102 vAriifiTtiis of K 



nary black markings on the superior wings" ('Ent. Mo. Mag.,' iii., p. 235). 

 Bering's original notice of somniculosa is : " M. Kretchner, an active 

 collector in Berlin, sent me recently a few NOCTU^E, which he took for 

 an unknown species, with the remark that he possessed several others 

 which tallied exactly with them. After careful examination, I agree 

 with him, that these NOCTU^E bred by him this summer, are a new 

 species and according to his wish describe them in the'Entom. 

 Gazette.' The new NOCTUA Xylina somniculosa, stands between 

 conformis and zinckenii. At first sight, it appears rather to resemble 

 the former, but on closer inspection it approaches in size and markings 

 the latter. It is smaller than conformis and the fore wings are shorter ; 

 antennae finer, at the point they start there is no white spot as in 

 conformis ; the feet are not speckled, however ; the colour is lighter, 

 almost whitish. The thorax is likewise lighter ; the body, which in 

 conformis y is grey like the thorax, is of a decidedly lighter reddish-grey 

 colour in somnicidosa, almost like zinckenii, where the colour of the 

 body and thorax are entirely different. The thorax, however, as in 

 the two related species, is bordered by a black longitudinal streak 

 towards both sides of the fore wings. The latter, however, are 

 generally of a lighter colour, and are more distinctly grey, and less 

 mottled than in conformis. The basal line in conformis ends in two 

 clearly defined points which become paler towards the costa, and has 

 a white border line towards the outside in front of these points. In 

 somniculosa these points are absent : but the line inclines towards the 

 outer margin and turns into an obtuse angle, and then loses itself 

 towards the inner margin, which is never the case, with the basal 

 line of conformis. The white border line on the outside of the streak 

 is like that in conformis. The reniform in the latter is yellow, with a 

 strong tinge of red. In somniculosa, it is hardly visible and the red 

 tint is entirely missing. Towards the inside the reniform is darker 

 than in conformis. In the latter, the reniform is joined below by a 

 dark black arched streak, this is wanting in somniculosa ; the orbicular 

 in conformis is scarcely perceptible, in somniculosa, it is entirely 

 absent. Instead of the split fork-like claviform turning towards the 

 base as in conformis, there is found in somnicidosa, only a short stout 

 black streak bordered with white towards the inside, from the inner 

 end of which a fine zigzag line runs towards the inner margin. No 

 other markings are found on the fore wings ; the fringes are finer and 

 less striking in colour. The hind wings are red-brown and less grey 

 than in conformis. The under sides of the wings are paler and show 

 scarcely a trace of the clearly defined dark arched line in conformis 

 which surrounds the spot in the middle of the hind wings. Zinckenii 

 has, compared with somniculosa, much more vivid markings. The 

 mixture of white and dark black-grey in the mottled colouring is wanting 

 in somniculosa. It is especially to be remarked, that zinckenii shows both 

 discoidals distinctly, and each is bordered by a dark line below, like 

 the reniform in conformis. This is entirely wanting in somniculosa. 

 The fringes in zinckenii are more clearly white, bordered with a row of 

 darker spots before. In somniculosa, they are uniform grey, quite the 

 same colour as the remaining part of the fore wings " (' Stett. ent. 

 Zeit.,' 1841, p. 165). 



p. var. zinckenii, Tr. Treitschke's diagnosis of this variety is : 



