214 BRITISH MOTHS 



SPECIES 1.— NONAGRA TYPH^. Plate XLVL, Fig. 1, 2, 3. 



Noclua nervosa, Espcr (variety ?). 

 Noctua fraterna, Borkliausen (variety?). 



SvNONYMES. — Noctua Typhce, Hiilmer; Espcr; Borkliausen 

 Treitsclike ; Hawortli ; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent., pi. 15, fig. 355 

 Noctua arundiniSy Fabricius. 



This maybe considered as the type of the genus Nonagria; it varies from 1^ to 2 inches in the expanse of 

 the fore wings, which are of a pale reddish buff colour, the veins forming delicate white lines, margined on each 

 side, more or less strongly, especially beyond the middle of the wing and along the great median vein, with 

 brown ; the principal veins are dotted with black towards the base of the wing, and the two ordinary stigmata 

 are slightly indicated in fine specimens by some slight fuscous markings ; parallel to the apical margin of the 

 wing there runs a row of small black lanceolated spots, preceded by a curved row of very minute brown ones 

 placed on the veins. The apical margin lias a row of small black semilunar dots. The hind wings are paler, and 

 very glossy, the margin rather darker, and an interrupted dark marginal line. 



" Tile larva is a most singular one, it is very elongate and slender, of a dirty brown colour, longitudinally 

 striped up the back and sides with darker lines ; it does not confine itself to an upright position, as Duponchel 

 observes, and Mr. Curtis repeats, but enters the stem of the Typha usually about eight inches above the water, 

 and continues to devour the lateral portion to the water's edge ; it then comes out and attacks another and another." 

 Ent. Mag. 1, 455. " It eats downwards, just in the centre, until it reaches nearly to the root, often some inches 

 below the water ; it then turns round and proceeds upwards, enlarging its old track, and by the time it has arrived 

 a few inches above the water it is full-grown. It there gnaws quite through the outside of the stem, closing the 

 opening with a slight web of silk. It then spins a web intermingling with the silk a large proportion of the 

 fibres of the bulrush, which it has gnawed off, alwaj's undergoing the metamorphosis head downwards, and 

 suspended within the web by a thread about two lines long, with a small cup-shaped termination, which invests 

 the last segment of the body of the pupa. They remain about three or four weeks in the pupa." Delta, 

 in Entoni. j\Iag. ''1, 441, and 2, 452. The moth is by no means of rare occurrence where the bulrush 

 grows, and Mr. S. Stevens has taken it from the end of July to the middle of September, 



SPECIES 2.— NONAGRIA CRASSICORNIS. Plate XLVL, Fig. 4—10. 



Nonagria canncB, Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 15, fig. 358. 

 [Treitschke ?] 



Noctua algcBy Esper ? 

 Noctua anmdiiiis, HUbner ? 

 Leucanea Bathyerga, Freyer ? * 



SvNONYMES. — Noctua crassicortiis, Haworth ; Curtis ; Stephens ; 

 Wood, lud. Ent. pi. 15, fig. 357. 



Noctua pilicorjiis, Haworth,iu Trans. Ent. -Soc. Old Series, p. 336; 

 Steph., 111. H. 3, pi. 20, fig. 1 ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 15, fig. 356, (male). 



Noctua httosa, Hubner ; Curtis ; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. 

 pi. 52, fig. icon (variety). 



The fine series of Nonagrise and Leucanife, captured by Mr. Stevens during the past season within a mile of 

 ray residence, has enabled us to speak with tolerable certainty respecting some, at least, of the supposed species of 

 these insects, and more especially, in the present instance, when several species are thus proved to be but varieties of 

 a very variable insect. The expanse of the fore wings varies from IS to nearly 2 inches. They are of a pale 

 reddish buff colour, slightly irrorated with dusky scales, especially along the median vein, and on each side of the 

 veins towards the apex of the wings ; beyond the middle of the wings is a curved row of dark dots placed on the 

 veins, which likewise extends across the hind wings, which are whitish in the females, but dusky white in the 

 males : the antennas, in the latter sex, are strongly pilose. The cilise are pale lutescent. Mr. Stephens, in his 



* Mr. E. Doubleday having sent specimens of the N. cras&icornis to Paris, has been informed by M. Pierret that they are identical with Leucaiiia 

 Bathyerga, Freyer. As, however, Boisduval gives N. Vectis, of Curtis, as a synonyme of that species, I have added a mark of doubt to the 

 quotation. 



