Meyrick. — On New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera. 181 



with rounded terminal plate above, valves large. Middle tibia? 

 without spurs ; posterior tibia? somewhat rough beneath. Fore- 

 wings with vein la with long basal furcation, lower fork some- 

 times (chalcophanes) again basally furcate, lb well-defined, 

 connected with lower margin of cell by a bar near base, 2 and 3 

 from point of angle, transverse vein sometimes (chalcophanes) 

 obsolete between 3 and 4, forked parting-vein well-defined, 

 rising out of lower margin of cell near base, sometimes 

 (chalcophanes) connected with upper margin by a bar near base, 

 terminating in 4 and 5, between which transverse vein is absent, 

 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to hindmargin, secondary cell well-defined, 9 

 and 10 out of its upper margin, 11 from ^ of cell, giving rise to 

 an additional vein, and connected with 12 by a bar above 

 (chrysaryyra) or below (chalcophanes) the additional vein, 12 

 sometimes (chalcophanes) connected with upper margin of cell at 

 base, giving rise to an additional vein above in middle, and 

 sometimes [chalcophanes) a second near base. Hmdwings rather 

 narrower than forewings, ovate-lanceolate, cilia f ; neuration 

 identical with that of forewings, except as follows : 16 rising 

 out of upper fork of la, not connected with cell, 2 and 3 remote, 

 transverse vein between 3 and 4 well-defined, the four mam 

 veins not connected at base of wing, 11 from middle of cell, 11 

 and 12 without additional branches. 



Differs from the typical genus Micropteryx (which requires 

 subdivision on the basis of neuration) by the stalking of veins 7 

 and 8 in both wings, and the additional branch of 11 in fore- 

 wings. 



I sent drawings of the neuration of this genus to Mr. R. 

 McLachlan, the well-known neuropterist (whom I am glad to be 

 able to quote as agreeing with me that there is a real and close 

 developmental connection between this genus and the Trichoptera), 

 with the request that he would express an opinion as to which 

 genera of Trichoptera it approached most nearly. In reply he 

 kindly furnished me with figures of several, with which it is 

 practically almost identical. The nearest of these is 

 Rhyacophila (llhijacopliiliiln) ; Cyrnus and Holocentropus (Hydro- 

 psychidce) also approximate closely, and Diplectrona and 

 Hydropsyche, in the same family, less nearly ; Calamoceras 

 (Leptoceridte) is rather more remote. In the forewings of 

 Rhyacophila the only important difference is the existence of an 

 additional vein rising out of 4 ; but in the hindwings one 

 observes with interest that this very difference has disappeared, 

 this additional vein being absent ; throughout these genera it 

 seems that, in the tendency to a progressive simplification of 

 structure, the hindwings took the lead, with the result that in 

 the final established Lepidopterous type the hindwings have 

 permanently four veins less than the forewings. Rhyacophila 

 shows no other essential distinction from Palaomicra ; the other 



