IN TUB BRITISH ISLANDS. 49 



it then forms a black spot. The fringe, which is always clear, 

 generally abuts on this band at the external angle, and leaves there a 

 more or less extended clear spot. Independently of this border, another 

 dark band is seen, narrower, commencing in the middle of the wing 

 and undergoing inflexions which vary according to the species. 

 Sometimes the band is absolutely wanting ; at other times, it is united 

 with the colour of the base and leaves in the middle of the wing only 

 a small yellow or blue band ; lastly, it sometimes happens that the 

 entire wing is of a unicolorous black velvety colour. In the remain- 

 ing cases the ground colour is blue, red, fawn-yellow or orange. Our 

 European Catocalce have been divided into groups according as they 

 exhibit these three colours, and, as this division is convenient, I have 

 adhered to it as much as possible. I confess, however, that it is not 

 very natural and that there is no actual difference in shape, size, appear- 

 ance and food between our Catocala sponsa and promissa, whose inferior 

 wings are of a beautiful red, and neogama, paloeogama etc., of North 

 America, which are of the same yellow colour as our conversa, nor 

 epione, vidua etc., in which they are entirely black. The underside of 

 all the wings of Catocala are always of a pale colour, with black bands, 

 even in those which are quite black above. But, at times, the pale 

 colour is the same as that on the upper part of the inferior wings ; at 

 others, its place is taken by white, which is then more or less tinted 

 with red or with yellow in the third part or the internal half of the 

 inferior wing. The Catocalce vary but little even in the intensity or 

 the shade of the grey. The females are generally a little more 

 clouded than the males, and the brown or red band which follows 

 the elbowed line is more distinct in the former. But there is another 

 organ which varies in this species in regard to colour. This is the 

 abdomen, which, in some species, is accidentally covered with a 

 beautiful delicate red tint. It is often so in the case of C. optata, and 

 I have seen a C. promissa which had the same peculiarity. I am con- 

 vinced that ekcta, and generally all the species of that section called 

 Lampronia, are sometimes similarly affected, without mentioning pactu 

 in which this tint is normal " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vii., pp. 82-83). 



Catocala, Schrk., fraxini, Linn. 



This species is generally rare in Britain, occasional specimens 

 being captured. The double black band characteristic of most of the 

 Catocalce would appear to be absent in this species, but by holding a 

 specimen up to a strong light it can be seen that the dark basal area 

 is divisible into two parts, one, representing the normal band and 

 very opaque, the second allowing the light to be readily transmitted. 

 There appears to be but little variation in tint in the specimens I have 

 seen and Guenee writes : " I have received specimens from North 

 America, where the species does not differ from our European 

 examples " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vii., p. 83). Treitschke, however, 

 writes : " There are to be found varieties in which the fore wings 

 are strongly tinged with yellow, and others, where the band of the 

 hind wings is suffused with violet." " It is the largest moth of this 

 genus, in fact, one of the most imposing of the European species, but 

 now well known everywhere. The head, collar and thorax are white- 

 grey mixed with grey and yellowish hairs, the collar bordered by two 



