61 
between the two species. In colour and markings, both are variable, 
and I do not think I can mention any reliable distinctions other than 
those already recorded in “ The Entomologist.” These are : —- 
1. Colour. — In variata this is grey, brown-grey, green-grey, or the 
like, rarely at all reddish, never fulvous. So far as is yet known, there 
is no true melanic form of variata, although some are of a pretty dark 
grey ; but it is, of course, exceedingly probable that such will ultimately 
turn up. In that case they may prove difficult to distinguish, though, inas¬ 
much as the blackest obliscata ab. obliterata known to me are reddish 
black, I do not apprehended that the difficulty would be insurmountable. 
I need scarcely add that, even if it were, it would no more weaken the 
specific claim of the form than does the existence of almost or quite 
indistinguishable melanic forms among the Eupitheciae. 
2. Markin;)s. — In variata the outer edge of the median band is 
much more jagged than in obeliscata, showing strong indentations on 
all the veins from the projecting lobe to the hind margin, as well as 
on the submedian fold, whereas obeliscata is without any deep indenta¬ 
tions, or, at most, only with one on the submedian fold; in particular 
a strong indentation on the second median vein (the vein just anterior 
to the submedian fold) seems a good character in variata. Similarly, 
variata shows a strongly dentate, pale subterminal line, in obeliscata, the 
li ne is obsolescent, or, if clearly expressed, is shown to be much less dentate. 
There is a laps. cal. in my note in “ The Entomologist,” (p. 244), six 
lines from the bottom, “postmedian” should read “subterminal,” 
referring, of course, to the same marking which was mentioned five 
lines higher up ; the “postmedian line” in the Larentiids is the outer 
edge of the central band, but fortunately the slip does no serious 
mischief, as the “ postmedian ” is nearly as reliable a character as the 
“subterminal.” The hindwings also, of obeliscata shows, at least, a 
suspicion of a brownish gloss, and is, with very rare exceptions, quite 
weakly marked, or entirely unmarked. That of variata, though rather 
variable in colour (whitish-grey to darker grey) is of a colder tone, and 
bears a distinct dark discal dot, and often a distinct postmedian line. 
Now as regards the larvae, Doubleday ( Ent., iii., 84) pointed out 
that “ Hiibner has figured the larvae of variata with a red head and 
with the white stripes on the body continued through the head ; the 
larva of ours ( obeliscata ) has a plain dull green head, and the white 
stripes commence on the 2nd segment, that is, immediately behind 
the head. Unfortunately more recent information does not substantiate 
this differentation. Whether Hiibner by some accident figured the 
red-headed firmata for variata, whether the latter is variable in this 
respect, I am not in a position to say, but it is certain that the British 
variata- larvae which I have seen have not a red head, and Hofmann 
(“ Raupen,” p. 234), says “ head green,” while as regards the con¬ 
tinuation of the white stripes, or at least of the dorsal pale stripe, 
Fenn (in Barrett, “ Lep. lirit.” viii., 356), specially mentions it in 
his account of the larvie of (no doubt) obeliscata. Major Robertson, 
as I wrote (“ Ent.” xlv., 245), at first detected no difference in the 
larvae, but later—without committing himself to anything definite— 
he suggested (in lift.) that variata would seem to be the more weakly- 
marked larva of the two. On September 9th, last year, he very 
xxii.-xxiii. 
