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DESCRIPTION'S OF AUSTRALIAN MICRO- 

 LEPIDOPTERA. 



By E. Meyrick, B.A, F.Z.S. 



XVII. ELACHISTID^. 



For this and ensuing papers I shall assume as a basis the 

 general classification and terminology emploj^ed in my " Hand- 

 book of British Lepidoptera," thus avoiding the necessity of a 

 certain amount of repetition. However, I give the family and 

 generic characters in full. 



The following are the characters of the family : — 



Head smooth. Tongue developed. Antennse § to over 1. 

 Labial palpi nearly always acute, recurved when long. Maxil- 

 lary palpi rudimentary. Fore wings : lb furcate or simple, 7 

 usually to costa, one or more veins often absent. Hindwings 

 under 1, lanceolate or linear; 3 usually rising before angle, nearly 

 parallel to 4, rarely connate, 6 and 7 approximated, stalked, or 

 coincident, one or more veins often absent, cell often open 

 posteriorly. 



The species of this family are almost all small, and therefore 

 often neglected by collectors. It is probable therefore that very 

 many remain to be discovered; and indeed I possess specimens of 

 quite twenty species which are not in a satisfactory condition for 

 description. I have however recorded here 254 species, almost 

 the whole of which are new to science. 



Larva with 10 prolegs, seldom almost apodal; usually mining 

 in leaves or amongst seeds or in stems, sometimes case-bearing, 

 rarely amongst spun leaves. 



The genera may be tabulated as follows : 



1. Forewings with 7 to termen,'all veins present 2. 



Forevvings with 7 to costa, one or more veins often 



absent 3. 



