368 Bibliographical Notices. 



Isabella Rose Gilbert, Mrs. Hamilton, and Capt. Mortimer Slater, 

 and of Ceylonese species by E. L. Layard, Esq. 



As in his former work. Dr. Horsfield here expresses his conviction 

 that the transformations of Lepidoptera afford the chief cine to the 

 discovery of the natural system ; and in his introductory remarks he 

 has paid a just compliment to the * Systematisches Verzeichniss ' of 

 the Theresianer, whose maxim, *' ein iLuge auf den Schmetterlinge, 

 das andere auf die Raupe," ought never to be lost sight of by Lepi- 

 dopterists. In like manner, he avows his continued adherence to the 

 circular and quinarian system of MacLeay, supported as it has been 

 by Gray in Mammalia, Vigors and Kaup in Birds, De Haan in Crus- 

 tacea, and Fries in Fungi. 



As, however, in a collection from a territory of limited geographical 

 extent, large chasms remain to be supplied from other localities. Dr. 

 Horsfield " desires that it may be distinctly understood, that it is not 

 his purpose to give an illustration of MacLeay's particular system ; his 

 object being to contribute a fragment towards a future enterprise of 

 a more qualified entomologist." The attempt, indeed, to work out 

 the MacLeaian system in such a catalogue as that now before us, 

 would have occupied not only too much space, but also far too much 

 time at Dr. Horsfield' s very advanced age. 



The Diurnal Lepidoptera are arranged in five Stirpes, from the 

 supposed analogical resemblance of their larvae with the five Orders 

 of Ametabola according to the system of MacLeay : — 1. Those with 

 vermiform larvae, containing the family Lycsenidse. 2. Those with 

 Chilognathiform or luliform larvae (Pierides and Papilionides). 

 3. Those with Chilopodiform or Scolopendriform larvae (Nympha- 

 lidae). 4. Those with Thysanuriform larvae, having the head and tail 

 furcate, containing the Morphides, Hipparchiides, and portion of the 

 Nymphalidae ; and 5 . Those with Anopluriform larvae, comprising 

 the Erycinidae, Hesperiidae, and the genus Nyctalemon. The Sphin- 

 gides are comprised in five Stirpes : of the first, containing Castnia 

 and Euschemorif there is no Indian representative ; the second is 

 typified by Sesia and Macroglossa ; the third by Smerinthus ; the 

 fourth by Acherontia and Sphinx, and the fifth by Deilephila and 

 Choerocampa ; the Zygaenidae and Trochiliidae being removed to the 

 Nocturnal division. 



We are not disposed to enter into any extended criticism of the 

 classification proposed above, but shall simply state our opinion that 

 the group or class Ametabola of MacLeay, involving the analogical 

 classifications founded thereupon, is entirely faulty in its construc- 

 tion ; that the Morphides and various Nymphalideous genera placed 

 in the Thysanuriform section are more naturally allied to the Chilo- 

 podiform group ; that Adolias even affords perhaps as good an in- 

 stance of analogy as could be desired with a Chilopod genus, namely 

 Scutigera ; that the Erycinidae and Hesperiidae belong to totally 

 different types ; that Nyctalemon is a Heterocerous genus ; that the 

 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Stirpes of the Sphinges are far too closely 

 allied together to be considered separately as of equal rank with 

 Castnia ; and that Euschemon belongs to the Diurna. 



