many other well-known distinct, though allied species, 

 and hence, it is advisable to keep them at present separate. The right 

 of compta to be in the British fauna rests on the most slender evidence, 

 and when it was introduced by Mr. Meek, who referred to Mr. 

 Gregson as having captured one, the latter gentleman maintained that 

 his specimen was a var. of conspersa and that compta did not exist in the 

 Howth locality. The correspondence proved to the satisfaction of 

 most British lepidopterists that compta was not a British species. The 

 varieties of conspersa from the Shetland Isles and the coast of Devon 

 illustrate well the influence of " natural selection " on a species, whilst 



