262 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
Graphif)hora augur var. hdvetma was then referred to, and the parallel 
variation in Noctua Ifaia, N. sobrbia, Agrotis subrosea and A. hyperborea^ 
in the direction of glaucous forms on the one hand and red forms on 
the other, was fully entered into. The grey type of N, depuncta^ as 
apart from our British form, var. 7 nendosa^ Hb., was then considered, 
and reference was made to the extreme colour variation of N. glareosa 
and N. xanthographa. Of the former species, Mr. Tutt read : — “ This 
species has a wide variation in ground colour, which extends from 
a pure whitish-grey to black, the characteristic short black transverse 
marks, however, being very constant in all its forms of variation, 
and standing out conspicuously even in the darkest specimens. These 
darkest specimens are, I believe, almost peculiar to the Shetland Isles, 
and are excessively rare elsewhere, although there is a record by 
Mr. Wylie in the E?ito?nologisf s Record etc., vol. i., p. ii, of three black 
specimens having been captured in 1887, near Perth. There is also a 
beautiful variety tinged with a delicate rosy colour, as was mentioned 
in The Brit. Noct. and their Vars., i., 1 1, as being of frequent occurrence 
in those species of Cuspidia and Viminia. which have a similar grey 
ground colour. Esper’s diagnosis of this species is: — ‘Alis cinerascentibus, 
punctis baseos et pupillis stigmatum nigris, strigis tribus posterioribus 
albidis’ {Die Schmet. in Abbildungen etc., p. 387). Our own pale 
specimens are distinctly of two forms — one, of a pale whitish-grey, the 
second, of a pale lilac-grey, the former being the more common form 
found on the Continent, the deepening in tint of some of our specimens 
being, perhaps, a foreshadowing of the intense melanism which is so 
characteristic of those from the Shetland Isles and probably from the 
Scotch Highlands. The hebraica of Hiibner is almost typical, having 
the space between the two outer transverse lines of a rather darker 
grey’ \Sammlung europ'aischer Schniet.., fig. 642). I have never seen 
i>pecimens actually intermediate between the grey and black form but 
•Mr. Wylie writes : — ^ During 1887, I took a great number of this species, 
varying from black to the normal type, with many intermediate forms 
and rosy vars ’ {Ent. Rec.^ etc., vol. i., p. ii).” 
He then drew attention to the pallid form of N. iriangulu?n^ to the 
superficial resemblance between N. c-nig 7 'um and Tceniocampa gothica, 
to the sexual dimorphism of PP. ditrapezium and to the very rare 
occurrence of the red type of N. stigmatica^ the British specimens being 
principally var. tristigma^ St. It was remarked that the chestnut- 
marbled and red forms of N. dahtii wtro. principally sexual in England, 
but that in Aberdeenshire and Ireland the red form was common to 
both sexes. The occasional occurrence of N. flammatra in Britain 
was noted, as also was the double-broodedness of N. nibi and N. 
piecta. The want of variation in N. ujfibrosa was remarked, the rest of 
the time being occupied with Noctua f estiva and N. coiiflua (the paper 
will appear in next No.). At the end of this paper Dr. Buckell pointed 
out certain differences between augur and the typical species of the 
geiims Noctua^ and made some remarks on the variation of Noctua rubi 
and N. xa?ithographa. Mr. Tutt referred to the seasonal dimorphism 
in the former species, and mentioned the capture of a very pale specimen 
•of G. augur by Mr. Dutton at York this year. 
Thursday., November ^th^ 1891. — Exhibits: Mr. Mead, Miselia oxya- 
^:a?ithce^ Mia?ia strigilis and E^iplexia lucipara, all from Epping Forest. 
