68 VAlilETIES OF NOCTUA 



Bomolocha, Hb., fontis, Thnb. 



There are two very distinct forms of this species, one, with the 

 outer and inner marginal areas of the wing, distinctly whitish ; the 

 other with these same parts ashy, and sometimes much shaded with 

 fuscous, specimens of the latter form looking very dark when placed 

 side by side with the former. Besides these, some specimens have 

 the dark costal patch outlined with bright ochreous or brownish, 

 whilst occasional specimens have the dark costal patch extended to 

 the inner margin, absorbing the normally pale area found there and 

 also the somewhat extended pale inner marginal basal blotch. There 

 is also a second line of variation, viz., in the colour of the dark costal 

 patch. In some specimens, this is of a dark chocolate-brown, almost 

 black, in others, it inclines strongly to red. Altogether, therefore, 

 this species offers considerable variation, and it is not surprising that 

 the old authors with their slender material found different names for 

 the various forms. 



The darkest form is the type for Thunburg writes : " Alis 

 deflexis nigris, anticis margine postico cinereis punctis lineaque apicis 

 nigris. Habitat in Hallandia D. Osbeck, in Wermelandia Med. Cand. 

 Holrner " ( ( Museum Naturalium ' etc., p. 72). Guenee's var. A would 

 appear to be the type for he writes : " All the pale parts of the wing 

 of a dark ash-colour, in which the white subterminal dots are con- 

 spicuous. The base is powdered with brown and hardly distinguishable 

 from the dark costal blotch which is followed by a very distinct, 

 parallel brown line. The inferior wings very dark. The thorax 

 almost black " (' Histoire naturelle ' etc. (Deltoi'des), vol. viii., p. 34). 

 One readily understands that Guenee would treat this as a variety, the 

 majority of French specimens being of the paler coloration ; in fact, 

 Guenee refers Hiibner's achatalis, fig. 12 (a pale form), to the type. 

 Hiibner's fig. 172 is a very extreme form of the darker variety, the whole 

 of the inner marginal and basal areas, and the space between the position 

 of the elbowed and subterminal lines being encroached on and filled up 

 by the dark costal patch. Hiibner's terricularis is a still more extreme 

 form, with the wings almost entirely blackish-brown. The following 

 is an attempt to classify the principal forms of this species : 



1. Outer and inner marginal areas whitish, costal patch dark brown 



= var. achatalis, Hb. (fig. 12). 

 la. Outer and inner marginal areas whitish, costal patch reddish 



= var. rufescens. 

 2. Outer and inner marginal areas ashy-grey, costal patch dark brown 



= fontis, Thnb. 

 2a. Outer and inner marginal areas ashy-grey, costal patch reddish 



= var. crassalis, Fab. 

 2b. The dark costal patch extending completely to the inner margin 



= achatalis (fig. 172), Hb. = var. suffusa. 

 2c. Almost entirely blackish-brown = var. terricularis, Hb. 



a. var. achatalis, Hb. This is the palest form of the species, with 

 the basal part of the inner margin and the outer .margin beyond the 

 angulated line white, the dark costal area extending from the base to 

 the angulated line, of a dark chocolate -brown colour. The description 

 I made of Hiibner's achatalis is as follows : " Fore wings with a dark 



