48 DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALASIAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA, XIX., 



rather difficult to lose when once acquired, as some species which 

 have found it necessary to rest appressed to the tree-trunks for 

 purposes of concealment are constrained to spread these legs out 

 awkwardly at the sides. 



The family as thus constituted includes forms of such diverse 

 superficial appearance that it is not surprising to find some 

 reluctance to accept it as a homogeneous group; but I am never- 

 theless satisfied that it is natural, and am unable to find any 

 characters for breaking it up. It is a primitive group as com- 

 pared with the other families of the I'inehia, which are more 

 specialised and have acquired more constancy in certain particu- 

 lars. Thus in the Gelechiadce, Oecophoridce, and Xyloryctidm 

 veins 7 and 8 of the forewings are invariably stalked (or coinci- 

 dent), never separate; whilst in the riuteJlidce this character 

 fluctuates so much in closely allied forms that I am satisfied it is 

 insufficient by itself even to delimit genera. The smooth poste- 

 rior tibife are not constant in the Flutellidce, though very charac- 

 teristic, and seldom found in any of the other families; there are 

 undoubted Plutellid genera which have the tibiae more or less 

 rough-scaled or set with thin bristly hairs, or even exceptionally 

 clothed with long fine hairs (as Piestoceros, which can hardly be 

 referred elsewhere, though it might possibly belong to the 

 Tineidce). The head is normally smooth, but sometimes rough 

 or even tufted. The veins ma}'- be regarded as normally all 

 separate in both wings, though many exceptions occur. Some 

 genera are remarkable for the relatively extremely short cilia of 

 the hind wings, reduced to ^ of the breadth of the wing or even 

 less, whilst in other Tineina they are very rarely less than J. In 

 view of the inconstancy of single characters in this family the 

 combination of leading characters should always be considered 

 to determine the true affinity of a genus. 



As many of the genera have been treated already, I have not 

 thought it necessary to repeat descriptions where a genus or 

 species has already been sufficiently described. Zelleria and its 

 allies were included in m}'^ paper on IHneidce, and the Gracilaria 

 and Glyphipteryx groups in separate early papers; Imma is fully 



