mabch.1889.] THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 45 



On the Underwings of certain Agrotidae. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



I can fully support Mr. Gregson's nomenclature of the specimen 

 of Agrotis, mentioned by him in the Young Naturalist, Vol. IX., p. 238. 

 Mr. Cross sent the insect to me, and I had no hesitation whatever in 

 returning the specimen to him as A . corticea. But the variety did not 

 strike me as presenting very unusual characteristics, as I have several 

 very much like it, and others of the same form from Deal. But with 

 regard to the former part of his note, Mr. Gregson has fallen into 

 error, and his remarks on this group will be entirely misleading to 

 those to whom the Agrotis offers more than sufficient difficulties 

 already. Mr. Gregson states that : 11 A. segetum belongs to a group of 

 the Agrotid® having light and sometimes somewhat hyaline hind- wings 

 in the males, a group that is without any discoidal lunule on the in- 

 ferior wings, see exclamationis, lunigera, saucia, suffusa, ripce, segetum, &c, 

 among our British species." 



I consider there are two or three essentially misleading points in 

 the above quotation, short as it is, and for the sake of those who find 

 a difficulty in working out the group satisfactorily, I would say a few 

 words. 



Mr. Gregson states that "A. segetum belongs to a section of the 

 Agrotida, comprising exclamationis, lunigera, &c," and from which he 

 would exclude corticea. However closely allied saucia, suffusa and 

 segetum may be, certain it is that lunigera forms a connecting link be- 

 tween these and another group containing exclamationis, corticea and 

 cinerea, whilst ripce forms a good connecting link between these and 

 the cursoria-tritici group. To separate corticea and exclamationis into 

 different groups would be suicidal to beginners, and lead them into 

 endless difficulties. Better far to tell them they are closely allied, 

 that exclamationis (males) have white hind- wings, females grey, while 

 corticea has dark hind- wings in both sexes. 



Again, Mr. Gregson states that these all belong to " a group that 

 is without any discoidal lunule on the inferior wings." This is 

 another most misleading statement, which I trust will lead none of 

 our earnest young workers astray. Taking the species, which Mr. 

 Gregson includes in this group (and including corticea), seriatim, we 

 find the following facts ; — 



