142 COSYMBIA. B: L. B. Prout. 



pendularia. C. pendularia CI. (^ albipimctata Hufn. = suspensa Retz. = pupillaria Brahm = circularia F. = 



vusarmana Walk.) (4n). Whitish, dusted with grey atoms and usually with some slight reddish suffusion in 

 the median area of the forewing, especially round the discal dot and on the median shade when the latter 

 is present. Forewing with distal margin rather straight; the two lines represented chiefly by black dots or 

 minute dashes on the veins, ' the antemedian usually preceded and the postmedian followed by a narrow 

 pale space, or thick line; median shade thick, curved, sometimes strong, sometimes weak or wanting; a 

 distinct white, dark-ringed discal ocellus; distal margin with black dots. Hindwing with the same markings, 

 but with the reddish suffusion weaker, often absent. Under surface entirely without reddish suffusion, the 

 forewing somewhat or considerably more strongly dusted with dark grey in basal half, both wings with first 

 line wanting, ocelli wanting or quite weak, postmedian line well developed. A very variable species, which 

 has received much attention from aberration-makers. English specimens are generally darker than conti- 

 griseolata. nental, approaching ab. griseolata. — ab. griseolata Stgr. (4n) is one of the most important forms because 

 it has assumed, more than most of the others, a decided tendency to form a local race. It is more strongly 

 and uniformly dusted with grey than the type, the markings on the contrary less strongly expressed. It is 

 said to be the prevailing form in Finland and Amurland, but occurs as an aberration elsewhere; probably 

 it may be the form described from France by Fabricius as circularia, but I am not sufficiently certain to 

 depulsa. feel justified in changing the name. — ab. depulsa Bastelb. (4 m) is a form in which the ocellated spots, at 

 least on the hindwing, are reduced to small dark (or occasionally red) dots. In extreme cases, the ocellus 

 of the forewing also gives place to a mere dot, but more often — as in the specimen figured from the 

 BastelberctEr collection — a very small ocellus remains on this wing. Described from the Rheingau, an 

 decoraria. example also recorded by von Nolcken from Esthonia. — ab. decoraria Newm. (^subroseata Woodforde ^= 

 ianthinarium Stichel =^ janthinaria Rbl.) (5 c) is a very beautiful form with the dark dusting much more 

 dense and the rosy suffusion intensified, especially in the entire median area of the forewing. In consequence 

 of the darkened coloration, the pale lines which accompany the antemedian and postmedian stand out very 

 distinctly; the ocelli also show up distinctly but their dark circumscription is almost or entirely obliterated 

 by the general darkening of the ground-colour; the outer half of the distal area is usually pale between the 

 veins. Extreme specimens are nearly black, but there is a good deal of variation. In North Staffordshire 

 this aberration is the commonest form and even the more typical examples are rather grey (ab. griseolata). 

 This is attributable to their protective value on the darkened tree-lrunks on which they rest in this district, 

 so different from the almost white trunks to which the type is adapted. It will probably there supplant the 

 type in the near future. Woodforde in naming the form overlooked decoraria Netvinan. This name was 

 founded on a single specimen, without indication of locality, bred from a larva which was said (no doubt 

 erroneously) to have been found feeding on the bedeguar or mossy gall of a rose in a garden; it passed 

 into the hands of Bond and was figured (uncoloured and without mention of the name) in the "Entomologist" 

 vol. 9, pi. 217 and again more recently (coloured) in Barrett's "Lepidoptera of the British Islands", vol. 7, 

 pi. 328, fig. 2 d. On account of the existence of a confusingly similar aberration of ('. orhicularia (ab. namur- 

 censis) I have examined the type specimen, which is now in the Sydney Webb collection, and find that Bond, 

 Barrett and Woodforde are right in referring it to the present species; it is a rather extreme development, 

 with the pale lines narrowed, of the form which has recently passed among British entomologists as sub- 

 roseata. inanthinarium Stichel is a further synonym; its author erroneously confused it with orhicularia ab. 

 namurcensis and this misled me into recording the occurrence of the last-named in England as "orhicularia 

 ab. inanthinarium" (Ent. Rec. vol. 24, p. 25); but the specimen on which it was founded (beaten from birch 

 at Arneburg, 11"' August 1897, by Thurau) has been examined by my friend Mr. E. M. Dadd and is pronounced 

 by him to be certainly a slight modification of the pendularia-fovm usually known as suhroseata, the pale 

 lines (as in the type decoraria) narrow, "but with the veins for about 2 mm from the distal margin streaked 

 with pale cream-colour, giving it a very beautiful appearance". Rebel, indeed, has already (Berge's Schmet- 

 terlingsbuch) transferred the name ianthinarium (emended to janthinaria) to the correct species; but, 

 unacquainted with the existence of a parallel form of orhicularia, he has created new confusion by sinking 



subochreata. to it namurcensis Lambill. — ab. subochreata Woodforde is a rare modification of ab. decoraria in which the 

 median area of the forewing is suffused with an ochreous colour instead of rosy; the ground-colour is dark 

 grey, as in the least extremely dark decoraria, the blackish circumscription of the white discal spots dis- 

 radiata. cernible. Woodforde bred a few examples from N. Staffordshire together with ab. decoraria. — ab. radiata 

 Delahaye, founded on a single, very fresh cf, taken in May at Pignerolles, has black rays extending along 

 the veins from the antemedian line to the base and from the postmedian to the distal margin, on both 



«i>-osfo-if/te. wings above and beneath. — ab. nigrostriata Lutzau is another rayed form, described as follows: yellowish 

 grey, median shade blackish-grey, indistinct on fore, — distinct on hindwing; both lines of black dots distinct 

 on fore — , obsolescent on hindwing; beyond the postmedian pale belt a broad blackish-grey marginal band, 

 on which the veins are marked in black. One specimen, taken on 10 June at Wolmar, Livonia. The name 



obsoletaria. would be applicable to all aberrations showing the dark band and black veins distally. — ab. obsoletaria 

 Lambill. has the antemedian line of both wings almost obsolete. This and the three following aberrations 

 were noted in Fologne's catalogue as occurring in Belgium; Fologne's note was no doubt useful as indicating 



