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LOCAL VARIATION IN LEPIDOPTERA FROM THE ORKNEYS. ' 

 BY C. G. BARRETT, F.E.S. 



A box o£ insects, forwarded for examination by Mr. E. M. Chees- 

 man, of Stromness, all captured in the Orkneys, presents some points 

 of interest. 



NemeopMla plantaginis, L. — The beautiful white variety, hospita, is represented, 

 and, as usual, its complement in a form of the female with brilliant red hind-wings. 

 In other specimens there is a tendency to bi'eabing up of the markings : the large 

 cross in the hinder portion of the fore-wings being often separated from the longi- 

 tudinal stripe, or having two or even three of its arras obliterated ; or the stripe is 

 broken by the black ground-colour. 



Agrotis saucia, Hiib. —One specimen, very pale in colour, but worn, apparently 

 new to these Isles, though it has been taken in Shetland. 



Noctua glareosa, Esp. — A slate-grey form, not quite so dark as is found in the 

 Shetlands, but having the transverse lines and margins of the stigmata conspicuously 

 pale, and the black interspaces strongly marked — very pretty. 



N. festiva, Hiib., var. borealis, Tengs. — Rather narrow and pointed-winged 

 specimens, as found in the Shetlands, and some of them of a very rich purple-brown. 

 The form erroneously called conftua, Tr. 



Caradrina cuHcularix, Schiff.— One specimen having the fore-wings so dark 

 that the usual submarginal stripe and costal spots are quite obscured. 



Hypsipetes elutata, Schiff. — Some of the usual full size, but varying to uniform 

 green-black ; others of the small mountain variety varying to rusty-brown and rusty- 

 black, with green clouding. 



Melanippe montanata, Schiff. — Along with ordinary typical specimens is a very 

 pretty variety, not of the character of those from the Shetlands, but having the 

 fore-wings rather narrow and pointed, the general surface very softly shaded with 

 soft, warm, fawn-colour, and the central band of a deeper tint of the same. 



M.Jiuctuata, L. — Fluctuating as usual. Some having the ground-colour nearly 

 as white as in the south, but with the central band and rippled markings very black ; 

 others with grey ground completely covered with rippled markings in dark grey, and 

 with the central band but little darker : or grey with very little rippling. 



Coremia munitata, Hiib. — One form has an exceedingly rich, deep, purple-red 

 central band, margined with black ; another, with the black margins very sharp and 

 distinct, has the middle portion of the band extremely pale purplish-pink or whitish- 

 pink, giving it an extraordinai-y resemblance to the paler varieties of C. propugnata, 

 Schiff. 



Cheimatobia bniniata, L. — The nervures of the fore-wings much dotted or 

 streaked with dark olive-brown, giving it a blacker appearance. 



Cidaria russata, Schiff. — With ordinary forms is one having the general surface 

 of a tawny-yellow, the central band being pale tawny-brown. 



Crambus tristellus, Schiff. — One specimen of a soft, bright, yellow-brown, with 

 the pale streak rather obscure, has two distinctly visible, angulated, transverse lines. 



