J 12 BRITISH MOTHS 



** WINGS NARROWER AND MORE DENTICULATED (HADENA P. BOISDUVAL). 

 SPECIES 2.— CHAR^AS FUSCA. Plate XXII., Fig. G. 



Synonvmks. — Noctua fusca, Hawoitli ; Curtis; (Agrotis f.) (Ilailcna 1.) 

 Stephens; (Clmrsas f.) ; AVooil, Ind. Ent., pi. 8, fig. 122. Varieties. — Charxas coDsimilis and ortliostigma, Stephens. Cat. 



yoclua lululenla? W. V. ; Hiiljner ; Treitsclike ; Boisduval Haust., p. C4. 



The foro wings in this species vary from IJ- to nearly If inches in expanse, and arc of a dark brown colour 

 inclining to black, with a subtriangular, central, dark fascia, attenuated behind, and bordered with a narrow 

 ,,/,,, pale streak, and a somewhat obsolete paler streak near tlie apical margin ; the stigmata are very obscure, and 

 placed on the dark fascia, behind which is a waved ashy or grey streak and several white spots on the costa ; the 

 hind wings are clear white in the male but dusky in the females, with a darker border ; varieties have occurred 

 with the fore wings of a nearly uniform dark colour, and others with the stigmata distinct and yellowish. All 

 the specimens were taken near Birchwood, Kent, in September. 



SPECIES 3.— CHAR^AS NIGRA. Plate XXII., Fig. 7. 



Noctua nigricans, Hiibner, olim. 

 Hailena Mthiops, Boisduval ; Guenee. 



Synonymes. — Noctua ititjra, Hawonli ; Curtis ; Stephens, 111. 2, p. 1 10. 

 Noctua JEtldops, Ochscnh. ; niibuer, Noct., fig. 5.38 ; Stephens, III. 

 2, pi. 20, f. 2. 



This species measures about 1 i inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a dull lilack colour, tinned 



with reddish before and beyond the middle, with a broad, somewhat triangular d.irker bar in the middle ; the 



stigmata are nearly obliterated, the posterior one having an interrupted outer edging of yellowish ; in this dark 



fascia, towards the inner margin, is a darker longitudinal stripe ; on the costa, towards the apex, are several 



whitish dots, and along the apical margin, which is denticulated, are several dull yellowish spots, preceded by 



small dark patches ; the abdomen is pale brown, ligliter at the base ; the hind wings whitish in the male, but 



dusky ash in tin.' female, with a dusky border. They are strongly denticulated. The abdomen of the male is 



terminated by a bifid tuft. Tiiis very rare species has been found in June in Kent, Cumberland, and Devonshire. 



CERAPTERYX, Curtis. HELIOPHOBUS, p. Boisduval. 



The head is small and the thorax not crested ; the abdomen tufted in the males at tlie tip but conical in the 

 females ; the wings are not denticulated ; the palpi are moderate in size ; tlie terminal joint about half the 

 size of the preceding, ami exposed, and the antenna: are bipectinated iu the males, the rays being ciliated, with 

 the terminal joints simple ; the female antennce are slightly pubescent on the inside. The larva is naked, with 

 sixteen feet ; it is of a brown colour, with pale stripes down the back and sides, and feeds on various grasses, 

 but not upon Alopecurtis pratensis nor Trifolium pratense, according to Linuccus, by whom, as well as bj' various 

 subsequent writers, the great injury committed by the larvae in grass lands have been described. 



SPECIES 1. — t:ERAPTERYX GRAMINIS. Plate XXII., Fig. 8. 



Synonymes. — Plud. Bonilii/.v yraminis, Linnaeus; Donovan, vol. I Noctua tricuspis , Wuhm^v , olim; Esper. 

 13, pi. 458; Hiibner, Xoct., hg. 480, 481 ; Harris E.vposition, pi. Chanras fframinis, Oucnte. 



5, fi'.'. 7 ; Wood, lud. Eut. pi. 8, fig. 124. | Variety. — Ceraptervx hibtinicus, Curtis, Brit. Ent. pi. 451. 



Tliis species v.aries from 1^ to 1^ inch in the expansion of the fore wings, which, as well as the head and thorax, 



are very variable in colour, but generally grey brown, with a slender whitish line running from tlie base along tlie 



great median vein, and branching in the same manner as it branches ; the sjiace between this pale line and the 



