IN THE! BRITISH ISLANDS. 129 



distinct white transverse lines and markings, but occasionally, speci- 

 mens are of a deep purplish-red tint with much more suffused 

 markings, especially in the basal area. This latter form represents 

 the Linnasan type, and my darkest specimens have come from Mr. 

 Finlay of Morpeth. The most characteristic mark in this species is 

 the small white spot which lies just between the bases of the orbicular 

 and reniform, and which is frequently continued laterally to form a 

 white ring to the orbicular. In one specimen from Sevenoaks it is 

 continued upwards as if to form a central shade, and in another from 

 the same locality, it is not only continued upwards to the costa, but 

 downwards to a white spot frequently found in contact with the 

 claviforin, almost to the inner margin. There is considerable 

 difference in the width of the outer black margin on the hind wings, 

 and in some specimens, the extreme base is much suffused, consider- 

 ably clouding the upper part of the yellow area. The type is thus 

 described by Linnaeus : " Ph. Noct. myrtilli spirilinguis cristata, alis 

 griseis striga alba ; inferioribus antice luteis posticeque nigris." " Alse 

 superiores nigricantes, purpurascenti-ferrugineo nebulosse cum striga 

 repanda alba ad basin et alia prope marginem posticum ; macula alba 

 triquetra in medio. Alee inferiores supra anterius luteas, posterius 

 atras rnargine postico albicante " (' Fauna Suecicse,' p. 311). From 

 this it would appear that the dark blackish- or purplish-red coloured 

 form is the type, and our commoner red one the variety. Humphrey 

 and Westwood write : " The species varies considerably in the 

 clearness of the pale markings and in the brilliancy of the ground 

 colour of the wings which is sometimes brown (N. albirena, Haw.) " 

 (< British Moths,' p. 237). 



a. var. rufescens, mihi. Like the type, but the ground colour 

 much redder, and much more variegated with white markings. 

 Almost all our specimens in the South of England are of this form, 

 the dark type being comparatively rare. In some Northern localities 

 in Britain the reverse appears to be the case. 



/3. var. albirena) Haw. A form with the ground colour of the 

 wings brown is thus described by Ha worth from Norfolk specimens : 

 " Noctua alis anticis fuscis, macula strigaque albis." " Al?e anticse 

 fuscae, macula parva pyriformi in loco stigmatis antici, strigaque 

 undata postica albis. Margo ciliaris fusco punctatus. PosticaB alas 

 pene ut in prsecedente (myrtilli, Haw.), at fimbria nigra paulo angustior 

 est " (' Lepidoptera Britannica,' p. 163). 



Anarta, Tr., cordigera, Thnb. 



In this beautiful species there is considerable variation. The 

 rarest form in Britain has the ground colour ashy, not only at the 

 base and on the outer margin, but also between the stigmata and con~ 

 tinued downwards towards the inner margin, leaving a black streak 

 between the subterminal and angulated lines (the linos themselves 

 being pale), a black edge to the basal line and a narrow black inner 

 margin. The commonest form is that in which the area between the 

 elbowed and basal lines forms a dark central band, the basal and outer 

 areas ashy, whilst another beautiful form has the whole of the fore 

 wings black except the narrow marginal area outside the subterminal. 

 My finest specimen of this latter form has an ochreous reniform, but this 



