
BRITISH MOTHS 
176 
bd . . 3 a 7 : ¢ 7} rit ACK Sl ey ve 7] o c i e 
with the rudiments of the ordinary strigee. The anterior stigma 1s edged with a dark black ring, having a minut 
at its base, and behind it is the rudimental supplemental stigma ; the posterior stigma is large and 
ear-shaped, of a pure white colour, the centre marked with a fulvous lunule, the costa in front of it bearing a 
The subapical striga consists of a waved row of small interrupted dots, each bearing a black 
pale speck 
yellowish patch. 
wedge-shaped mark on the inside; the margin itself bears a series of black dots; the hind wings are dirty 
ashy-coloured at the base; the margin broadly dusky, as well as a central spot and the nervures, with a pale 
subapical striga ; the cilia pale. 
The caterpillar is variable in its colours, being sometimes pale livid brown, with dark green markings, or 
greenish, with darker markings ; it has a white dorsal line, and the extremity of the body is angulated above ; 
it feeds on elder, dwarf sun-flowers, marigolds, &c., in the autumn, and the moth, which is extremely common, 
appears in June. 
DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XXXVII. 
Insects.—Fig. 1. Apamea Fibrosa, male (the crescent), 2. A female variety. 
af Fig. 3. Apamea Nictitans (the golden ear). 4. A dark variety. 
7 Fig. 5. Apamea Unanimis (the uniform rustic). 
M4 Fig. 6. Apamea Seculina (the small clouded brindle). 
6 Fig. 7. Apamea Oculea (the common rustic). 8 and 9. Common varieties. 
af Fig. 10. Apamea Ophiogramma (the double-lobed). 
Prant.—Fig. 11. Iris fetidissima (the foetid Iris). 
A. Unanimis, Nictitans, and Oculea and varieties, are from the cabinet of Mr. H. Doubleday. A. Seculina and A. Ophiogramma are from 
specimens in the British Museum ; and the varieties of A. Fibrosa from the cabinet of Mr. Bentley. 
The banded variety of A. Fibrosa occurs both in the male and female, and there are some differences of character which seem almost sufficient 
to make it a distinct species ; one of which may be observed in the fringe of the anterior wings, which in the banded variety is very narrow, and 
of a pale cream colour, whilst in the other it is much brouder and brown. However, as every intermediate gradation, from those having a light 
band, to those that are entirely destitute of it, are occasionally found, it appears impossible to consider them distinct. 
I am unable to give the caterpillars of any of these insects, or those in the succeeding plate, from an authentic source, and therefore hope that 
some of our subscribers in favourable localities will endeavour to collect some and forward them to us for the purpose of being figured in a 
supplemental plate. H. N. H. 
APAMBEA, Tretrscuxe, Guintz, (er HYDRACIA, Guty.). 
The species of which this genus is composed are of a moderate size, and generally of very dusky colours ; the 
fore wings with the apical margin slightly denticulated, and with the posterior stigma very conspicuous ; the 
antennee are filiform or slightly crenulated in the males; the palpi scarcely extend beyond the head, and are 
but little elevated ; the terminal joint short and naked; the thorax with a small bifid crest behind the collar, 
and another at the hind part, where it is united to the abdomen; the head has a thick tuft of scales on the crown, 
and the abdomen is tufted down the back ; the caterpillars are smooth, naked, cylindrical, with a moderately 
large head ; they are pale-coloured, and longitudinally striped ; they feed upon low plants and grasses, and form 
slight cocoons of leaves or moss on the surface of the ground, when about to undergo their transformations ; other 
] 
species descend into the ground. They are zstival in their appearance in the perfect state. 

SPECIES 1.—APAMEA FIBROSA. Puiare XXXVIL., Fie. 1, 2. 
Synonymes. — Noctua fibrosa, Hiibner ; Stephens; Guénée ; Noctua lunina, Haworth. * 
Doubleday ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 12, fig. 263. Noctua leucostigma, Hiibner ; Ochsenheimer (variety). 
This is the largest species of the genus, differing also from the other species in several respects, whence 
, , . . . . . . 
Guenée makes it the type of his separate genus Hydracia ; the expansion of the fore wings varies from 14 to 

