226 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [September, 



key to the families of the moths as well as to the fact that many of the 

 genera treated of are found with us also. The whole work appears to be 

 as much condensed as possible, and the author gives us his ideas of the 

 relationships of the several families in a single page, expressed in the form 

 of a "genetic tree." According to this tree the first division of the 

 moths is made into two groups which correspond exactly to Prof. J. H. 

 Comstock's "Jugatae" and "Frenatas," though Mr. Hampson does not 

 apply any terms to them. Next comes a branch which gives rise to a 

 group of six families, the Pyralidae, Pterophonidse, Aluctidae, Thyrididas, 

 Drepanulidae and Callidulidae. Following up the main stem of the tree 

 we reach the Tineidre, which give off two branches, one giving rise to the 

 Sesiidae, and the other to a group of families including the Zygaenidae- 

 (= Anthroceridae), Cossidae, Psychidae and several others. The only in- 

 congruous element in this group is the Syntomidas (= Euchromiidas), 

 which should rather be regarded as a high development of the Arctian 

 type. Next on the main stem come the Tortricidae, followed by the No- 

 line. This is unexpected, as, with us, Nola seems to be one of the more 

 specialized forms of the Arctian type, and not a generalized one. At this 

 point one branch gives rise to the families allied to the Arctiidae, and 

 another to a group of three families, the Eudromidae, Lasiocampidae and 

 Limacodidse. I am at a loss to imagine a reason for this association. 

 The main stem further gives rise to the Noctuidae and their close allies, 

 and the Notodontidae and Eupterotidge, previously to which a branch gives 

 rise to the Sphingidae. Above the Eupterotidae the apex of the tree and 

 the highest degree of specialization is reached with the Saturnina; but 

 the Bombycidae give rise to the Geometridae, Epiplemidte, Uraniidae and 

 Epicopiidae. I am not sufficiently familiar with the last three families to 

 express an opinion on them; but I think that this position for the Geo- 

 metridae can hardly be defended. 



The book appeared subsequently to Kirby's Catalogue of Lep. Het., 

 vol. i, but not enough so as to include any references to it. The nomen- 

 clature differs somewhat from Kirby's, owing principally to the fact that 

 the author discards entirely Hiibner's Tentamen names, and adopts the 

 generic terms of the " Verzeichniss' ' only when they have been subsequently 

 described by other authors. Still he somewhat inconsistently credits 

 them to Hubner and uses the dates of the " Verzeichniss" to get priority 

 for them. 



In determining the types of the older generic names Hampson differs 

 from Kirby in six important instances. As Kirby's book appeared first 

 his determinations must prevail, unless ill-founded, and Hampson's nani'-- 

 should be changed, as follows: 



1. Page 46, for genus Tagora read Sphingognatha Feld. 



2. " 49, " Ganisa read Tagora Walk. 



3. " 212, " Syntomis read Zygeena Fab. and changed Syn- 



tomidae to Zygaenidae (= Euchromiidae). 



4. Page 230, for genus Zygccna read . Inthrocera Scop, and changed 



" Zygaenidse" to Anthroceridae. 



