165 BRITISH MOTHS 



slaty grey colour, very much irrorated with brownish above, and blackish markings, which on the left wins; give 

 to the characteristic portion the appearance of the two figures 29 in old cursive text. The costa is marked 

 with several dusky dots, and there is a pale oblong-oval stripe, edged behind with black at the base. Tlie black 

 line being obliquely deflexed at the extremity behind the anterior stigma, which is pale, but with a dusky centre, 

 the dark line by which it is edged being also obliquely continued behind tlie second stigma, which is similarly 

 coloured to the anterior one, the space between them being dark but edged with the black edging of the stigmata ; 

 towards the middle of the inner margin of the wing is a black angulated line edged externally with white, there 

 being no other indication of the ordinary strigaj. The space beyond the stigmata is less varied, except towards 

 the margin, where are a row of conical black spots preceded by a paler tinge of grey, two of which towards the 

 jiosterior angle are confluent, and followed by a very slender row of dusky lunules. The hind wings are pale 

 greyish-brown, with a slight dusky transverse fiiscia beyond the middle ; the abdomen and cilia of the hind wings 

 are tiuged with rosy, the latter preceded by a very slender but interrupted dark line. 



This is a common and widely-distributed species, occurring on the trunks of trees in March and April ; it is 

 .also fond of frequenting the flowers of the sallow. In its early appearance, therefore, as well as in several minute 

 structural peculiarities, it is distinct from the preceding and following species. 



SPECIES 11.— HADENA PROTEA. Plate XXXIV., Fig. 3, 4. 



SvNoNYMES. — A'octua protea, Wien. Verz. ; Esper; HUbner; I Nochia seladonia, HavioTlh. 

 Treitsi-like ; Duponchel ; Boisduval ; GoJait ; Gutnee. Polia seladonia, Stephens. 



Noctua nebulosa, Borkhausen. j 



We have followed Boisduval and Guenee in uniting this insect to the genus Iladena, although it must be 

 observed that in its markings and some other characters, as well as in its larva state and its autumnal appearance 

 in the perfect state, it materially uiifers from all the other Hadense. The fore wings measure from about l^- 

 to I5 inch in expanse, and are very variable in colour, being of a reddish-brown varied with grey and greenish, 

 and with numerous dusky markings. The costa, with numerous oblique blackish dots and a few white specks 

 towards the tip ; the two ordinary stigmata are grey, with the middle dusky and slightly edged with a fine black 

 line. Towards the base of tlie wing is a whitish patch edged with blackish externally, beyond which the space 

 is also darker ; towards the middle of the hinder margin is another pale patch, above which is an oblique dark 

 mark resting on an irregular black line, which is bent upwards towards the outer stigma ; beyond this the wing 

 is of a clearer colour and whitish towards the apex, having a pale irregular submarginal striga considerably 

 angulated towards the middle, and outwardly edged with darker brown, and witli a more regular series of conical 

 minute brown spots tipped with black along the margin. The hind wings are pale brown with the base whitish, 

 and beyond the middle and towards the margin run two slender pale strigte ; the margin itself with a row of 

 small black wavy lines. The wings beneath are pale grey, very much powdered with blackish scales and a 

 central blackish dot in each, and a marginal row of minute dark conical dots ; the cilije are cinereous with brown 

 spots. This is a most variable species ; some individuals having nearly all the green and reddish-brown tints of 

 the fore wings obliterated, whilst others have them of a nearly uniform pale green with a few black streaks ; 

 others are nearly grey, with the inner margin, stigmata, and subajjical fascia nearly white. 



The caterpillar is dirty-green coloured with small dark punctures, the head clearer green with two whitish 

 spots edged with black and a yellow mark on the first segment, a yellow dorsal line and one of the same colour 

 at each side along the stigmata. It feeds on the oak ; the imago occurs in September and October, and is by no 

 means a rare insect. 



