108 VAbiteTiiss oir 



brownish-ochreous tint, with the inner marginal area, below tlie 

 median iiervure, of a deep and rich red-brown ; the basal streak 

 exists in the form of two black lunular marks on the costa, and two 

 others, outlined with intense black on the inner margin ; the reniform 

 is generally dark grey and outlined with pale ; a pale wavy sub- 

 terminal is edged internally with black, and it has two cuneiform 

 streaks on it reaching to the reniform. This browner form is what we 

 usually know as the Irish form and is much redder than are our own 

 normal British specimens. I have a long series and am particularly 

 indebted to Messrs. Percy Russ and W. F. de V. Kane for Irish ex- 

 amples. Scotch examples are occasionally of this form, but English 

 specimens appear to be comparatively rare. 



f3. var. suffusa, mihi. There is some variation in size in this 

 species, but, on the whole, there is but little difference in the English, 

 Irish and Scotch specimens, some from each country running above 

 and some below the average size. Guenee describes a small Scotch 

 specimen of which he writes : " A little smaller, with nearly f of the 

 inferior wings of an intense fuscous black (noir-brule) as well as the 

 fringe and the thorax. The rest of the wing of a more obscure 

 greyish than in the type. From Scotland" (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., 

 p. 116). Little attention, therefore, need be paid to the size of 

 Guenee's specimen here described, but the intense black of the inner 

 margin appears to be peculiar to certain specimens from the North of 

 England and Scotland, as well as a tendency to suffusion in the paler 

 parts of the wing. I would include, therefore, all such suffused 

 specimens under this varietal name. 



Calocampa, St., exsoleta (exoleta), Linn. 



The name of this species is spelt exsoleta in the works of Linnams. 

 The central area of the wing of this species, longitudinally from the base 

 to the anal angle and to the apex is sometimes clear, leaving the costa 

 and inner margin darker ; sometimes however, this central area is also 

 much suffused with blackish scales. The orbicular is frequently 

 doubly ocellated with an exterior ring, one ocellus in each of the 

 upper and lower parts, and hence it shows clearly the origin of the 

 double orbicular in the allied species, above all in L. solidaginis. The 

 elbowed line is represented by a double row of dots, more or less ill- 

 developed, and the cuneiform spots, which, in this species, never 

 appear to reach the reniform, vary in number, whilst in one 

 specimen they are altogether obsolete. The Linneean description 

 of the type is : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis lanceolatis convolutis 

 exsoletis dorso fuscescentibus, collari compresso. Phalcena color ligni 

 putrescentis admodum exsoleti " (' Systema Natura?,' xth., p. 515). 

 The Pitcaple and Aberdeen specimens appear to be the darkest. Some 

 of the Irish forms are tinged with brownish, whilst a specimen from 

 Londonderry which I have is without the dark shading on the inner 

 margin. 



Lithomia, Curt., solidaginis, Hb. 



Staudinger places this in Calocampa with vetusta and exoleta, 

 Guenee in Cloantha with polyodon (jpertptcillarit) although in a different 

 section, for which he utilises Curtis' name. There is considerable 



