104 VARIETIES Otf 



figured and described by Esper as bifurca in his ' Die Schmet.' <^c., 

 p. 359 ; pi. 125, B tigs. 6-8, and as conformis by Fabricius (' Mantissa,' 

 p. 183). The species was first introduced as British, when Mr. 

 Stainton exhibited two specimens, taken near Cardiff on ivy-blossom 

 in October, 1859, at the Entom. Soc. of London, an account of the 

 exhibit being published in the ' Zoologist,' 1861, p. 7452. Mr. W. 

 Buckler afterwards wrote : " I send you this to tell you that Mr. T. 

 Philipson, of Newport, Monmouthshire, has taken X. conformis at 

 sugar on October 2nd, in that county, and a friend of his took another 

 example a few days previously "(< Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol. vi., p. 190). 

 Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson writes : " I have now on my setting board a 

 fine $ and $? of X. conformis, taken November 8th and 10th, rather 

 a late time to go out mothing " (' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol. vii., p. 188). 

 I am unaware whether these specimens are supposed to have been 

 taken in Lancashire or sent to Mr. Hodgkinson from Wales. Mr. 

 Llewelyn recorded it from Neath in 1874(< Entomologist, vii., p. 2(50). 

 Mr. J. T. Carrington writes of Xylina furcifera: "Mr. Llewelyn re- 

 cords this moth from near Neath, a new locality, in 1874. It has also 

 been bred in Glamorganshire, by Mr. Evan John, likewise by llev. 

 Joseph Greene" (' Entom. x., p. 32). The last record is by Mr. W. H. 

 Grigg in the ' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' xvii., p. 134. 



a. var. suffusa, mihi. Anterior wings of a deep violet-black, or 

 black with a slight violet tinge. It would appear to be Guenee's var. 

 A of which he writes : " Of a deep violet-grey above and of a 

 ferruginous-grey below " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi.,p. 118). Guene'e also 

 adds : " Common in the centre and North of France in September 

 and October." In Britain, this species is, so far as we at present 

 know, almost entirely confined to Wales, and the Western Counties of 

 England. The Eev. J. Greene, Mr. Tugwell, and other collectors have 

 bred the species, but the specimens have been always of an exceedingly 

 dark coloration. I am somewhat in doubt, however, from specimens I 

 have, whether the French specimens, referred to by Guenee under his 

 var. A, are not less dark than ours, and intermediate between a grey 

 form with scarcely any purple in it and our almost black one. I have, 

 however, no positive information on the point. This variety was first 

 taken in Britain in 1859 near Cardiff, vide, ( Zoologist,' 1861, p. 7452. 



Xylina, Och., semibrunnea, Haw. 



This species appears to be comparatively rare in Britain and to 

 vary but little. Guende writes : " It differs from petrificata by the 

 superior wings being narrower ; by the inner margin almost to the 

 centre being occupied by a darker shade, in which a conspicuous and 

 distinct velvety -black coloured line with a bluish tint, is cut by the 

 angulated line ; by the inferior wings being paler with darker nervures 

 and hind margin, and of which the underside only shows the lunule, 

 and none, or very little, of the darker median line ; by the abdomen 

 which is larger, with blackish-blue crests on all the segments " (' Noc- 

 tuelles,' vol. vi., p. 121). This gives me the idea that Guenee did not 

 distinguish altogether between this species and some of the vars. of 

 its congener petrificata, which I have had repeatedly sent to me as 

 semibrunnea. There can be no doubt, however, concerning Newman's 

 figure of the species ' British Moths,' p. 429. Haworth's diagnosis 



