82 Kansas university quarterly. 



striated, i. e., possesses a coarse and a fine striation (see fig. 7, p. 51). 

 In argcnteoinaciilatits and its variety purpurasccns the outer margin 

 of the scale is not dentate, but is obtusely rounded or truncate, with 

 faint emarginations, feebly sinuate, it might be called. The scales of 

 ////;////// have a rounded tip with very short, irregular points; bcJircnsii 

 has a single emargination in the middle of the outer margin, thus 

 forming two lateral teeth. 



microptervgidae. 



The only genus in this family is Micropicryx which is represented 

 in North America by five species. The moths are very small, being 

 among the smallest of the micro-lepidoptera. The forewings show 

 striking irridescent colors; the apex of the hindwings also exhibits 

 these metallic reflections. A bronze or almost golden tint is the 

 commonest; next in point of common occurrence come violet or 

 reddish-purple reflections. On the hindwing rarely more than the 

 apical one-third is brilliantly colored, the disc and base being of a 

 cloudy sub-transparency. Both fore and hindwings are fringed with 

 long scale-hairs on the outer and anal margins, or parts of them; 

 also on the apical one-third of the costal margin. The fringing 

 varies greatly in the length of the composing scale-hairs and in the 

 extent of wing-margin on which it occurs. The scale-hairs projecting 

 caudad from the anal margin of the hind wing are sometimes as long 

 as the whole breadth of the wing (costal to anal margin). 



The scales are plainly formed on one plan, and no distinctions of 

 much worth can be made out among the scales of the various species. 

 The state of specialization reached is high, and considering both fore 

 and hindwings the scale-specialization shows a uniformly greater 

 divergence from the primitive type than that of Hepialus. This is 

 especially apparent in the scale-specialization of the hindwings. 



The mode of scale-specialization is not clearly shown: It seems 

 that the scale-hair grows wider and shorter without any division at the 

 tip, a specialized scale thus resulting with entire outer margin. The 

 form of the specialized scales differs from elongate to almost orbicular 

 types; the outer margin is rounded or truncate or obtusely-angled in 

 the middle. Gradations among all these three outlines of the tip 

 may be found in almost every species; though the majority of the 

 scales taken from the disc of the forewing of a certain species. A, will 

 be truncate, on species B the margin will be obtusely-angled, and on 

 species C the tip will be rounded. The rounded tip is by far the 

 most common. There is considerable variation in the size of the 

 scales, and the extremes of variation in size and outline present 

 among the scales of the genus may often be found in one species. 



