302 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



Bartel observes (Pal. Gross-Schmett., ii., p. 48) that this form is the 

 opposite of ab. spiraeae, which is a casual, small, pale aberration of 

 S. ligustri ; the ab. amurensis is strikingly darker brown and smaller 

 than typical specimens of S. ligustri ; in addition, the rose-colour is 

 paler; it is also distinguished by its very sharp markings. In size, 

 however, the conditions are here reversed, since the $ s are smaller 

 than the $ s ; the wing expanse of the latter is 80mm., while the 

 2 s only measure 66mm. The larva of this interesting form lives, 

 like that of S. ligustri and its ab. spiraeae, in autumn,- on some 

 Siberian species of Spiraea. The oblique lateral stripes, which are 

 mostly violet in the larva of typical »S. ligustri, are dark red-brown 

 in those of the Amurland variety. 



y. var. constricta, Butl., "Cist. Ent.," iii., p. 113 (1885); Kirby, "Cat.," 

 p. 692 (1892) ; Staud., "Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 101 (1901). Ligustri, Leech, " Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. Lond.," 1888, p. 589 (1888) ; "Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.," p. 287 (1898). 

 — Allied to S. ligustri of Europe, decidedly smaller, wings much narrower and more 

 elongated, so as to more nearly resemble S. kalmiae of the United States ; much 

 darker than *S". ligustri, the paler areas being of a deep copper-brown colour 

 (excepting the white submarginal lines), the darker area greyish-black, traversed by 

 velvet-black lines ;• secondaries agreeing with those of S. kalmiae, in having no 

 subbasal band, and the outer border somewhat dark but differing from it and S. 

 ligustri in the much greater width of the central band towards the abdominal 

 margin, and from S. ligustri in the much wider submarginal black band ; body 

 and undersurface almost the same as in the latter species. Expanse of wings 

 76mm. Kashiwagi, June 22nd, 1881 (G. Lewis) (Butler). 



Leech sinks this variety (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1888, p. 589) 

 and writes : " One example, taken at Hakodate by my native 

 collector in June, does not differ sufficiently from European examples 

 to deserve specific rank." The only Japanese example in the 

 series of S. ligustri in the British Museum collection (possibly that 

 referred to by Leech) has the forewings very suffused, the basal 

 and costal areas dark grey-brown, the oblique banded area from 

 apex to inner margin extended and dark ; the outer band of the 

 hindwings extending to the fringes, and the short basal one blending 

 with the median band. Butler's type specimen of constricta (not 

 in good condition) is much darker. Rothschild and Jordan 

 write (Rev. Lep. Fam. Sp/iing., p. 140) of constricta: "Structurally 

 the same as ligustri. . . . The black colour is prominent, the 

 pink colour reduced in intensity. There is as yet very little 

 material in collections. This form is of interest in so far as it 

 stands intermediate to a certain degree between drupiferarum 

 and European ligustri. The antemedian and median bands 

 of the hindwing are separate in typical ligustri ; they are 

 confluent in a few specimens which occur apparently everywhere 

 among typical ligustri-, the red colour is, besides, occasionally 

 reduced in intensity. In constricta the bands are always more or 

 less confluent and the red colour bleached, while in drupiferarum 

 both characters are exaggerated, there being no red tint and the two 

 bands being completely fused into one median band, which shows, 

 occasionally, traces of grey scaling centrally, indicating the original 

 three-banded state. " 



Egglaying. — The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves 

 of privet, those on small shoots near the foot of a hedge being 

 preferred (Bacot) ; deposited singly on the underside of the leaves 

 at Sudbury, and hatched July 29th, 1900, others hatched July 20th, 



