1898] NOTES AND COMMENTS 5 



to two long narrow plates, and entirely bedded, opened out side by- 

 side, in folds of the mantle. All trace of an adductor muscle is 

 wanting. Otherwise, in its internal anatomy, ChlamydoconcJia 

 closely resembles Ephippodonta, described by Martin F. Woodward, 

 in Proc. Malac. Soc, vol. i., pp. 20-26. 



A COMPKEHENSIVE WOKK ON MOTHS 



The British Museum (Natural History) has entered on a gigantic 

 undertaking. Although publicity is especially desired, the authori- 

 ties apparently have not considered it necessary to send their cir- 

 cular to the general scientific press. We accordingly reprint the 

 circular issued by Sir William Flower from the Entomologists' 

 Monthly/ Magazine for November : — 



" Prospectus of a series of Volumes on the Lepidoptera Phalaenae 

 of the Whole World, to be published by the Trustees of the British 

 Museum. 



" The Trustees of the British Museum having sanctioned the 

 publication of a series of volumes on the Moths of the World, and 

 entrusted Sir George Hampson with the commencement of the work, 

 I beg to call your attention, as being interested in the classification 

 of the Lepidoptera, to the following scheme, which has been approved 

 of for the work. The chief want of entomologists working at this 

 subject at the present time is a comparative analysis of the genera 

 in each family, on the lines of the classification originated by 

 Herrich-Schiifter and Lederere for the European fauna, and amplified 

 of late years by Snellen, Meyrick, J. B. Smith, E. L. Eagonot and 

 others, for various groups of the Palaearctic, Nearctic, Oriental and 

 Australian faunas, and it is thought that the best way to supply this 

 want is by the publication of such a work as the following : — 



" (1) The size of the work to be large 8vo, similar to the Cata- 

 logue of Birds, Eeptiles, &c., each volume to consist of 

 about 500 pages, the exact number being regulated with 

 a view to completing the classification of a family or sub- 

 family ; each volume to be complete in itself, with its 

 own index. 



" (2) The general arrangement of the work, and of each family 

 and genus, to be from the more specialised to the most 

 generalised forms, the arrangements being modified so as 

 to make the system as natural as possible. 



"(3) The work to contain synopses and descriptions of the 

 families, genera and species of Moths, every described 

 species, about which any exact information can be gained, 

 being included, references only being given to those whose 

 systematic position cannot be ascertained with tolerable ex- 



