101 Journal New York EntOxMological Society. [Voi. xii. 



Eyes not so fringed or lashed ERASTRiiN'.i. ' 



10. Eyes hairy Mamestrin.^. 



Eyes naked, with overhanging lashes or cilire ii. 



Eyes naked, without overhanging lashes or cilire 12. 



11. Primaries subparellel or lanceolate, niaculation usually strigate or tending to it ; 



body usually depressed Xylininve.. 



Primaries trigonate, niaculation of the usual type, rarely strigate ; body not de- 

 pressed PoiJ I .N.t. • 



12. Ti biie not spi nose 13. 



Some or all the tibice spinose 14. 



13. Colors rarely contrasting, normal maculation usually present ; fore tibia rarely 



armed; front of head not modified ; eyes round Hadenin^. • 



Colors usually contrasting ; fore tibia often armed ; front of head often modi- 

 fied ; eyes tending to reniform Heliothin'.^. 



14. Colors bright ; vestiture long fine hair or broad glossy scales ; eyes often reni- 



form ; fore tibia tends to become abbreviated and armature to consist of 



stout long claws H EI.IOTHIN.-E. ■ 



Colors rarely contrasting, vestiture usually a mixture of scale and hair or flattened 

 hair; eyes rarely reniform; fore tibia of normal length, armature usually 

 spinose. not claw-like in character .AGROTlN.t. 



The table is unsatisfactory, because it does not express the relation 

 of the subfamilies to each other. DeYelopment has been from the 

 Quadrifids, through the Intermediids, in which vein 5 retained its con- 

 nection with the median though well removed from 4, to the Trifids 

 where 5 is always from the cross-vein and its direct connection with 

 the median is lost. But this development has been along several 

 lines and, while a certain similarity in structure resulted, this does not 

 indicate real relationship. For instance I see very little connection 

 between the Heliothid series and the Agrotids, though they certainly 

 agree in having spinose tibiae and naked eyes. But the tibial arma- 

 ture is not the same, especially on the forelegs and the character of 

 the frontal modifications is not the same. Even the vestiture differs 

 and the head and mouth appearances have not the same character. 



1 can better show in a graphic form my view of the varying lines 

 of development that have given us our present Noctuid fauna. The 

 scheme is subject to change, however, and the terminations employed 

 are not uniform because the divisions themselves are far from being 

 equal in value. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV. 



A graphic representation of the phylogeny of the groups of the family Noctuidae, 

 represented as derived from a hypothetical quadrifid ancestor. The groups called 

 Hyblctidce, Euteliidre, Stictopteridce, Hypenidae, Pantheidre and Erebeinre are not 

 included. 



