IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 7 



Fallou found out his error in considering this a distinct species and 

 wrote : " When, in December 1863, I communicated to the Society 

 the description of a new Noctuelle which I could not refer to any 

 known species and which I named BryopJiila guenei, I asked my col- 

 leagues in the locality to continue the search, and attempt to obtain 

 a better result than could be arrived at with my two specimens. My 

 expectation was not of long duration, and I received, on the 9th 

 November 1864, from our excellent colleague M. Lafaury, communica- 

 tions which have convinced me that this species is only a southern variety 

 of Erastria fuscula. Twelve specimens of the latter, taken at Dax by 

 our colleague, connect the type with my guenei, both in the shape of 

 the wings and in markings. I hasten, therefore, to correct the note 

 published in our " Annales," and to no longer allow this error to exist. 

 As this variety is curious and appears constant, I consider it should 

 continue to figure in our catalogues as Erastria fuscula var. guenei" 

 (< Ann. Ent. Soc. Fr.,' 1864, p. 688). 



Eankia, Gn., argentula, Hb. 



In this species, the variation of some specimens is rather marked, 

 and in these we get a distinct change of ground colour, the green in 

 some specimens becoming red. The stigmata are strangely developed, 

 the renif orm existing as a white blotch on the white line which passes 

 from the centre of the wing to the anal angle, the orbicular and clavi- 

 form as two spots, one towards the top, the other towards the bottom 

 of the other oblique line which occupies the position of the ordinary 

 basal line. The origin of these spots is obscured in many specimens, 

 but a specimen now and then shows their structure beyond doubt. In 

 some specimens there are no spots to show the position of one or more 

 of the stigmata, and there is every possible gradation in the form and 

 size. There is a great difference in the width of the white lines. In 

 two of my specimens they are so narrow as to become partly obsolete, 

 the reniform existing independently of the line as a white encircled 

 stigma, the orbicular and reniform showing up their origin most dis- 

 tinctly in these specimens. Hiibner's description of the type is as 

 follows : " This species is of the size of sulphurea and much like it in 

 shape. The head is white and olive-green, the palpi are entirely olive, 

 the antennas brown. The fore wings on the upper surface olive-green 

 with silvery stripes. The latter consist of one short one near the base 

 and two larger ones in the centre, the outer with two teeth, and the 

 second with a round spot near the centre. The two lines run from 

 the costa to the inner margin. Towards the apex is a short line and 

 close to the outer margin is another line, between which and the margin 

 the ground colour is quite pale. The fringes are grey. It is taken 

 rarely near Augsburg " (' Beitrage zur Geschichte ' etc., vol. i., pt. 2, 

 p. 9). 



a. var. rufescens, mihi. Under this name I would include all those 

 specimens which have the normal green ground colour of the type 

 changed into a reddish-brown. Such varieties are rare. They are 

 marked in the same manner as the type. 



P. var. obsoleta, mihi. The ground colour as in the type, but the 

 two transverse white lines reduced in width, becoming very narrow and 

 almost linear. My specimens were taken with the type at Chippenham 

 Fen. 



