30 VARIETIES OF NOCTIWB 



1. White, markings nearly obsolete = var. pallida. 



la. White, with ochreous mottling = sub-var. ochrea-pdllida. 



Ib. White, with fuscous mottling = sub-var. fusca-pallida. 



2. Pale yellow-ochreous, markings almost obsolete = var. oekrdoca, 



Haw. 

 2a. Pale yellow-ochreous, central band darker = sub-var. virgata- 



ochracea. 

 2b. Pale yellow-ochreous, mottled with darker ochreous = var. 



lepida, Esp. 

 3. Dark ochreous (almost brown), markings nearly obsolete = var. 



brunnea. 

 3a. Dark ochreous, with central band darker = sub-var. virgata- 



brunnea. 

 3b. Dark ochreous, mottled with darker = carpophaga, Bork. 



a. var. pallida, mihi. The ground colour white, with scarcely, if 

 any, tinge of ochreous. The outlines to the stigmata faintly marked, 

 otherwise there are no darker markings. This form is rare, and 

 generally occurs in our southern counties, but is sometimes found 

 further north. Mr. Dixon of Hartlepool writes : " I took a specimen 

 of carpophaga here, nearly white in colour. It has no markings at all, 

 except the margins of the stigmata. It is very much lighter than the 

 palest specimen of the variety ochracea in Mr. Kobson's cabinet. It 

 has rather a shiny appearance, but is in very good condition " 

 (' Young Naturalist,' vol. iv., p. 90). The variety is figured in Newman's 

 1 British Moths,' p. 385, fig. 1. The sub-var. ochrea-pallida has the 

 outlines of the stigmata and the transverse lines strongly tinted with 

 ochreous, although the ground colour remains white, while sub-var. 

 fusca-pallida has the ground colour white, with the typical markings 

 of this species pricked out in dark fuscous, thus making even in this 

 pale form, an attempt to copy its congener, capsophila. My specimen 

 of fusca-pallida came from Folkestone, those of ochrea-pallida from 

 Folkestone, Brighton and the Essex coast. 



ft. var. ochracea, Haw. This variety is generally supposed to 

 consist only of those obsolete specimens, which vary in a similar man- 

 ner to var. pallida, but, as will be seen from the description, the variety 

 includes all those which have, not only the outlines of the stigmata, 

 but also faint transverse lines, and yet are without darker mottling. 

 Haworth's description is: " Noctua alis ochraceis strigis quatuor 

 stigmatibusque ordinariis pallidis, unoque stigmate nigricante." " Cor- 

 pus ala3que ochracea). Stigmata ordinaria albicantia, stigmate tertio 

 claviformi plus minus nigricante. Strigse ut in prsecedentibus quatuor ; 

 una imperfecta basi, duse ante, tertia arcuata pone stigmata, omnes 

 moniliformes et nigro plus minus marginatse ; quarta striga iindata 

 juxta marginem posticum est et ad apicem saspe dilatata in maculam 

 pallidiorem, in ipso margine striga tenuis ex punctis lunato-trigonis 

 nigris, ciliis luteis. Posticas alas ex albido-fulvicantes nitidas, fimbria 

 fusca, ciliis luteis " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 199). Of ochracea, 

 Humphrey and Westwood, who treat it as a distinct species, write : 

 " The fore wings are of a very pale clayish-buff colour, varied with 

 darker markings ; towards the base are several dusky oblique lines, 

 separating the following space, which is paler than the base, and ter- 



