itf THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Hi) 



Cttcuttia, Schrk., umbmtica, Linn. 



The Kent and Sligo specimens have pale males and compara- 

 tively dark ? 's with a strong tinge of ochreous. In the specimens 

 from Morpeth and Darlington, the males and females are equally 

 dark, but the hind wings of both forms are much paler in the males 

 than in the females. The early British authors made three or four species 

 out of this. The points of distinction between these, are thus drawn 

 up by Humphrey and Westwood : " Umbratica has the front wings 

 a paler grey than the others, with the tinting in front rather pale 

 ochreous than brown, while the hind wings are very clear, and with 

 a suffused narrow border of light brown." " In tanaceti the grey is 

 stronger, and the ochreous tint becomes brown in the fore wings, and 

 the hind wings have a broader and darker border or shade at the 

 edge." " Lucifuga has still more brown in the fore wings, and the 

 hind wings are entirely dusky brown, with a narrow fringe somewhat 

 paler." " Lactucce is very similar, but has the fore wings relieved 

 here and there with a clearer grey, while the hind wings, though all 

 brown, are lighter near the body, and have a broadish pale fringe " 

 ( British Moths,' p. 224). There are, of course, distinct Continental 

 species with the above names, which species, our early British authors 

 believed their varieties of umbrat-ica to be, but, as the knowledge of 

 our British species increased, it was discovered that the forms thus 

 described did not correspond with the distinct Continental species 

 bearing the same names. The Linnsean description of the type is as 

 follows : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis lanceolatis canis striatis, 

 thoracis valvulis lunatis " ( Systema Natures,' xth., p. 515). 



a. var. tanaceti, Haw. Of this variety Humphrey and Westwood 

 write : " This species measures 1 f or nearly two inches in the 

 expanse of the fore wings, which are of a darker or more slaty-grey 

 than in the last species, shaded to brown on the fore and hind margins, 

 and with streaks and dots of black much more distinct ; the black 

 basal streak is present, reaching nearly to the middle and followed by 

 a shorter one (behind the place of the stigmata, which are slightly 

 indicated by black dots) ; the costa is marked near the apex with 

 several pale dots, and the apical margin with black streaks ; the inner 

 margin has a more distinct streak interrupted before the anal angle by 

 an angulated pale line, being the basal rudiment of the third ordinary 

 striga ; the apical angle bears two black dashes ; the veins are brownish ; 

 the hind wings nearly white, with a broader dusky margin than in 

 the preceding. The caterpillar is slaty or ash-coloured with numerous 

 black spots arranged in longitudinal lines, and with a rather broad 

 dorsal and lateral yellow line. It feeds on tansy, wormwood, 

 chamomile &c., and the moth appears in June and Sept. according to 

 Boisduval, but Stephens gives the end of July. It is a rather rare, 

 but widely dispersed species " (' British Moths, pp. 225-226). 

 Haworth, who treated tanaceti as a distinct species, described it as 

 follows : " Noctua cristata alis deflexis striatis canis : lineis duabus 

 atris, posticis albis subtus immaculatis." " Affinis N. chamomillce. 

 Antennre ferrugineaa basi albidre. Caput cinereum. Thorax cinereus 

 striga antica fusca. Abdomen basi albidum, alaa anticaa striatse, came 

 lineola a basi fere ad medium ducta, et alia in medio breviore, apice 

 parum flexa. Puncta tria costalia. Subtus obscure nitidas. Posticte 



