Since the first edition was published in 182i, much has been 

 done towards smoothing the way to an arrangement of the Lepi- 

 doptera. Ochsenheimer's work, continued by Treitschke, has been 

 published as far as the Tortricidae, and a valuable abstract of their 

 characters given by J. G. Children, Esq. in the Philosophical 

 Magazine; Godart's Lepidopteres de France, continued by M. 

 Duponchel, has advanced to the end of the Phalaenidae ; and Dr. 

 Ilorsfield has discovered some beautiful affinities in the exotic Pa- 

 pilionidae and their caterpillars, which are now publishing in his 

 elegant work on the Lepidopterous Insects of Java. We still, how- 

 ever, have to lament the want of decided generic characters, such 

 as are to be found in the other Orders of our British Insects ; but 

 I do not doubt that, by persevering in giving the details to each 

 group, eventually the most valuable results will arise, and a more 

 natural arrangement will be formed. At present the one developed 

 in my Guide will be found, I think, to present a more natural series 

 than any other that has been given; but no doubt many improve- 

 ments may, and I hope will, be made during the progress of this 

 work. 



I once thought the internal lateral lobe or spine attached to the 

 anterior tibia? of many Lepidoptera would afford generic distinc- 

 tions, but in the genus before us, their irregularity in the sexes 

 shows that they are, as I have lately hinted, for cleaning the an- 

 tennae; for in O. Potatoria they are very large in the male and 

 minute in the female. 



The name of Drinker caterpillar was given to our insect more 

 than a century back by Goedart, from his imagining that it is sub- 

 ject to thirst; and that when it drinks, it takes breath, lifting the 

 head up to swallow the water more easily, in the same manner as 

 fowls, who, after having drank, never fail to raise their heads to- 

 wards heaven. The caterpillar feeds upon grasses, and the bram- 

 ble, I believe, and many other plants ; it passes the winter in a tor- 

 pid state, and in the spring it is found on grassy banks and hedges ; 

 it changes to a chrysalis the end of June or beginning of July, and 

 the moths appear the end of the month. They vary considerably, 

 sometimes the costal portion of the base and the posterior margin 

 are brown with a grayish bloom upon them, the inferior wings 

 liaving the basal half ochreous, terminated abruptly ; in others the 

 insect is almost entirely brownish castaneous. 



In looking over the beautiful collection formed in the East Indies 

 by Major General Hardwicke, I was astonished to find moths 

 scarcely differing, apparently, from O. Potatoria^ Lasiocampa QiieV' 

 CHS, Trifolii, &c. 



