414 DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA, 



consideration of the sum of the characters, rather than a blind 

 dependence on one alone. In the present paper the Tortricidce 

 alone are included ; the Grapholithida and Conch ylidce, which even 

 together are much less numerous, will form the subject of the 

 next instalment. 



The Tortricidce are divisible by means of the neuration into 

 well-defined and natural groups which might, if desirable, be 

 adopted as subfamilies, viz. : 



a. Mictoneura — Veins 8 and 9 of forewings rising on a stalk from 



7 (genus 1). 



b. Aeropolitis group — Veins 3 and 4 of hindwings separate at 



origin (genera 2-10). 



c. Dichclia group — Veins 3 and 4 of hindwings from a point or 



stalked, 7 and 8 of forewings stalked (genera 11-16). 



d. Tortrix group — Veins 3 and 4 of hindwings from a point, 7 



and 8 of forewings separate (genera 17-21). 



There are also other lower-organised groups, but they are 

 apparently not represented in Australia, and I will not therefore 

 attempt to define them. Assuming that the origin of the family 

 is to be found in the extreme forms of the Gelcchidce (Dasystoma 

 and ChimabaccheJ, a direct progression may be traced from such 

 forms as Cheimatophila and Exapate through Sciaphila to Tortrix 

 and Caccecia. with a continually increasing breadth of wing ; the 

 transition from these to Dic/telia seems at present to be incomplete, 

 there being no distinct indication of the steps through which 

 veins 7 and 8 of the forewings became stalked ; Capua is a modi- 

 fication of Bichelia, and from Capua are formed Aeropolitis and 

 Pyryotis by the separation of veins 3 and 4 of the hindwings ; 

 and from these latter again are developed the more extreme forms 

 of this type, with veins 3, 4, .5 all equidistant and parallel, and 

 the other details of structure often considerably modified. 

 Mictoneura stands at present so remote from its allies, that it is 



