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is very probable that when properly worked for in this district, 

 melanic specimens will prove to be not particularly uncommon, 

 although very rare at the present time. The type of this species is 

 thus described by Linnaeus : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis 

 deflexis ferrugineo-cinereis bimaculatis : striga postica pallida " 

 (' Systema Natures,' xth., p. 517). Linnasus further adds: " Alaa 

 superiores griseo-nebulosas, postice striga flexuosa alba, quee ad 

 angulum ani maculam albam majorem constituit " (' Fauna 

 Suecicaa,' No. 1206). The glaucous tendency in this species is 

 somewhat similar to that already mentioned as occurring in 

 Agrotis sulrosea, A. kyperborea and others, although I am not aware 

 whether the extreme development of purely glaucous forms occurs on 

 the Continent in H. pisi, as it does in those species and in Hyppa 

 rectilinea. I have occasionally noticed a tendency for longitudinal 

 ochreous streaks to be developed between the nervures in the red 

 form, between the subterminal and elbowed lines. Similar streaks are 

 particularly well- developed in Agrotis nigricans var. striata. There 

 would appear to be no doubt that the North British red-brown form 

 strongly mottled with grey is the Linnasan type. The rare and 

 beautiful Scotch form, certainly shows a glaucous tendency, but it can 

 hardly represent the type, as these specimens are too strongly purple 

 to be called " ferrugineo-cinereis," although the term " cinereis " was 

 used by the older entomologists for every grade of " dirty white " to a 

 beautiful " bluish," or as we term it, " glaucous" shade. On the other 

 hand, some specimens sent for my inspection by Mr. Tunstall of 

 Warrington, were of a deep red-brown, strongly shaded with grey on 

 the outer half of the wing, the grey extending to the central shade, 

 and appearing again at the base, so that I think it is very possible 

 that this is the form referred to as the type by Linnaeus. Of the 

 Irish specimens of this species Mr. W. F. de V. Kane writes : " For 

 some years I have been interested in this moth, and when I bred a 

 very red form like those from the South of England, I thought it to 

 be a rare aberration, but subsequently, I found that it was the 

 commonest coloration in England. I have a long series, and some 

 very peculiar ones. A few are red and slightly marbled. Most, 

 however, are purplish with every degree of mottling down to almost 

 unicolorous grey-brown, which I take to be the rarest form. One 

 mottled grey-brown specimen has only a trace at the anal angle of the 

 subterminal line. Another dark-grey specimen with markings almost 

 obsolete, has this line broad, white, and extremely conspicuous. In 

 fine, the Irish forms generally vary from purplish to grey-brown, 

 sometimes nearly approaching glauca, with large stigmata, sometimes 

 chequered and mottled, and sometimes marked strongly with dashes " 

 (in Hit., 26, 2, '92). I was unaware until I saw Mr. Kane's Irish 

 specimens of a purely brown form without any red in the ground 

 colour. However, as I have no such varieties in my long series, I 

 simply mention the fact that such exist without including them in the 

 following table. Of the North of England specimens, Mr. Bobson 

 writes : " The northern form of this common insect is cold dark 

 brown, the southern form is warmer in tone and redder. A very 

 richly coloured and well-marked specimen of the red form is called 

 spendida by Mr. Gregson. I do not know what my classical friends 

 will think of the name " (' Young Naturalist, vol. viii., 122-123). 



