158 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



estingly shown that the Neuroptera afford a synthetic type among the 

 orders of insects, and also how the Hepialince are related to this order by 

 their long thorax, the sub-equal wings, the unusual number of veins, their 

 distance at base, being nearly set on a plane, as the wings of dragon-flies. 

 So, among the moths themselves, the Spinners occupy a central and 

 synthethic position, having resemblances to all the other moths, and 

 probably containing very old types of Lcpidoptera. 



The caterpillars are usually hairy or provided with warts and bristles, 

 but not a few are naked and sphingiform, as that of JVotodonta stragu/a. 

 Probably one of the most remarkable known lepidopterous larvae, that of 

 the European Stanropns fagi., occurs in this family. This brown 

 caterpillar is called " the lobster " by collectors from its odd shape ; the 

 thoracic feet are abnormally developed. The moth is not unlike our 

 genus Hcterocampa and is sufficiently commonplace. Walker mistakenly 

 credits North America with species of this genus. 



The sub-family Nycteolince, of which Nola is the type, and which is 

 characterized by the weak bushy palpi, while the white and grey moths 

 look like minute Nocticidce (Eustrotia)^ is represented in North America 

 by the genera Nola, Argyrophyes and Sarothriptis. The palpi exceed 

 the head, and are somewhat flattened. The second sub-family, or 

 LithosiiuK, is characterized by the absence of simple eyes, or ocelli, and 

 narrow wings, while most of the genera are, like the Bryophilians, lichen 

 feeding The genus Crocota is wrongly included here by Dr. Packard. 

 Prof. Saunders describes the larva of C. quinarla under the name of 

 Ardia biinaada, and it is quite clear that this frail genus is to be 

 classed under the sub-family Arctii/ue. 



In the present brief paper I only direct attention to the position of 

 the sub -family Hemileucince. In this sub-family, which I separated from 

 the Attacince (=Saturnidre of Authors), the mature larva is provided with 

 short bristles arising in fascicles, and thus in the mature larval stage 

 resembles the young larva of the Attacmce on leaving the egg, such as 

 that of Platysamia cecropia. The cocoon is not free and spun in the 

 leaves and branches, but on the ground, amid debris and mixed with sand 

 and soil. The perfect insect has the antenna less lengthily pectinate, as 

 compared with the Attacince, and the broad wings are no longer falcate. 

 We have to do with a type intermediate between the Attacince and 

 Ceratocampince. The genera are Pseudohazis, Hcmileuca, Argyrauges, 

 Coloradia and Hyperchiria. Heviileuca contains species so closely 



