246 



FOSSIL INSECT WING, ORDER PARAM Ef'OPTEKA, 



family, the radial cell is open, and the primitive dichotomy is 

 generally lost. 



It will scarcely be necessary to pursue this comparison any 

 further, seeing how closely comparable the general venational 

 schemes of archaic Trichoptera and Lepidoptera admittedly 

 are. For those who wish to make detailed comparison of the 

 venation of Micropteryyidte with that of Behnontia, reference 

 may be made to the figures in my paper on this family (6); the 

 same paper indicates the connection between the venational type 

 of the Micropterygidce and that of the Hepialidce, and so with 

 all Lepidoptera. 



U Cu a Cu ib Cu la 



Text-fig. 5. 



Eriocrania semipurpurella Steph., forewing, pupal tracheation (above, x 54) 

 and imaginal venation (below, x 18). England, recent; Order Lepi- 

 doptera, family Micropterygicke. For lettering, see Text-fig. 2, p. 238. 



Summing up the above evidence, then, it is clear that there is 

 not a single character in the venation of Behnontia which pre- 

 cludes it being accepted as the actual ancestor of the Micro- 

 pterygidce, unless it can be shown that R, in the fossil is not dis- 

 tally forked. As this part is missing, we cannot decide the point; 

 but, even if it were so, it might legitimately be argued, I think. 



