INDIAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA. 581 



close together as possible, all pins firmly fixed, and if naphthaline or 

 other preservative is included, it should be wrapped in muslin, and this 

 very firmly pinned. A piece of loose cotton wool may be pinned in 

 one corner to catch stray abdomens if detached. The insect-box should 

 then be packed in a larger box of sufficient size to allow of at least one 

 inch of packing all round, and at top and bottom ; this packing should 

 be either cotton wool or tightly crumpled paper, the latter material 

 being unsurpassed for cheapness and efficiency. The outer case must 

 be strong enough to resist moderate pressure, but any light wooden box 

 will serve, or a biscuit-tin does very well. The address should not be 

 entrusted to a tied label, as these are frequently dragged off in transit, 

 but gummed on the outer case. Insects thus packed were sent me by 

 Captain (now Lt.-Col.) Manders from the Shan States, travelling- 

 hundreds of miles by pack-mule over mountain ranges and unbridged 

 torrents before making the voyage to England, and suffered absolutely 

 no damage. All consignments should be addressed to me at Thorn- 

 hanger, Marlborough, Wilts. 



All specimens must be pinned, not sent in papers ; if possible, they 

 should be set, as they do not relax so well as larger insects, and this 

 applies especially to the more minute species which can hardly be set 

 except when fresh. Fine pins of only moderate length should be used ; 

 for average Micros it suffices if there is about half-an-inch of pin below 

 the insect, and enough above to grasp with the forceps. 



As the basis of the following descriptions I have assumed the classi- 

 fication, terminology, systematic characters, &c, given in my " Hand- 

 book of British Lepidoptera." As the work proceeds, I will give such 

 dichotomous tabulations of the genera and species from time to time as 

 may seem necessary. Meanwhile, I shall be glad to explain to corres- 

 pondents any difficulties that they find in identification of species. 



For the material of the present paper I am indebted to Mr. E. E. 

 Green, Government Entomologist of Ceylon ; Mr. J. Pole, of Maske- 

 liya, Ceylon ; Lt.-Col. N. Manders, R.A.M.C. ; and Mr. H. Maxwell- 

 Lefroy, Government Entomologist of India. The name of the collector 



is recorded in the case of each species. 



Pterophorid^e. 

 Oxyptilus zanclistes n. sp. 



#9. 16 mm. Head and thorax ochreous-whitish, irrorated with fuscous. 

 Palpi white, second and terminal joints with oblique dark fuscous bars. An- 

 tennae white, lined with blackish. Abdomen whitish-ochreous, mixed with 

 7 



