190 REVIEWS. 



The 5th family, Gelechidce, is, as yet, rather tolerated than approved. 

 Mr. Stainton says of it — " There is great discrepancy between the species 

 composing the family; and, no doubt, future investigation, and the study of 

 exotic forms, will enable us to sub-divide it. Many individual genera are, 

 perhaps, only types of extensive families, which have no other representa- 

 tives in the temperate climate of Europe ; and the discovery of species in 

 India, Brazil, &c, may hereafter show that these isolated species are there 

 represented more numerously, just as we find to be the case among the 

 Noctuina with Calpe Thalictri and Calyptra libatrix — which, though ano- 

 malous among our European species, are the representatives of extensive 

 tropical families. As it stands at present, however, it is considerably 

 larger than any other family of Tineina, and contains 25 genera. The 

 perfect insects of the genus Depressaria have the peculiar power of sliding 

 about when laid on their backs, which, we should imagine, would be a 

 bad preparation for the cabinet. The larva of one of the species in the 

 genus (Ecophora, which generally feeds on all kinds of dry goods, has 

 sometimes done great miscliief in breeding cages, and has even been known 

 to devour a living pupa of the Smerinthus populi ; but, with one exception, 

 all the other species of larvae in this genus feed on decayed wood, and do 

 no injury. We cannot omit to notice a generous effort made by Mr. 

 Stainton, to vindicate the character of a beautiful little creature in this 

 family, Endrosis fenestrella, greatly maligned and relentlessly persecuted, 

 by careful housekeepers, as a clothes-moth, though it does not attack clothes 

 of any kind ; " whilst the true culprits, Tinea pellionella and Biselliella, 

 remain unhurt in their places of concealment." 



11 Thus justice, while she works at crimes, 

 Stumbles on innocence sometimes." 



The principal species in genus Argyresthia, of the 7th family, are im- 

 mediately to be recognised by their grotesque fancy for standing on their 

 heads when at rest ; or, to be quite correct, standing on the first four legs 

 only, with the hind pair of legs laid alongside the body, which is elevated 

 at an angle of 45°, the head of the moth being almost in contact with 

 the substance on which it rests ; so that they " may be said " to stand on 

 their heads ; while, on the contrary, all the species of the next family, 

 GracilariidcB, as if actuated by the spirit of opposition in its strongest 

 form, are equally pertinacious in sitting upright on their tails, and thus are 

 both conspicuous and unmistakable. Indeed the antics, and affectations, 

 and oddities of many of these beautiful insects are not a little amusing ; 

 they are as curious as they are lovely, and as shy as they are attractive. 

 As a general rule, according to Mr. Stainton, the most gorgeously coloured 



