84 VARIETIES OP NOCTU^S 



y. var. farkasii, Tr. In this variety the ground colour is much 

 suffused with dark brown and ochreous and this darkening of the 

 ground colour tends to a corresponding unicolorous appearance in the 

 specimens, owing to the more striking markings being absorbed, this 

 being especially the case with the transverse lines and stigmata. The 

 brown specimens are comparatively rare, and comprise but a small 

 proportion, compared with the typical grey form of the species in 

 Britain. Treitschke writes : " I have named this new species after 

 my friend Mr. Farkas of Ofen who discovered it 8 years ago and 

 kindly sent me a female in good condition. Since then, I have seen 

 several other specimens which were mostly taken in Hungary. 

 There was also one without a name among some French moths. In 

 size and shape it is like ypsilon ; head and thorax light yellow-grey ; 

 antennse yellow-brown, body and feet grey ; between the thorax and 

 body stand many long white grey hairs. The forewings have a 

 ground colour of brown mixed somewhat with yellow. The costa is 

 darker but spotted with yellowish- white. The middle area is dark 

 brown and is strongly scalloped towards the inside and outside and 

 becomes narrower at the inner margin. In the usual position are the 

 two paler ferruginous coloured discoidals, and between the two is seen 

 a trace of a third ; the next area is broad, uniform yellow-brown, 

 whilst behind the subterminal line, the ground colour becomes, as 

 well as the fringes, darker ; the latter are intersected with yellowish- 

 grey. The hind wings have a dull white ground ; the nervures and 

 a broad border before the white fringes, are dusted with brown-grey. 

 There is also a faint lunule in the centre of the wing. On the under- 

 side the whole area is dull white. Through the middle of all the 

 wings runs a scalloped brown band which is darkest towards the 

 costa but then becomes more faint " (' Die Schmet.,' x., pt. 2, p. 74). 



8. var. albifusa, Walker. This variety, or a variety of Hadena 

 trifolii which has been referred to this form, was captured in Britain 

 by Colonel (then Major) Partridge at Portland, and described as a 

 species new to the British list by Mr. C. G. Barrett under the name 

 of Hadena albifusa, Grote. Walker was the nomenclator of the 

 species, and Grote referred it to H. trifolii as a variety or local race. 

 The specimen, as described by Mr. Barrett, appears to be rather 

 brighter than the specimens of albifusa in the British Museum. Mr. 

 C. G. Barrett writes of the Portland specimen : " In a box of NocTiLas 

 sent for examination by Major Partridge, Commandant at the Isle of 

 Portland, I found a specimen of Hadena allied to dentina, and more 

 distantly to chenopodii, but evidently quite distinct from any known 

 British species. Judging by descriptions, it appeared to be near to 

 H. sociabilis or H. marmorosa, but, failing to satisfy myself by 

 correspondence, I sent the specimen to my friend, Mr. W. F. Kirby, 

 who took great pains with it. Finding that it did not agree with any 

 European species in the national collection he searched further, and 

 had the satisfaction of finding that it agreed very well with H. albifusa, 

 Grote, a native of North America. Major Partridge informs me that 

 he took it at sugar, on the night of August 15th, on the undercliff near 

 Portland Castle, and not far from the anchorage. It is, therefore, 

 possible that it may have escaped from some passing American vessel 

 after making the ocean voyage in the pupa state, or otherwise 



