58 VARIETIES OP 



for his diagnosis of Cyrilli's litterdta is : " Alis albo non flavo pictis " 

 ('Catalog,' p. 135) ; the form with the wings with white markings is, how- 

 ever, really the type, and not that with yellow markings as apparently 

 assumed by Staudinger. Hiibner's figure 346, has the pale markings 

 of the fore wings of a faint slaty tinge, those on the hind wings being 

 ochreous ; the markings are however, normal, with the T well 

 developed. Treitschke also, as well as Staudinger, refers to Cyrilli's 

 litterata as the variety. As I have just previously mentioned, the 

 white form is Clerck's type, the ochreous, and by far the more common 

 form, being the variety. Of Cyrilli's litterata, Treitschke writes : 

 " There are varieties which are very white on the upper surface and in 

 which the normal yellow on the hind wings is almost white. These 

 are the Ph. litterata of Cyrilli. There are, on the other hand, other 

 specimens very dark, almost reddish-brown, dusted strongly with 

 black on the hind wings ; the former (pale specimens) are mostly 

 males, the latter females " (' Schmet. von Europa,' vol. v., p. 397). 

 Comparison with the description of Clerck's figure, will at once show 

 that it and litterata are identical. 



a. var. ochrea, mihi. Both the anterior and posterior wings with 

 the ordinary pale markings ochreous instead of white. This is by far 

 the commoner form in Britain and probably on the Continent, and is 

 erroneously treated as the type by Treitschke and Staudinger. The 

 yellow form is the var. A of Guenee who writes : " The spots on 

 the inferior wings of a yellow-ochreous tint. Southern France and 

 Catalonia " (< Noctuelles/ vol. vii., p. 292). 



Endidia, Och., glypliica, Linn. 



The Linnraan description of glypJiica always suggests to me the 

 markings of its congener mi, which certainly resemble " hieroglyphics " 

 more than do those of this species. In some specimens, the ground 

 colour is darker than in others, whilst a few have a decidedly greyish 

 tint. There is also considerable difference in the intensity of the 

 transverse lines, and in the darker specimens the basal line is merged in 

 the ground colour. A dark transverse fascia is frequently formed by 

 the darkening of the ground colour between the elbowed line and the 

 central shade ; sometimes this dark band has conspicuously paler 

 edges, at others, only the central fascia and angulated line are darker, 

 the space between being paler. The dark costal spot near the apex 

 also varies in size, sometimes being quadrangular in shape, at others 

 triangular, and occasionally it forms only a simple lunule. In the 

 hind wings the yellow is paler in some specimens than others, and 

 this is generally so with those that have paler fore wings. The dark 

 transverse line parallel to the outer margin is sometimes complete. 

 The dark basal patch is sometimes continued on its upper and outer 

 edge so as to form a solid block, whilst it is frequently continued to 

 the transverse line just mentioned. The nervures black, sometimes 

 much shaded and encroaching on the ground colour, giving such 

 specimens a very dark appearance and reducing the yellow to a 

 minimum. 



The Linna3an description of the type is as follows: " Noctna 

 seticornis Irovis, alis patulis fuscescentibus maculis hieroglyphicis 

 nigris ; subtus fascia nigra." " Geometra similis ; alae characteribus 



