56 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



specimens of liineburgensis, a male, there is a distinct wavy dark 

 central line across the upper side of the under wings ; and in another, 

 a female sedi, the same wavy line occurs, but is pale on the dark 

 ground, or exactly reversed. If, possible, it is my intention this 

 autumn to obtain eggs from both varieties, and see if they are constant. 

 I should also be glad to obtain, in exchange for some of mine, eggs of 

 the English Epunda lutulenta to compare the larvas " (' Entomologist,' 

 vol. xvii., p. 143). The fact that var. liineburgensis, H.-S. (not Freyer), 

 was in reality closely allied to, if not identical with our ordinary 

 English specimens, was long ago incidentally noted by that accurate 

 observer Dr. F. Buchanan White. Fifteen years ago he wrote : " On 

 looking at my series of this species, I find one specimen (received 

 from l)r. Trail, and taken near Aberdeen) which agrees exactly with 

 H.-S. 428, * liineburgensis. Another example from Forres (Mr. Norman) 

 is like H.-S. 405, lutulenta, but rather smaller, and not markedly 

 different from my English examples " ('Entom. Mo. Mag.,' vol. xiii., 

 p. 164). Mr. Carrington, quite correctly, included the very dark 

 Scotch variety of lutulenta under the name liineburgensis, when he 

 writes : " A fine series of this handsome variety, was taken by J. 

 W. Greaseley, on behalf of Mr. N. Cooke, in Inverness-shire (' Ent. 

 Mo. Mag.,' xiii., 141). I had the pleasure of seeing several beautiful 

 examples, exceedingly unlike lutulenta. I have also seen specimens 

 from Aberdeen and Berwickshire, the latter very bright in colour " 

 (' Entomologist,' x., p. 33). 



a. var. consimilis, St. This is a British form described by Stephens 

 as var. /? of his Charceas fusca. He writes : " . With the anterior 

 wings nearly of an uniform pale cinereous, the stigmata and fasciae 

 being only visible in certain lights " (' Illus. Haust.,' ii., 110). Guenee 

 writes : " These are those females which have the wings of a clearer 

 grey, but in which the markings are no better developed " (' Noctu- 

 elles,' vol. vi., p. 46). I have only one specimen which can refer to 

 this variety. This was captured near Strood in Kent, twenty years 

 ago. 



/3. var. lilneburgensis, Frr. This variety is thus described by 

 Freyer : " Lilneburgensis was named by Councillor Heyer and commu- 

 cated to me. It has the greatest similarity to my N. tripuncta, plate 

 501, only it is smaller and without the white spots in the reniform. 

 M. Heyer writes : * For some years the larvae of this species have 

 not been obtainable by reason of the new rail way being carried through 

 the heath where I discovered them.' The fore wings black-brown ; 

 the third band (angulated line) somewhat lighter. Stigmata the same 

 colour as the bands. The claviform is not visible ; fringes brown. 

 Body ash-grey above and below ; thorax covered with whitish-grey 

 hairs ; hind wings milk-white " (' Neuere Beitrage ' etc., p. 72) ; 

 whilst of the figure to which this description refers, I wrote : " Ante- 

 rior wings glossy black, with a very slight purplish tinge, the basal, 

 elbowed and subterminal lines darker, an angulated, narrow, central 

 shade very dark and quite black. Hind wings white, with dark ner- 

 vures and a row of dots on the nervures " (I.e. pi. 526, fig. 2). Mr. 

 Kane relies on the fact that the Irish variety is not liineburgensis, be- 



* This has just previously been referred to by Mr. Dobree as" a fair 

 representation of sedi," Dr. White's note was writf-en some years before that 

 of Mr. Dobree. 



