IN TUB B1UTIS1I ISLANDS. 41 



the ground colour strongly ochreous-brown, the markings being paler 

 ochreous rather than white, thus giving such a more unicolorous 

 appearance. I found, however, odd specimens of this form afterwards, 

 which had come from Strood and other localities. The Linnaian 

 description of the type is : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis deflexis 

 fuscescentibus : macula reniformi strigis pallidis reticulatis " (' Systema 

 Natura3,' xth., p. 518). To this he adds : " Ala3 superiores cinereai 

 maculis ordinariis margine albo, et strigis tribus albidis, postice in 

 strias excurrentibus, unde ala quasi reticulata " (' Fauna SuecicaV 

 p. 317). The fuscous-grey specimens with distinct whitish reticula- 

 tions would, therefore, appear to represent the type. 



a. var. brunnea, mihi. The ground colour of a deep ochreous- 

 brown, with rather paler ochreous longitudinal nervures, thus making 

 the specimens of a more generally unicolorous appearance owing to 

 the near approach of the ground colour to that of the longitudinal 

 lines. I have some very fine examples from Capt. Kobertson, which 

 were bred from Iarva3 taken at Swansea. The form probably occurs 

 in other localities with the type. 



2. Family : Toxocampidce, Gn. 



This family comprises a distinct and closely allied group of 

 species which certainly very much resemble DELTOIDES and strongly 

 help the idea that the latter should be entirely united to the NOCTU^K. 

 We have only two British species, one of which, craccw, is almost 

 restricted to North Devon, whilst the other, pastinum, is fairly-well 

 distributed in our South-eastern counties of England, extending as far 

 North as Cambridgeshire. Comparing the family Toxocampidce with 

 the heterogenous material that makes up the Amphipyridce, Guenue 

 sa y s : There is certainly a great relationship between the preceding 

 family (Amphipyridce) and the present one, which is divisible into two 

 sections " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., p. 419). Of the genus Toxocampa 

 he writes : " The imagines are to be recognised at first sight, by 

 their collar and the upper part of the frontal tuft, which show up 

 conspicuously in brown or black against the grey of the thorax, and 

 by the reniform spot of the same coloration, and which is partly 

 obliterated, but of which there are always some remnants. The 

 orbicular is reduced to a single dot, often even, entirely absent. The 

 ordinary transverse lines are usually indistinct and reduced to 

 the faintest traces of them. All the surface of the wing, of which 

 the ground colour is grey and silky, is seamed with small vertical 

 striations, which at first sight appear to be formed of darker atoms, 

 but which, in reality, are only little furrows resulting from the break 

 in the continuity of the scales in certain directions. There is nothing 

 similar on the hind wings, which are generally unicolorous grey, or 

 with the outer margin blacker." " The males are distinguished from 

 the females by the form of the antenna3 and of the abdomen. Amongst 

 many of the latter (females) the abdomen bears on the penultimate 

 and antepenultimate segments, two small lateral prominences formed 

 by reclining tufts, of a more yellow colour, and the presence of which 

 is not more explicable in the present state of our knowledge than 

 many other anomalies " (I.e. p. 424). 



