016 BRITISH MOTHS 



of littoralis, pudorina, and phragmatidis, from the cabinet of Mr. I. F, Stephens, comma from Mr. H. Doubleday, and obsoli-ta from the 

 British Museum. In some varieties I have thought it unnecessary to figure such as arcuata, a variety of impura, ochracea, another variety 

 of palleus, and fulva, another variety of pygmina. Unipuncta, some time since considered British, is proved to be a North American species, 

 having accidentally obtained a place in some old cabinets, Tlie caterpillars are from Hiibner and Freyer; that of impura accords with some 

 specimens obtained in the Hammersmith marshes by Mr. S. Stevens. H. N. H. 



LEUCANIA, OcHSENHEiMEB. LEUCANIA and NONAGRIA, pars. Gcenee. 

 This genus is closely allied to Nonagria, in which group, indeed, the French Lepidopterists introduce some of 

 the following species. The typical Leucanise are, however, distinguished by their small size, the antenna nearly 

 alike in botli sexes ; scaly above, and thickly ciliated beneath ; the tliorax is not crested, the abdomen long and 

 slender in the males, the fore wings narrow and acute at the tip. The caterpillars are described by Stephens as 

 not being internal feeders, slightly pilose, and feeding on leaves, and the pupa is inclosed in a web, according to 

 Ochsenheimer. How far the latter characters will apply to all the following species is doubtful, since our 

 figures, 4, 12 and 14, evidently represent two diiferent types of larvse. 



SPECIES 1.— LEUCANIA STRAMINEA, Plate XLVII., Fig. 1. 



Synonyme. — Leucania Straminea, Treitsclike ; Boisduval ; | Nonagria Vectis, Curtis, Brit. Ent. pi. 459; Stephens; Wood, 

 Freyer. I Ind. Ent. pi. 52, fig. 1669. 



Tiiis species measures 1 .V inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are alternately marked with numerous 



longitudinal ochreous and cream-coloured lines, the nervures being pale ; the central nervure suflFused with reddish 



ochre, as well as the one next the interior margin, which is slightly freckled with black : at the disc is a fuscous 



dot, and an imperfect curved line of similar dots, between it and the posterior margin, which bears seven black 



dots, the posterior angle emarginate ; hind wings white, lightly tinted with ochre, and freckled with brown beiow 



the centre, where there is a pale spot shining through from beneath. The obscure line of fuscous dots is continued 



across their wings ; they are somewhat oval, and there are a few dark dots on the margin. Curtis, Brit. Ent. 459. 



Taken in the Isle of Wight and at Whittlesea Mere in July, also in the Hammersmith marshes in June, by Mr. 



S. Stevens — in company with Leucania obsoleta. 



SPECIES 2.— LEUCANIA COMMA. Plate XLVIL, Fig. 2. 



SvNoNVMEs. — PhalcBna Noctua comma, Linnaeus ; Treitschke ; 

 Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent., pi. 15, fig. 359. 

 Noi-'hia pallens, Espcr. 



Noctua turhida, Hiibner (teste Stephens). 



Noctua coiujrua Hiibner? 



Noctua impura, Hiinbcr (teste Boisduval). 



This species measures nearly H inch in the expanse of the fore wings, wliich are of a pale ashy brown, with 

 a black central line at the base, extending behind the median vein, as far as its first branch ; a similar but shorter 

 and slenderer line extends behind each of the longitudinal branches, beyond the middle of the wing ; the costa is 

 paler luteous brown ; the disk darker brown ; tlie veins whitish, witii a slender margin of pale brown on each 

 side. At the extremity of the discoidal cell is a black dot ; the apical margin of the wing has a row of minute 

 black dots, between which extend the white veins into the cilise ; the hind wings are of a shining gray brown, 

 with pale ciliae ; the thorax has a slender dark arch in front. 



The caterjiillar is naked, reddish brown, dotted and striped witli black on the back ; the first segment 

 scutellated witli black, with three white lines ; it feeds on the common sorrell. The moth is rather abundant, 

 and appears in June and July. 



SPECIES 3.— LEUCANIA IMPURA. Plate XLVIL, Fig. 3, 4. 



Synonvmes. — Noctua impura, Huhnev ; Treitschke ; Stephens; 1 Noctua punctina, Haworth; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 15, 

 Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. IS, fig. 362 ; Albin, pi. 33, fig. 53, e— h. fig. 303 (v.iriety). 



NiKtua fuliginosa, Haworth. 1 Leucania arcuata,?i\.i!fh. ; Wood. Ind.Ent.pl. 15, fig. 3(>4. (var..') 



This species measures from 1^^ to nearly 1^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a luteous 



