86 VARIETIES of 



aberrant form, on the ground where it was found. Portland is well 

 known for its tendency to produce particularly pallid varieties of some 

 of our common and local species, e.g. Epunda lichenea var. viridicincia, 

 Heliophobus hispida var. pallida, Agrotis ripce var. weissenbornii and very 

 many other similar examples might be quoted, and it is here of all 

 places in Britain, that one might expect the occurrence of such a 

 pallid form. The most interesting part of the matter appears to be 

 the occurrence of an isolated example, as an aberrant form of our 

 type, of a variety which is recognised as a fairly constant race in 

 North America, although this is only what one might expect to 

 frequently happen when the variation of the species of both Con- 

 tinents is better understood. 



(?) e. var. oregonica, Grote. Grote's original description of this 

 doubtful geographical race is as follows : " Under this name I 

 register specimens from Oregon which appear to belong to trtfolii but 

 differ by the concolorous fore-wings, wanting the dark dashes to the 

 subterminal line which has only a faint M-mark. The hind wings 

 have a faintly yellowish tone. The claviform is reduced and rounded. 

 The dark reniform entirely contrasts, otherwise I see no differences 

 and we have to do probably with a geographical variety. Kansas 

 specimens are somewhat intermediate. Fine specimens of the variety 

 are before me " (' Canadian Entom.,' xiii., p. 230). Mr. Grote now 

 writes : " I still believe it may be a variety but am not sure. I have 

 not seen Professor Smith's paper in the Ent. Mo. Mag., but if he 

 considers it also a var. it probably is one " (in litt., 26, 4/92). 



Hadend, Och., atriplicis, Linn. 



I am unable to find in this species any variation except the 

 tendency, found in many dark green species, of a change to yellow or 

 brownish. The pale mark under the orbicular is sometimes very 

 strongly tinged with pink, and there is some variation in the size and 

 shape of the stigmata. The Linna?an description of the type is : 

 " Noctua spirilinguis cristata : alis deflexis nebulosis litura fulva " 

 (' Systema Naturae,' xth., p. 517). This unsatisfactory description is 

 supplemented by a much better one in the ' Fauna Suecicee ' p. 317, 

 where we read : " Phalcena Noctua atriplicis, spirilinguis cristata, alis 

 deflexis : superioribus nebulosis litura exalbida bifida." " Alas superi- 

 ores luteo fuscoque nebulosa?, postice striga repanda flavescente ; juxta 

 maculas ordinarias a latere interiore litura albido flavescens, oblonga, 

 postice bifida, acuta." I have some specimens which are in perfect 

 condition, in which the beautiful green has been changed to yellow, or 

 apparently so, unless, indeed, some of the yellow specimens emerge 

 with that coloration which is very improbable. 



Hadena, Och., dissimilis, Knoch. 



For positive variation, perhaps this is the most variable species in 

 the genus. The varieties may be classed, however, under three heads ; 

 (1) The variegated form. (2) Almost unicolorous, brownish. (3) Al- 

 most unicolorous, dark grey. Guenee writes : " It varies infinitely 

 in size, colour and markings. We will consider as the type, the speci- 

 mens which are (usually) of a smoky colour, sometimes uniform, with 

 the stigmata concolorous, sometimes tinged with reddish on the disc, 



