IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 109 



variation between the specimens from Cannock Chase and most other 

 British localities, those from the Chase being as a rule paler, with more 

 white, and rarely having the central fascia particularly distinct. Those 

 from the Barnsley district have the latter well-developed, sometimes 

 developing, as also it does in certain Aberdeen specimens, into a dis- 

 tinctly dark basal area extending from the base to the normal central 

 fascia. In Scotland, occasionally, some specimens are very dark and 

 unicolorous with the outer area of the same coloration as the basal. 

 Probably the strongest point of variation is in the orbicular, which 

 frequently consists of two separate stigmata. These are sometimes 

 united, sometimes one is absent, whilst occasionally both are missing. 

 If only one be present, it is almost always the one nearer the reniform. 

 The claviform is generally indistinct or obsolete, whilst the reniform 

 may consist of a large pale blotch or be pupillated. The central shade, 

 when present, runs through the orbicular spot nearest the reniform, 

 not between these stigmata as is usual. The subterminal varies in 

 colour from white to grey, and there is some tendency to vary in the 

 number of cuneiform spots, the number, however, generally falling 

 between two and five. Hiibner's type may be described as : 

 " Anterior wings of a slaty colour with a double basal line outlined in 

 black, the inner margin of this basal line, edged with a narrow reddish- 

 brown band throughout its length ; the orbicular small, round and in- 

 distinct ; the reniform large and pale with a brownish line inside ; a 

 broad, dark, wedge-shaped dash extends from the reniform to the 

 orbicular ; the angulated line distinct, black and wavy ; the subter- 

 minal slaty, with two black cuneiform spots on it ; outer margin 

 brown ; central fascia reddish-brown. Hind wings pale ochreous, 

 with two wavy lines parallel to the hind margin and a dark lunule " 

 (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.,' fig. 256). In Britain, we appear to get 

 but few specimens in which brown or even ochreous is at all prominent 

 in the central shade, although the latter tint is well-developed along 

 the costa and as an edging to the subterminal. Humphrey and 

 Westwood write of solidaginis : " This species measures nearly If inch 

 in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a light grey colour, 

 with several black lines towards the base ; the central part dark brown, 

 edged with two dentated black lines ; in the place of the anterior 

 stigma are two small round grey dots, placed obliquely, and the outer 

 stigma is large, earshaped, and pale grey margined with black ; be- 

 yond this is a grey dentated line, emitting several long arrow-like 

 wedge-shaped black dashes, and the margin slightly spotted with 

 brown ; the hind wings pale brown, with a yellowish tinge ; the base 

 whiter, with a faint central bar ; the tippets and frontal lobe of the 

 thorax edged with black. The caterpillar is reddish-brown, irrorated 

 with dusky, and with a few whitish dots on each segment, and a pale 

 yellow line on each, side edged with black. The moth appears in 

 August and September, and has been taken in Lancashire at a place 

 called the " Brushes," about two miles beyond Staleybridge, near 

 Manchester, where they occurred in abundance in 1837 " (' British 

 Moths,' p. 157). 



The forms we usually get in Britain are : 

 1. Pale ashy-grey, central shade almost obsolete = var. pallida. 

 2. Ashy-grey, with brown central shade = solidagiuis, Hb. 



