jpQ BRITISH MOTHS 



SPECIES C— XYLOPHASIA CHARACTEREA. Plate XXXII., Fig. G, 7- 



Synonymes. — Noctiia characterea, Hiibner ; Curtis. Noctua hepalica ? Wien. Verz. ; Treitsclike ; Duponcliel ; Boisduval. 



Noctun Epomidioiiy Hawortli ; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 11, fig. 231. 



This species measures about \\ inch in the expanse of tlic fore wings, of which the ground-colour is a greyish - 

 buff, mottled with brown and purplish clouds ; the costa and base of the wings spotted as in the adjacent species ; 

 the anterior stigma very oblique and marked with black on both sides, the space between this and the outer 

 stiiTiua dark-mottled-brown, the outer stigma large, round, and pale, followed by a pale striga edged with slender 

 undulated brown arches, the veins with black dots, and a subapical pale lutoous striga, very much angled towards 

 the middle and waved at the anal angle, edged within with dark -brown, the space between it and the apex of the 

 wing nuich mottled. A rare but widely dispersed species, being found in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Surrey, 

 Devonshire. The caterpillar figured by Hiibner is of a reddish-buff colour, with dorsal and lateral yellow lines 

 and spots. 



Note. It is impossible to determine what Mr. Haworth intended for his Noctua Lirticornis, the Hairy-horned Brindle, the spccinjens having 



been destro-ed. Mr. Hawortli's short character is " spirilinguis cristata, alls glaucescentibus : fascia abbreviata terminaliquc plicata, antennis hirto- 

 pectinatis." From the latter character one is almost tempted to believe the insects must have been mended witli false antennae. 



SPECIES 7.— XYLOPHASIA SCOLOPACINA. Plate XXXII., Fig. 8. 



Synonymes. — Noctua scolopacina, Esper, Hiibner, Treitschke, Boisduval, Stephens, Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. II, fig. 232. 



Noctua abbreviata, Haworth. 



This species measures V^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are varied with grey and brown or 

 livery clay, with a black stripe at the base on the inner margin, a much abbreviated and not very well defined 

 brownish fascia in the middle of the costa which is marked witli various dark dots. The ordinary stigmata are 

 somewhat obsolete, the outer one being whitish, with a grey lunule ; and beyond this is a slender blackish 

 dentated streak, beyond which is a broader brunneous striga nearer the posterior margin slightly undulated, 

 the apical portion being rusty brown, with black dashes and several pale dots united into an undulated 

 streak. The cilia red brown. Tiie hind wings dusky brown, with pale cilice. A very rare species, taken 

 near London and in different parts of Yorkshire, by BIr. Chant. 



SPECIES 8.— XYLOPHASIA RECTILINEA. Plate XXXII., Fig. 9, 10. 



Synonymes. — Noctua rcctilinea, Hiibner? Stephens, 111.; Wood Ind. Ent. pi. 12, fig. 233. 

 Engramette, pi. 234, fig. 385. 



This handsome insect measures about Ir'- inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale ashy grey 



except in the middle, which is marked with a large reddish brown patcli occupying the stigmatic region of the 



wings. The costa is dotted with black, and towards the tip with several white punctures, at the base of the wing 



are the ordinary dark dashes, with pale edges, observable in the allied species. The apical portion of the wing 



is much mottled with darker grey and brown, on wliioli are several black dashes ; and towards the anal angle is a 



pale- waved streak ; the cilia ashy, with black dots at the base ; the hind wings as in tlie preceding species ; the 



sides and fore margin of the tliorax, brown. The caterpillar figured by Hiibner, is reddish brown, with pale 



lateral lines, and two yellowish triangular spots on the hind part of each segment. This is also a very rare 



species, found in Lancashire, at Trafford Park, where it has been taken by Mr. Marshall, to whom we beg to 



offer our thauks for the loan of this and other rare species. 



