22 VARIETIES OP NOCTILSJ 



stated that it had only then been found in Normandy. Subsequently 

 it had been noticed at Mont Dore (Auvergne), in 1879 ; in Alsace, and, 

 according to M. Jairdheuille, at Troyes (Aube), in 1887 and 1888. M. 

 Fallou does not allude to the ' France meridionale * given by Guene'e 

 in his Noctuelites ' (ii., p. 332, 1852). We call attention to Duponchel's 

 statement as to its occurrence in Normandy previous to 1829, as of 

 especial interest at the present time. Duponchel says that a brother 

 of M. Boisduval, found it regularly at Falaise every year, that it was 

 double-brooded, and that the larvae fed on a variety of plants, including 

 sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke, burdock and cucumber. Guenee 

 (I.e.) briefly alludes to the same subject. According to this statement, 

 made by eminent lepidopterists, its first appearance in the North of 

 France is by no means recent, and, in fact, its first recorded occurrence 

 in the country was in the north. Does it still occur in Normandy ?" 

 (< Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol. xxvii., p. 74). 



Herr A. Hoffmann then wrote a most interesting note on the 

 geographical distribution of this species. He says : " With great 

 interest I have read the announcement of the occurrence of Plusia 

 moneta in Great Britain (Barrett, ' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' 1890, p. 255) ; this 

 species being a very good example of the great changes which may 

 take place in the geographical distribution of an insect. The tendency 

 of moving in the direction from east to west, which we find, or sus- 

 pect, in so many other European insects is expressed clearly in this 

 species, and has been noticed for some years by Continental entomolo- 

 gists. Plusia moneta was known to be a common insect in the South 

 and South-East of Germany, but until the year, 1875, was not recorded 

 from the North- West of our country, nor from the Netherlands. In 

 the year 1875 began the invasion of the species into the above-named 

 districts, and in the course of a few years it was recorded from differ- 

 ent places. Rhoden, Aralson (Speyer), Hanover (Wacquand), Meck- 

 lenburg, Stralsund (Schmidt), Hamburg (Grseser). In the year 1882, 

 it was found near Arnheim, and in 1887, near Breda, in Holland 

 (Snellen). The tendency of the species to gain new ground was so 

 intense, that even the rough climate of our Hartz Mountains was not 

 able to keep it back, for I found moneta in the moorland districts of 

 the Brocken, at a height of about 800 metres ; I noticed the larva 

 there during three years from 1870 on the Aconitnm plants, in a small 

 garden belonging to a forester's house. The species was single-brooded 

 there, whilst it is double-brooded in more favourable climates. Now, 

 the species having crossed the Channel, it will probably spread rapidly 

 over England as it has done over the North- West of Germany, and 

 over Holland. The larva may be easily noticed, when young, in May, 

 on the aconite, spinning the young shoots of the plant together, like 

 the larvse of several Depressarice. Later, the large yellow cocoon is 

 easily visible hanging on the underside of a leaf of aconite. The most 

 interesting question is, whether Plusia moneta will keep the newly- 

 gained ground, or whether it will lose it again in the course of years " 

 (' Ent. Mo. Mag.,' vol. xxvii., pp. 21-22). The species was again 

 recorded in 1891, so that moneta appears to have come to settle 

 with us. 



The type is thus described by Fabricius : " Noctua cristata, alis 

 deflexis aureis : strigis undatis annuloque geminato argenteo." " Mag- 



