54 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



so-called families Graciilarid.se, Cygnodiidse or Acrolophidae are 

 each phylogenetically equivalent to the entire group of families 

 derived from the so-called families Plutellidse and Tineidse. 



From the aculeate Micropterygid stock two main groups arise, 

 one which has retained the aculeation and one in which this 

 character is lost. The aculeate group contains such families as 

 the Prodoxidge, the Adelidae, and the Incurvariidse and culminate 

 in the leafmining Nepticulidse; 1 Opostega also must be referred to 

 this group. 



The generalized nonaculeates give rise to a number of inde- 

 pendent main branches, each in reality of more than family rank, 

 such as the Acrolophidse, Cossidse, Tineidse, Hyponomeutidse, 

 Gracilariidae, Coleophoridse, and Cygnodiidse, from which in turn 

 the higher families, such as the Gelechiidse and Cosmopterygidse, 

 the Plutellidse and Hemerophilidse and the Heliodinidse are minor 

 branches (pi. II). 



It may be questioned whether it would be advisable to introduce 

 a number of intermediate valuations in the form of subfamilies 

 and superfamilies and suborders (and even these forms will hardly 

 express the complex system adequately) and whether such a 

 scheme would be rather a cumbersome, impractical burden for 

 the student. My own inclination is to express the system in as 

 true terms as possible. 



But the terminology is the least part, the main thing is, that 

 the student should keep in mind the fact that the families of 

 Microlepidoptera, as they are at present used by the leading spe- 

 cialists of the group, are not truly equivalent entities. Only there- 

 by is a sound perspective of the group possible, and only thereby 

 can further addition to the systematic structure be made along 

 natural lines. 



Two HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FOURTH MEETING, 

 FEBRUARY 5, 1914. 







A special committee consisting of Messrs. Heidemann, Schwarz, 

 and Banks, presented a biographical sketch of 0. M. Reuter which 

 was accepted for publication. 



The following papers were presented: 



1 The highest specialization, connected with the leafmining habit, is 

 found at the apex of several of these branches and has therefore been quite 

 independently reached by such genera as Nepticula, Phyllonorycter (Litho- 

 colletis), and Tischeria. 



