130 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



an approximate blackish line; a double undulating black line at half the 

 distance between the base and the band ; orbicular mark forming an 

 elliptical cinereous ringlet ; reniform mostly or wholly obsolete, as is 

 also the orbicular occasionally ; marginal space brown, partly including 

 a row of black streaks, which are traversed by a cinereous dentate 

 line ; marginal lunules dark brown, bordered with cinereous. Hind 

 wings ochreous-red. Length of the body 13 lines ; of the wings 32 

 lines. Localities. a, North Hindostan, presented by the Secretary of 

 the Indian Board ; b and c, North Hindostan, presented by Capt. 

 Strachey" (Walker, 'Catalogue, Lep. Het. Brit. Mus.,' 33, p. 868 

 [1865] ). 



Ampliipyra, Och., tragopoginis, Linn. 



Vol. iv., p. 39. Amphipyra tragopoginis var. turcomana, Stdgr. 

 This Asiatic variety is described by Staudinger as follows : " The 

 specimens which are sent in large numbers from the province of 

 Samarkand, taken at the end of May, as well as similar specimens from 

 Margelan and Tekke, differ so much from the type in their paler 

 coloration, that they deserve a varietal name. The fore wings are 

 glossy, of a light, lead colour, instead of dark blackish-brown. The 

 three darl$ dots near the margin and in the centre of the wing are 

 generally suffused, whilst the darker, shadowy band near the outer 

 margin is only faintly marked in some specimens. The hind wings of 

 this var. turcomana are also much lighter, white-grey predominating. 

 I sent out these light tragopoginis at first as var. asiatica, but as I after- 

 wards received from Asia Minor, specimens as dark or darker than 

 those of Europe, the name asiatica seems to me inappropriate " (' Stettiner 

 entomologische Zeitung,' vol. xlix., p. 32). 



Catocala, Och., electa, Bkh. 



Vol. iv., p. 48. Catocala electa. This species has only once been 

 captured in England, and this specimen was taken by Mr. Vine in the 

 neighbourhood of Brighton. The original notice of its occurrence by 

 its captor, is as follows : " On the 24th of September, I had the good 

 fortune to take at sugar, about eight miles from Brighton, a specimen 

 of Catocala electa, which I think is the first recorded British capture. 

 It was taken in a strong south-west wind off an elm tree, about 

 8 o'clock. It is now in the possession of Mr. Meek, of Brompton 

 Koad" ('Entomologist,' vol. viii., pp. 282-283). Mr. Meek adds: 

 " When at Brighton last Saturday, I bought what I supposed to be a 

 var. of Catocala nupta, but, upon comparison with an European col- 

 lection, I find it is Catocala electa " (I.e.). No other British specimen 

 has been recorded of this species, either before or since. 



The original description of this species is as follows : " Phalcena 

 Noctua electa. This moth has been confounded by modern authors 

 with Linnseus' pacta. It is about the same size as nupta, the ground 

 colour of the fore wings being of a light ashy-grey, mixed with light 

 brown. Three whitish lines, edged with black, run transversely 

 across the fore wings ; the one nearest the base is short and broken ; 

 the second forms a strong curve and shows an M in the middle ; the 

 third is arched still more strongly, especially towards the outside, 

 has irregular teeth and twice forms the letter M. Close to this latter, 

 on the outer side, runs in similar curves a brownish shade joined by a 



