BY A. J. TUliXEU. 43" 



Geoinetridic belonging to the subfamilies Monocteniance and 

 Selidosemince and to the Ewpterotidce. The characters usually 

 f'iven to separate it from these families are not wholly satisfactory'^ 

 and the matter is one requiring further research. From the 

 Geometridce the Notodontidce may usually be distinguished by 

 the weakly-developed vein 5 of the hindwings in conjunction with 

 the approximation of vein 8 of the hindwings nearly to the end 

 of the cell, but this test is not an absolute one. In case of doubt 

 the frequency with which vein 1 1 of the forewing is connected 

 with veins 12 and 10 in the Geometridce will probably prove 

 valuable, as so far as I know these anastomoses do not occur in 

 the Notodontida'. For this reason I refer Xylina serrata, Wlk.y 

 (Brit. Mus. Cat. xi. p. 761) and X. obscura, Wlk., which in the 

 British Museum Collection are placed as belonging to an 

 undescribed genus of Xofodontidce, to the former family. The 

 genus Capusa, Wlk. (Brit Mus. Cat. xi. p. 626), has also been 

 placed among the yotodontidce in the British Museum Collection,, 

 but it differs from all members of the family, so far as I know, 

 in vein 10 of forewings being free and not connected with 9. 

 Mr. D. Goudie, of Birchip, Victoria, has bred the larv^te and 

 states that they are geometriform. I think, therefore, that this^ 

 genus also should be referred to the Geometridce. 



The Eupterotidce are distinguished in Hampson's tabulation by 

 the absence of the tongue, but this organ in the Notodontidce is 

 frequently very weak and sometimes appears to be absent. I 

 cannot assert positively that this is actually so, as my material 

 does not permit me to establish this point by dissection; but in 

 any case the distinction appears unsatisfactory. Usually the 

 divergence of vein 8 of hindwings from near base of cell in 

 the Eupterotidce is a satisfactory test, but it breaks down in the 

 genus Epicom.a, Hb., in which, however, as in other genera of 

 that family, vein 10 of the forewings is wanting. It is, of course, 

 evident that the investigation of family characters cannot be 

 satisfactoril}'" carried out on a local fauna. 



The family, without being one of the largest, is yet of consider- 

 able extent, being especially well represented in South America, 



