266 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
the centre of the wing. (4). The thickening of the nervures (with black 
scales) towards the outer margin. On the hind wings there is (i). An 
almost entire failure to form the black lunular marks on the extreme 
outer margin (especially on the right side). (2). The zigzag line in the 
centre of the wing is particularly well developed, whilst the area between 
this and the outer margin is shaded with very opaque black scales 
which quite obscure the ground colour. (3). The nervures are also 
broadly black. The fore-wings show the slightest possible traces of a 
concavity in the centre of the outer margin, but otherwise the specimen 
appears to be quite normally developed. It is strange that the under- 
side shows the spots which are united above, as distinct, and not much 
more than the normal size, whilst those near the apex of the wing are 
rather less developed than usual. The space between the extreme 
edges of the hind wings and the outer row of silver spots is abnormally 
broad. — J. A. Clark, The Broadway, London F'ields. 
Variation in Noctua festiva and N. conflua.^ — “These are the 
most variable and interesting of all the species in this genus. The 
interest in them has been greatly enhanced owing to the discovery in 
the Shetland Isles of forms totally unlike those obtainable in England, 
Ireland and, so far, on the mainland of Scotland, Of these Shetland 
examples, which are the true co 7 tflua^ Mr. J. Jenner Weir writes : — 
“This insect varies much; some resemble the ordinary varieties of 
conflua^ others are in coloration more like N. dahlii^ and others are very 
like N. bru 7 inea ; all are darker than the normal N. festiva. Some have 
a hoary appearance, and indeed present such singular differences that I 
do not doubt, if the more remarkable aberrations were examined 
separately, they would in the absence of links, be regarded as distinct 
species” {Entomologist^ vol. xiii., p. 289); and, writing of “the 
Lepidoptera ofUnst,” the same gentleman remarks again of true confiua \ — 
“ A most beautiful series of this species was captured, some of a very 
rich chestnut colour with well-defined markings, as rich in colour as N. 
briumea ; and others of the var. confiua with markings almost obsolete. 
Of these, three varieties are figured, ^ Nos. 8, 9 and 10 ” {Entomologist^ 
vol. xvii., p. 2). Of the general variation of ordinary Noctua festiva, 
Newman writes: — “This moth is exceedingly variable. Through the 
kindness of friends I have at times possessed hundreds of specimens, of 
which I can truly say that no two were exactly alike ” ( British Moths, 
p. 349). The endless variation to which this species is subjected, the 
remarkable connection between this and the small race, erroneously 
known as co 7 iflua, which is captured on the moors of North England and 
in Scotland, together with the occurrence of the true C 07 ifiua (agreeing 
exactly with Icelandic specimens) in the Shetland Isles with festiva, 
make this one of the most interesting of our Noctua. 
The small form of festiva, generally known as co 7 ifiua in Britain and 
on the Continent, is not the co 7 iflua of Treitschke, which represents the 
Shetland and Iceland form lately introduced into our lists as var. thulei. 
I have not the remotest doubt that this true Iceland and Shetland co 7 ifiua 
^ Part of a paper read before the City of London Entomological Society, October 
15th, 1891. 
2 The figures are very bad, and utterly useless for reference. — JAV.T. 
