IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 77 



resembles the figure 4, and is formed by broad brownish streaks and 

 which is turned upside down on the right wing. Between the same, 

 is the first of the ordinary stigmata, the orbicular, whitish-grey 

 bordered with a brown line, but deeper brown in the centre. The 

 reniform is behind the figure 4, and is likewise whitish-grey with a 

 brown border, and in the middle, as well as at the lower extremity, 

 somewhat shaded with brown. The hind margin is light green, 

 speckled with black and white towards the tip. Hind wings are some- 

 times whitish ashy-grey, sometimes ochreous-yellow shaded on the 

 hind margin with grey-brown or light ash -brown " (' Naturgeschichte ' 

 &c., p. 386). The type is figured in Newman's British Moths,' p. 413, 

 fig. 1. Humphrey and Westwood write : " The fore wings are very 

 variable in colour, being of a reddish-brown varied with grey and 

 greenish, and with numerous dusky markings. The costa, with 

 numerous oblique blackish dots and a few white specks towards the 

 tip ; the two ordinary stigmata are grey, with the middle dusky, and 

 slightly edged with a fine black line. Towards the base of the wing 

 is a whitish patch edged with blackish externally, beyond which the 

 space is also darker ; towards the middle of the hinder margin is 

 another pale patch, above which is an oblique dark mark resting on 

 an irregular black line, which is bent upwards towards the outer 

 stigma ; beyond this, the wing is of a clearer colour and whitish towards 

 the apex, having a pale irregular submarginal striga considerably an- 

 gulated towards the middle, outwardly edged with darker brown, 

 and with a more regular series of conical minute brown spots tipped 

 with black along the margin. The hind wings are pale brown with 

 the base whitish, and beyond the middle towards the margin, run two 

 slender pale strigse ; the margin itself with a row of small black wavy 

 lines. The wings beneath are pale grey, very much powdered with 

 blackish scales, and a central blackish dot in each, and a marginal row 

 of minute dark conical dots ; the cilia are cinereous with brown spots. 

 This is the most variable species; some individuals having nearly 

 all the green and reddish-brown tints of the fore wings obliterated, 

 whilst others have them of a nearly uniform pale green with a few 

 black streaks ; others are nearly grey, with the inner margin, stigmata, 

 and subapical fascia nearly white " (' British Moths,' p. 166). There 

 is a quaint little paragraph in Newman's < British Moths,' p. 414, rela- 

 tive to the name of this species. It is : " It will be observed that I 

 have restored the proper name protens to this species, it having been 

 previously changed to protea in order to make it agree with the genus 

 Hadena. Entomologists have rather peculiar views about the con- 

 struction of Latin, but I do not consider myself under any obligation 

 to depart from the ordinary rules of the language as we find it in the 

 classics." The funny thing is, that whilst Mr. Newman has a quiet 

 little slap at entomological Latin, there is no reason whatever for his 

 change of the name -to proteus, Borkhausen's original name being 

 protea. 



There are so far as I can separate them only four forms of this 

 species. These are : 



1. Pale green, tinted with reddish = protea, Bkh. 



2. Dark green, tinted with red = var, seladonia, Haw. 



