346 



THE CA.NADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



arbitrarily drawn, as, for example, by the exclusion of the genera Prodoxus 

 and Tegeticu/a, which naturally belong to this group. 



Dr. Dietz divides these insects into two subf^imilies : the Amydrti?uc 

 and the Tviehice ; it would, in my opinion, have proved more rational and 

 profitable to have carried through Lord Walsingham's suggested three 

 divisions of the group : Setomorphince. Euplacaminct and Tinehice,^ and I 

 believe these groups will eventually stand ; but there is at least a que>ti()n 

 of the propriety of substituting the new name A?nydrnnce for Lord 

 Walsingham's name, instead of enlarging the conception of the already 

 established subfamily so as to include Amydria. 



Dr. Dietz says : " These two subfamilies are distinct and sharply 

 defined," but not one nor any combination of the characters given by him 

 hold good ; on the contrary, the differences given in the synoptic table are 

 very vague indeed, when critically examined : 



1. Head rough-haired or almost 

 entirely smooth-scaled. 



2. Tongue and maxillaj-y palpi 

 rudimentary. 



3. Labial palpi strongly devel- 

 oped, porrect and more or less 

 ascending; second joint with a brush, 

 more or less developed, or simi)ly 

 thickened with scales beneath ; ter- 

 minal joint pointed, erect, or rarely 

 obtuse and depressed. 



4. Vein 7 of fore wing to costa or 

 rarely to apex. 



5. Vein \b furcate at base. 



6. Hind wings as wide as fore 

 wing?. 



7. Vein \b more or less distinctly 

 furcate at base. 



8. Vein \e alwavs distinct. 



1. Zf'd'rt^ entirely rough-haired. 



2. Maxillary palpi well developed, 

 very rarely rudimentary. (Tongue 

 not mentioned.) 



3. (Labial palpi not mentioned.) 



Vein 7 of fore wing to costa. 



5. (Vein \b not mentioned.) 



6. (Width of wings not men- 

 tioned.) 



7. Vein \b simple at base (ex- 

 cejot Brackenridgia). 



8. Vein \e often absent. 



In other words, he separates the two subfauiilies " on one character 

 apparently overlooked " (sic !), namely, the furcation of vein \b of the 



2. Trans, Ent. Soc. Lond., p. 81, 1891, 



