IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 6 



superioribus fuscescentibus, basi maculaque ad apicem quadrata albis, 

 charactere in medio numeri 8 referente ; inferioribus albis limbo 

 fusco " (' Die Schmet. in Abbild.' etc., p. 69). Of this species 

 Humphrey and Westwood write: "This species measures about 1J 

 inches in the expanse of the fore wings, which are white at the base 

 with a black dot towards the costa, and terminated before the middle 

 of the wing by a rather broad deeply angulated bar, followed on the 

 costa by a large whitish patch, and a slender waved streak on the 

 opposite side of the inner margin ; the anal angle white, with several 

 ashy-grey clouds or spots ; the apex rather of a leaden-grey, with a 

 row of minute black dots ; the reniform stigma somewhat like the 

 figure 8 ; cilia brown, that portion next the anal angle white, hind 

 wings white with a broad brown margin, cilia white. Several speci- 

 mens taken near Dover and London, about 20 years ago, in June. 

 The caterpillar feeds on trefoil, dandelion &c. The moth is common 

 near Paris appearing in May and August. It flies in the hottest part 

 of the day in the dry places where Eryngium campestre grows " 

 (< British Moths,' p. 239) ; whilst Mr. Dale writes : " Acontia Solaris 

 var. lucida. This species was taken by Mr. Stone at Dover, in June, 

 1825 ; three others were likewise taken there, one of which I believe 

 to be Mr. Burney's " (' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol. xxv., p. 247). I cannot 

 quite understand Mr. Dale's synonomy above, as kicida, Hufn. = 

 Solaris, Esp. The variety captured in Britain has always, so far, been 

 var. albicollis. Of the occurrence of Acontia Solaris var. albicollis in 

 Britain, Mr. Stainton writes : " The capture of a specimen of this 

 insect by Mr. Percy Andrews is recorded in the ' Intelligencer,' 

 vol. vi., p. 187. ' I took it in a clover field at Brighton on August 

 25th, flying in the sunshine like others of the genus.' Mr. Andrews 

 announced it under the name of albicollis on the authority of Mr. 

 Doubleday. A. Solaris is a variable insect, and pale specimens have 

 been reported distinct under the name of albicollis. Guende 

 observes : ' This Acontia is, in my opinion, a perfectly distinct 

 species from Solaris, of which all modern authors have considered it a 

 variety, and I have no doubt the larva, which is at present unfortu- 

 nately unknown, will confirm its distinctness. No doubt it occurs in 

 the same localities as Solaris ; however, it becomes commoner as we 

 advance southwards, whilst the contrary is the case with its 

 congener.' In singular antithesis to the last sentence, the pale var. 

 and that only has occurred in Britain. Stephens remarks : * A 

 single specimen of this insect was in the late Mr. Marsham's collection 

 but of the locality I am not aware ; two examples were taken within 

 the metropolitan range about ten years ago and four others near Dover 

 about six years since ; all but the first were rescued from oblivion by 

 the zeal of Mr. Stone.' Herrich-Schaffer observes of Solaris ' less 

 generally diffused than luctuosa but occurring further North ' " (< Ent. 

 Ann.,' 1860). 



a. var. albicollis, Fab. Of this Staudinger writes : Al. ant. basi 

 thoraceque totis albis " (' Catalog,' p. 131), whilst Guenee writes : 

 " This Acontia constitutes, in my opinion, a species perfectly distinct 

 from Solaris, of which it has been considered a variety by all modern 

 authors, and I do not doubt that its caterpillar, which is unhappily 

 yet unknown, would help to confirm its validity. It inhabits, doubt- 



