28 
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 
f the space between the two outer transverse lines of a rather darker 
grey’ {Scimmlung europ'aischer Schmet ., fig. 642). I have never seen 
specimens 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. 11).” 
He then drew attention to the pallid form of N iriangulum , to the 
superficial resemblance between N. c-nigrum and Tceniocampa gothica , 
to the sexual dimorphism of N. 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. dahlii were 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. rubi and N. 
plecta . The want of variation in N umbrosa was remarked, the rest of 
the time being occupied with Nociua festiva and N. conflua , concerning 
which Mr. Tutt read the following:— 
Variation in Noctua festiva and N. conflua.—“T hese 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 conflua , 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. brunnea ; 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 ofE T nst,” the same gentleman remarks again of true conflua \— 
“x\ 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. 
brumiea ; and others of the var. conflua with markings almost obsolete. 
Of these, three varieties are figured , 1 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 
1 The figures are very bad, and utterly useless for reference.—J.W.T. 
