IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 11 



has been fortunate in obtaining two specimens, of which he has, at my 

 request, sent the following notice " (< Ent. Ann.' 1859, pp. 147-148). 

 In the ' Entomologist's Annual ' for 1859, Dr. Battersby writes: "My 

 daughter having found a specimen of Micra ostrina in June, I was induced 

 to go with my children the two following mornings and make a close 

 search along the coast wherever the cliffs are accessible, and having a good 

 many little eyes at work, we were fortunate enough to meet with five 

 more ; they occurred at three places in an extent of about three miles, 

 and were met with half way down the cliffs to the water's edge. We 

 found Micra parva only in one place, and saw but two specimens, both 

 of which, were captured; they, as well as ostrina, lay very close among 

 the grass and brambles, and when disturbed did not fly more than a 

 yard or two, ostrina settling on the ground, and parva on plants : this 

 was the only difference 1 observed in their habits ; indeed, until I was 

 able to examine both carefully at home, I considered that I had merely 

 taken two sexes of ostrina. We searched the cliffs with great care for 

 nearly a week afterwards, but without seeing a trace of more." Mr. 

 Newman adds : " From the figure which accompanies the notice of 

 the * Annual,' I should have supposed this insect to be the female of 

 ostrina. I observe that M. Guenee regards Micra parva as a distinct 

 species, but whether Dr. Battersby's insect belongs to that species or 

 not, we have no evidence " (' British Moths,' p. 448). Of parva 

 Treitschke writes : " Erastria alis anticis ex flavo ferrugineis, fascia 

 angusta alba ; posticis fuscescentibus." " Parva is the best known of 

 the genus and is of the same size as the two preceding species (minuta 

 and paula), varying chiefly from light to dark ground colour. The 

 head, collar and thorax are white, mixed with reddish brown ; body 

 yellow-grey, ringed with darker ; the pectinated antenna are rust- 

 coloured, legs yellow- white ; the fore wings are of two colours, yellow- 

 ish-white or light reddish-brown. The basal area is quite plain ; then 

 follows a deep brown, edged with a white, zigzag line ; the central 

 area is white, mottled sometimes with ferruginous-grey, in which the 

 discoidals are more or less indicated by one or several small black dots ; 

 the outer area is brown towards its inner part and whitish near the 

 outer margin ; towards the tip there are some small black dots ; fringes 

 reddish-grey." " Italy and still more Dalmatia which is rich in the 

 smaller insects, are its home. It occurs in some parts of Southern 

 Germany, but is rare. It flies in June in the daytime and resorts to 

 thistles and fragrant flowers " (' Die Schmet. von Europa,' vol. v., pt. 3, 

 pp. 269-270). 



a. var. pallida, mihi. Guenee describes his var. A as having 

 " The red median band quite straight instead of being wavy. The 

 colours generally paler and the inferior wings whiter " (' Noctuelles,' 

 vi., p. 246). This description was made from a specimen " in Guenee's 

 collection taken in the lies d' Hyeres " (I.e.). 



P. var. rubefacta, Mab. Staudinger simply says of this: 

 " Obscurior, rubescens " ('Catalog,' p. 133). Mabelle writes: 

 " There is no trace of yellowish or of dirty white in the upper wings. 

 The base and outer margin of the wing is of a deep brown some- 

 times rosy ; the median line very well-marked throughout its length, 

 with a blackish shade. Inferior wings very dark. For a long time 1 

 believed that this species was distinct from parva which did not vary 



